After its 12-7 win against South Carolina on Oct. 26, the equestrian team heads to College Station to face No. 3 Texas A&M on Friday.

Head coach Gary Reynolds said the win against the Gamecocks was beneficial for the younger riders.

“South Carolina really gave our hunt seat riders some confidence,” Reynolds said in an e-mail. “They are basically all freshmen and sophomores, so they are still young.”

Hunt seat riding is the type of riding typically found in horse shows and is based off of fox hunting traditions.

Reynolds said TAMU will be a difficult team to face, but the Horned Frogs will prepare for the Aggies just as much as any other team.

“The match with TAMU will be one of the toughest we face all year,” Reynolds said. “They are a great team and know how to prepare.”

Reynolds said the equestrian team is ranked No. 6, but to Reynolds the polls don’t mean much.

“The polls are interesting, but really do not matter much in the day-to-day preparation,” Reynolds said.

The personality of the team has changed from last year along with the leadership, Reynolds said.

“We have some different girls that are helping to lead this team, and it really shows that they are different than any other team,” Reynolds said.. “This team is finally getting a feel for who they are as a team and gaining some confidence.”