About our Club
The University of Akron Equestrian Team
Our English Equestrian Team competes through the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). Through IHSA, riders are only required to bring themselves and their excitement to compete. The shows we attend will provide horses that will be drawn at random and then compete on the flat and/or fences. There are several divisions for riders to be entered in. Regardless of what your riding ability may be, there is a division to show in. Since we have no warm up time with the horse we have been given, it levels the playing field for all riders to test their ability to handle whatever ride is coming to them.
In the past couple of years, our team has been growing in both quantity and quality. We are gaining new riders and the riders we have are stepping up to the challenge. Last season we had two regional qualifiers which earned us 6th place as a team. We are proud of our team and take pride in our riding. GO Zips!
More Information: Lessons and Show Attire
About Lessons:
Our lessons are held at Stoney Ridge Stables (SRS) in Wadsworth, Ohio (only about 20 minutes from our campus). SRS is owned by Jennifer Powell and our team is coached by her daughter, Alyssa Powell Huffman. It is advised to arrive at least 30 minutes early for your lesson to ensure enough time to groom and tack up your horse. When you first get to the barn, our coach will assign you a horse for the day that matches your skill level. No matter which of our 15+ school horses you get assigned to, you will have a ton of fun! There is no uniform for team practice, our members are able to wear any color breech/tee-shirt or polo, tall boots or paddock boots with half chaps, and a helmet. Helmet and heeled shoes are required while riding. If you do not have a helmet, there are a number of sizes available to borrow. SRS has all the tack you need for your horse, as well as plenty of saddles for you to borrow. You are welcome to bring your own saddle pad and/or saddle if you would like.
Payment is due the day of your lesson. Group lessons are $45 for an hour of instruction while private lessons are 30 minutes long for $50. Either of these options will satisfy the lesson requirement in order to be be eligible to show with the team. Cash or checks written out to "Stoney Ridge Stables" are accepted. Please keep in mind that there is a 24-hour cancelation policy, and you will be required to pay for your lesson if you cancel within 24 hours of your lesson (unless you are sick with a doctor's note or in cases of an emergency; this will be up to the instructor's discretion). Please contact us to fill out the required forms for our club and we can get you in touch with Coach Alyssa to set up lesson dates and times.
Guidelines for Show Attire:
We are lucky to have many tack stores around us that should be able to help you pick out clothes that fit you well such as Big Dees (Streetsboro), Clipity Clop (Brecksville), Chagrin Saddlery (Chagrin Falls), Schnieders Saddlery (Chagrin Falls), and Equine Essentials (recently moved from Avon Lake to Brunswick). Equine Essentials and Chagrin Saddlery have great consignment shops for show attire.
We recommend not to order show attire online unless you are fitted in a store first.
Helmets must be SEi approved. Please do not buy used.
Black Helmet
All black helmets are allowed. No old-style hunter hats or expired helmets please. Helmets must be SEI approved.
Hair Net
Should match your hair color as closely as possible. We recommend one-knot hair nets which can be purchased at any local tack store.
Black Belt
Should be black and be the appropriate width according to your belt loop size. No western/big belt buckles.
Black Leather Gloves
Must be black and leather or look like leather. Should be well fitted.
Navy Blue or Black Show Coat
Should be well fitted with 3-4 buttons. No long tails or colored details.
White Show Shirt
Can have long or short sleeves. Hidden patterns/colors on the inside are allowed, but should not be noticeable from the outside. Must button all the way up to your chin.
Tan Breeches
Light beige/tan breeches only please. Must have belt loops. Yellow/darker colors and full seat breeches are not preferred.
Black Tall Boots
Black field boots should be fitted in foot size, height, and calf width. Paddock boots and half chaps that are in good condition are "okay" for Intro and Pre-Novice divisions.