Advice for interested riders

What is my first step?

Register with the NCAA Eligibility center and fill out team Questionnaire online.

What is a PSA?

Prospective Student-Athlete.

What can I do to start preparing for your NCAA Equestrian Team?

If possible, attend an NCAA Equestrian competition so that you can get a better idea of our different format and the level of riders that we are looking for. Organize your horse-show records.  Start making a list of year-end awards and/or seasonal show highlights and update it regularly.  Also, from the 9th grade forward, start keeping a detailed accounting of all prize money won and expenses incurred at horse show, which includes saving and organizing all receipts. 

What do I need to do to be considered for an Equestrian Team?

Put together video of your riding and showing abilities along with a riding resume, if you have not done so already. A riding resume can include highlights from your horse show experience.  Please list the names and contact information for the trainers with whom you have ridden during the past five years; the names of any outside clinicians you have ridden with and your membership ID numbers for the equestrian organizations you belong to (i.e. USEF, AQHA, and NRHA etc.). Create a one page non-riding resume that includes any academic achievements, honors or awards. Also list your participation in volunteering, extracurricular activities, leadership, and community involvements.  Send in a video link at any time to schools you are interested in and continue to email coaches updates.

Can I contact the coaches?

Division I coaches may not write, email, text, call, or accept calls from you or your relatives until June 15 after your sophomore year of high school. Division I coaches may not accept calls from PSA’s and their relatives until June 15 after your sophomore year in high school. If a PSA or relative of a PSA calls before that date, coaches may explain the rules and why you may not talk to them.

If I attend camp, can we have recruiting conversations at camp?

No, per a new NCAA rule adopted on 4/25/18 it prohibits recruiting conversations during an institutional camp or clinic between an institution’s coach and a participating PSA before August 1^st at the beginning of the PSA’s junior year in high school.  

Can I visit the campus and take tours?

Yes, you can at any time visit schools and set up tours and meetings offered to any prospective college student.  However, when you are on campus you can’t have contact with coaches or any athletic staff, including popping into their offices or facility.  They will politely tell you the rules and that they can’t visit with you.  

Can I contact the coaches?

Division I coaches may write, email, text, call, or accept calls from you or your relatives starting June 15 after your sophomore year of high school.

Can we talk at horse shows?

Starting August 1^st prior to your junior year of high school, Division I coaches may initiate in-person contact when you are done with competition for the day and have been released by the appropriate authority at the competition (e.g., your coach or the event director)

 
What are my options for visiting campuses and coaches?

Unofficial Visits: You have the option of setting up an “unofficial visit” (i.e. the prospective student athlete covers all of her own travel expenses) August 1^st of your junior year.  It is recommended that you make an appointment with the coaches several weeks in advance of your planned visit to ensure that you will be able to meet with them.  In addition, it would be wise to set up a campus tour as well contacting an academic advisor in the area of study that you are interested in.

Official Visits: In addition, per a new NCAA rule coaches can now offer “Official Visits” (i.e. The Athletic department can cover some or all of your travel expenses, hotel and meals) to a PSA on 8/1 of the PSA’s junior years of high school.  During this visit, we will set up campus tours, barn tours, and a time to observe practice. Meetings with coaches and advisors will also be set up.

Videos

When should I send my Video link, cover letter and resumes?

The earlier the better, the start of your freshman and sophomore years.  Currently, high school students are starting to make verbal commitments to colleges during their Junior year.

What should I include in a video for Hunter Seat?

Show examples of flat work – including basic dressage-type maneuvers such as circles, sitting trot, lengthened trot, halt transitions, lateral movements and no-stirrup work – keeping in mind that our flat format is different from equitation and hunter seat industry standards.  Show examples of jumping – including footage of a few horse show rounds, as well as clips from practice at your home barn, incorporating elements such as bending lines and equitation turns.  Wear breeches, tall boots and a form-fitting, tucked-in shirt so that the coaches may be able to fairly evaluate your form and equitation.  Show examples of riding at least three different horses – and indicate (with video captions) each horse’s age and the current level of its showing or training.  Riding a variety of horse types is highly recommended – for example; do not be afraid to show how you handle a very green horse.  Use an emailed link format, if possible.  Make sure to use a camera that has a zoom option to zoom in on the rider.  Try not to make your video more than 10 minutes.

 
What should I include in a video for Horsemanship?

Show examples of showing and schooling - specifically horsemanship, please include no-stirrup work.  If you would like you may include some trail/western riding but other show events are not very beneficial to include in the video.  Try to include video of you riding at least 3 different horses if possible.  Make sure that the video is zoomed in on you as the rider and try to shoot in well-lit covered arena or outside. Small indoor arenas during the winter time can be challenging videos for coaches to analyze to.  Wear boots and jeans and a form fitting shirt.  No oversized clothing please.  Use an emailed link format, if possible and try not to make your video more than 10 mins long.

