How IHSA Empowered a Rider with a Disability to Save Her Team

HORSES ARE FOR EVERYONE: PART 2

Therapeutic riding helped Back on Track Ambassador Lauren Reischer learn to walk as a child after doctors diagnosed her with cerebral palsy. By the time she started college at Brown University, horses were an integral part of her life.

At first, Lauren worried her disability would prevent her from trying out for Brown's IHSA team. Three years later, Lauren would be named captain and face the challenge of saving the team that changed her life from being cut by Brown Athletics.

Keep reading to learn more about why Lauren fought so hard for her team and how she successfully saved the IHSA program at Brown University in the second part of our four-part series with Lauren Reischer, Horses Are for Everyone.

Miss part one? Read it here.

Welcoming Riders with Disabilities on IHSA Teams

Lauren knew she would continue riding when she started college at Brown University, but she didn't yet realize how much of an impact riding on the university's Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association team would have on her life.

While Lauren dreamed of joining the IHSA team, she assumed her disability would disqualify her from trying out for the team during her freshman year. However, she quickly discovered she had no reason to worry.

The riding skills she had gained from her years of dedication in the saddle impressed the coaches and her teammates. She made the team.

"Not only was I allowed to try out, but I was also welcomed on the team. The other girls were wonderful and such good teammates."

How IHSA Competitions Empower Every Team Rider

Unlike most horse shows, where riders compete individually, IHSA events follow a team competition format that relies on every team rider doing their best.

"There's no other format where every rider on the team, no matter what level they ride at, equally contributes to the team's success at the horse show. The points are weighted the same whether you're a walk-trot rider or an open rider. You value those two players equally, and nobody sits on the bench. I thought it was brilliant and the reason I was able to go and show as a novice flat rider."

The equestrian team gave Lauren a strong support system and access to additional resources she needed to thrive at Brown.

"If you told me when I was ten that I'd be a Division I athlete one day, I would have thought you were crazy. It was definitely transformative in that sense."

Lauren encourages young riders of all abilities to consider joining an IHSA team in college. High school students can search for colleges with teams on the IHSA website.

Saving the Brown University IHSA Team

Lauren was named team captain during her junior year in 2020, a few weeks before COVID-19 forced universities to shut down in-person classes. Almost immediately after she left campus, she learned Brown Athletics cut 11 sports, including the equestrian team.

"I immediately began a campaign to get the Brown Equestrian Team reinstated. They cut the programs they thought had the least to offer and focused on the highest ROI sports. We were able to prove that we were one of Brown's most high-achieving teams, and we had the second lowest cost per athlete, second only to track. We found stats no one else paid attention to because no one was as invested in equestrian sports as we were."

Her campaign caught the attention of the US Equestrian, who helped her successfully lobby Brown Athletics to reinstate the team.

Building a Better Future Through Advocacy

"I united with Tom O'Mara from USEF, and it worked. We were unconditionally reinstated. That opened my eyes to the fact the USEF is listening. They're paying attention to what's happening at every level of the sport, not just those at the top."

Lauren encourages every equestrian to get involved with local and national sports organizations to advocate for what they care about.

She continued working closely with Tom and began sharing her vision to improve the sport based on her own experiences and the positive impact horses had on her life.

"It started with a dream of creating more opportunities at the college level for disabled riders. But then I thought, why stop there? The mission should be to make disability-designated classes at every major horse show in the country."

Did Lauren Succeed?

Shortly after graduating, Lauren would have the opportunity to test her vision by working with one of the most well-known global sports organizations for people with disabilities. Learn how in part three, [How Special Olympics Expands Opportunities for Riders with Disabilities].

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