The IEA was founded on the principle that any middle school or high school student should be able to participate in horse shows, regardless of their financial status or riding level.

The IEA attempts to eliminate the expenses of students owning horses and allows more students to compete. Students ride horses that are furnished by the host barn and chosen by drawing lots.

The use of personal tack is not allowed and limited schooling is permitted. The theory behind this structure is to equalize variables of the competition and test the horsemanship of the contestants.

Classes range from walk/trot/canter for first year students to the Open Division for the more experienced riders.

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"Riding a horse is not a gentle hobby, to be picked up and laid down like a game of solitaire. It is a grand passion. It seizes a person whole and, once it has done so, he will have to accept that his life will be radically changed. "
— Ralph Waldo Emerson —

(Thank-you to team member, Emily Rothstein’s Dad, Ed Rothstein, serving in Afghanistan, who credits his son, Sam for contributing this quote.)