 
What should I include in a video for Reining?

Show examples of showing and schooling.  Please include exercises that you use to school all of the different maneuvers.  Include video of you riding one and two handed.  Try to include video of you riding at least 3 different horses if possible. Try to ride a variety of horse types, even young or green horses. Make sure that the video is zoomed in on you as the rider and try not to have any backlight if possible.  Wear boots and jeans and a form fitting shirt.  No oversized clothing please.  Try not to make your video more than 10 mins.

Scholarships

Are scholarships available for Equestrian Athletes and what expenses would I have?

We currently have a budget to cover all necessary expenses for competition and practice, as well as access to 15 scholarships (as limited by the NCAA for the sport of equestrian).  Scholarships are divided among our 50 team members and are awarded by the coaches.  The team will also supply necessary practice gear and competition uniforms.

Competition

What events do you compete in and what are you looking for in an equestrian athlete?

There are four collegiate equestrian disciplines at the NCAA level: equitation on the flat, equitation over fences (based on USEF standards), western horsemanship and reining.  We are looking for riders who not only have proper equitation and horsemanship, but for those who are also functional on any type of horse. We are very excited about the opportunity our team gives to equestrian athletes entering college. This sport gives women the opportunity to be a college athlete while continuing their passion for showing horses.  It also puts all riders on a level playing field, as riders do not know until immediately prior to the show who they will be riding and who they will be showing against. The emphasis is definitely put on the rider’s true riding talent, including their  ability to feel and adjust to different types of horses.

What is a typical competition like?

The basis of collegiate riding is to award the rider based on their ability to successfully ride unfamiliar horses. Colleges hosting team competitions provide all of the horses and tack that will be used at the show. Riders learn what horse they will be showing using a lottery system. The unique aspect of NCEA competitions is that each team will compete with other teams in a head-to-head format.  Each rider that has been chosen by their coach to ride for their team will compete on the horse they have drawn, while one rider from the opposing team will also have an opportunity to ride and be scored on that same horse. The rider who gets a higher score on that particular horse earns 1 point for their team, much like the scoring system in tennis. This system helps to level the playing field and gives both teams the same opportunity on the same horses.

What is the typical show season?

Our show season usually begins in September and ends in April. December and January are usually slower months for competing.

How competitive is Texas A&M?

The team won the overall team title in 2012 and 2017! In the last 14 years, our team has been very blessed to have some great athletes that have lead to our extensive success. Our western team won its 10th National Championship in 2012! Our Hunter Seat Team has earned Reserve National Champions in 2008 and 2012 as well as helping our team earn Overall Reserve National Championships (both hunter seat and western) for five years.

The National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) has a website for more information about collegiate riding as well as a calendar of events. Visit www.collegiateequestrian.com.

Practice

What is a typical practice like?

Practice is conducted daily by the coaches using horses donated and owned by the TAMU Team. Student athletes are assigned different horses at each practice to get them more comfortable on unfamiliar horses.  Student athletes usually practice 2-5 times per week depending on their schedule. Most practices (actual time spent in the saddle) last for about an hour.

What type of horses do you practice on?

For hunter seat practice, the athletes usually ride Warmbloods. For western practice, the majority of the horses are Quarter Horses or Paint Horses.

What is a typical day in the life of a student athlete?

Depending on their class schedule, an equestrian athlete will have practice, class, workouts, and study hall in one day.  It is definitely a full day!

 
 

NCAA Eligibility Questions

If a prospective student athlete (PSA) is thinking of joining the Texas A&M Equestrian Team, when should she register with the NCAA Eligibility Center?

Once the ACT/SAT tests are taken.  Even if the PSA has not contacted any colleges about their Equestrian program, they still need to register.  You can register online at the following link:  http://www.eligibilitycenter.org. This will speed up the process of any ‘official visits’ that A&M may provide.

Am I allowed to win prize money at horse shows?

Under NCAA rules, athletes must be certified as an NCAA Amateur athlete. NCEA recruits will be classified as amateurs only if the prize money won at any given competition prior to college does not exceed the amount of expenses incurred during the calendar year of showing – examples of those expenses are: entry fees, gasoline, meals, lodging, stall, feed, trainer expenses and hauling. Candidates who compete in the more lucrative jumper divisions (or in the newly-formed USHJA Hunter Derbies and/or other high-level hunter classics) are advised, from 9th grade forward, to keep well-organized records and detailed receipts of their earnings and expenses. If a candidate is determined to seek a spot on a NCAA team in college, she is urged to keep an ongoing close eye on the balance between those expenses and winnings.  

Am I allowed to accept prize money form a horse show after I become a college athlete?

Yes.  New legislation from the NCAA does make it permissible for current student athletes to accept prize money that does not exceed expenses of showing for the calendar year.