The Ultimate Equestrian Challenge
Above: Emmy Forde ’28 and Louise make a jump at an October meet.
Members of the Worcester State equestrian team compete on new horses at every event. In the process, they learn to trust and adapt—and to communicate across species.
By Rebecca Cross
Photos by Ellen Pechinsky ’27
Compared to each of the other 23 varsity and club sports at Worcester State, the equestrian team is an entirely different animal.
In those other sports, athletes test their skills against individuals or work as a team in coordination against another team. Horseback riding tests the communication and coordination not among people but between species: a human rider and a half-ton animal that is almost pure muscle.
“The relationship between horses and humans is amazing,” said the team’s coach, Courtney Germain ’18. “Horses are a thousand pounds and have minds of their own. It’s amazing they do the jobs they do, because really they don’t have to.”
For all their size, horses look to humans for emotional cues and guidance. “Horses pick up on your emotions,” said Germain. “I feel like people think you’re just sitting up there doing nothing. Like they don’t think it’s a real sport, but jumping, stuff like that, you’re guiding the horse every step. You’re guiding the horse off the ground.”
Germain started riding at age 12 and got her first horse, a gelding named Sam, when she was 14. She graduated from Worcester State with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice but chose to work full time with horses because she loves them so much. “To me, horses are like big dogs,” she said. “A lot of people are scared of them, but they’re very gentle.”
The eight members of the Worcester State Equestrian Team have weekly lessons with Germain at Windstar Farm in Sterling, Mass. Some members have been riding for years. Others are beginners. They all get personalized instruction and riding experience on each of the farm’s seven lesson horses.
Four team members compete in shows run by the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA), founded in 1967. Its mission is to provide equestrian competition for all college and university students regardless of riding level, gender, race, sexual orientation, or financial status. Today, with the costs of owning and competing with a horse easily reaching $15,000 per year, the sport is out of reach for many. IHSA levels the playing field by requiring host colleges to provide tack and horses, which are assigned to riders by drawing lots.
Julia Haché ’26, Maddi Sheppard ’26, Luna Hubbell ’28, Coach Courtney Germain ’18, Emmy Forde ’28, and Ellen Pechinsky ’27 show off their ribbons.
Mastering Any Horse: The Core Skill of IHSA Competition
For a rider, competing through IHSA is far cheaper than owning your own horse. In addition, the way IHSA competitions are structured and judged creates a more level playing field. “When you’re competing in the regular horse world, a person could be winning because they have the most expensive horse in the class,” Germain said. “With IHSA, it comes down to how well you ride, not how expensive your horse is.”
“The whole point of competing in IHSA is to be able to ride any horse that you sit on,” said co-captain Ellen Pechinsky ’27. Pechinsky is studying nursing at Worcester State and has been riding since she was 6 years old. She likes that IHSA competition teaches riders to closely observe and flexibly work with their assigned horse. “The judges are very understanding that a horse might do something the rider isn’t always prepared for,” said Pechinsky, “but they’re looking for how you respond to the horse, how we appear and act.”
For co-captain and business major Julia Haché ’26, who started riding at age 5 to build up leg muscles affected by cerebral palsy, being assigned random horses “really gives you an opportunity to showcase your skills as a rider.”
Germain prepares team members for competitions by having them ride many different horses at Windstar. “Riding all these different horses makes you a better rider,” she said. “You learn something from every horse you ride.”
Pechinsky and Haché have a few favorites at Windstar—although they’re quick to note that they love them all. Pechinsky’s favorites are Alfie and Autumn. “Both are wildly different,” she said. “Alfie is a good, healthy challenge for me, and Autumn is a sweet little mare who tries her hardest for you.”
Haché’s favorites are Ranger, “a bundle of joy,” and Doodles, a 31-year-old kids’ lesson pony with a sassy side.
Emmy Forde ’28 and other equestrians at an IHSA meet this fall.
The Rewards of Riding: Mental, Physical, and Emotional
Just like humans, each horse has a distinct personality. For a rider, learning to read that personality quickly and adapt in response is part of what makes IHSA competitions so, well, competitive.
Some horses are sensitive, some are lazy, some need a firm hand, some need a soft hand. Some have longer strides, and all have quirks. ISHA judges evaluate riders partly on how well they adapt to an unfamiliar horse.
For safety, professionals carefully evaluate each rider’s ability so they are matched with an appropriate horse. All riders wear helmets, and many wear air vests to protect their chests. EMTs attend every show.
“Horseback riders are the grittiest people I know,” said Haché. “There’s this whole attitude that you get right back up, keep trying.” Last summer, she was jumping a pony that had a short neck. “I kept getting nervous I would just go right over her. Courtney said, ‘Just sit back and cement yourself in the saddle.’ It’s about getting out of your head and trusting the horse you’re on, trusting yourself, and trusting your coach.”
The team is always recruiting, and when the co-captains talk to potential new members, they tout both the physical benefits and the emotional ones.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, Pechinsky loved to go out and ride. “It was a tough time for me,” she said. “It was important for me to get out of the house, to focus on something other than myself and how I was feeling.”
“Life is hard, let’s be honest,” added Haché. “Being on a horse takes you away from all the stuff going on in your life. All your stress, all your worry is completely gone, and you’re just in the moment, riding a horse.”
