Ariel Higgins hails from rural Alabama originally, where she spent her days riding and showing American Quarter Horses under the guidance of her mom, a professional horse trainer, and going to school where her dad was her teacher. Ariel’s riding and showing career allowed for many opportunities over the years, culminating in an All American Quarter Horse Congress Championship, an AQHA World Championship and Reserve World Championship. Ariel attended Middle Tennessee State University and attained both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Horse Science before she joined faculty at MTSU Horse Science in 2017 as the Director of Equestrian Programs and coach of the MTSU Equestrian Team. She has since coached a National Champion and third place team at the IHSA National Championship, the winning Collegiate Celebration team, IHSA National Champions and Reserve National Champions, and multiple regional champions. Ariel is the IHSA Zone 5 Region 1 President, IHSA Western Semifinals Coordinator, a CHA Certified Master Instructor, a volunteer for Tennessee 4H and FFA, a Collegiate Partner for YEDA, and still actively competes in AQHA competition.

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*- designates mentored students

Peer-reviewed Publications *Layton, K., H. S. Spooner, A. L. Higgins, and R. M. Hoffman. 2021. Outside the classroom: an evaluation of equine internships. J. Equine Vet. Sci. Submitted/In Review.

Peer-reviewed Abstracts *Layton, K., H. S. Spooner, A. L. Higgins, and R. M. Hoffman. 2021. Outside the classroom: an evaluation of equine internships. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 100:103580. (Abstr. 117).

*Smith, C. R., H. S. Spooner, A. L. Higgins, and R. M. Hoffman. 2021. Beyond the ride: the use of psychological skills training in equestrian athletes. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 100:103591. (Abstr. 128)

*Kenderdine, S., H. S. Spooner, D. Jousan, A. L. Herrin, and R. M. Hoffman. 2019. College and career plans of horse oriented youth. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 76:115. (Abstr. 166).

Presentations *Layton, K., H. S. Spooner, A. L. Higgins, and R. M. Hoffman. 2021. Outside the classroom: an evaluation of equine internships. 27th Equine Science Society Symposium, Virtual. 2nd Place Presentation, Equine Teaching & Extension graduate student competition, 2nd Place Overall.

*Smith, C. R., H. S. Spooner, A. L. Higgins, and R. M. Hoffman. 2021. Beyond the ride: the use of psychological skills training in equestrian athletes. 27th Equine Science Society Symposium, Virtual.

*Vande Kamp, K. S., H. S. Spooner, A. L. Higgins, and R. M. Hoffman. 2021. Usage and perceptions of equestrian safety equipment. 27th Equine Science Society Symposium, Virtual.

*Kenderdine, S., H. S. Spooner, D. Jousan, A. L. Herrin, and R. M. Hoffman. 2019. College and career plans of horse oriented youth. 26th Equine Science Society Symposium, Asheville, NC.  1st Place Presentation, Equine Teaching & Extension graduate student competition, 3rd Place Overall.

*Rhyne, J., H. Spooner, A. Herrin, and D. Jousan. 2018. Factors influencing youth horse industry involvement: a survey of youth participants. Proceedings American Society of Animal Science Joint Annual Convention, July 8–12, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Herrin, A. L. 2017. “So you want to ride in college?” Successfully continuing your riding career after high school. American Youth Horse Council (AYHC) Symposium, April 21-23, 2017, Wakefield, MA.

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Horses in the Morning. Partnerships in the Equine Industry by CHA. Podcast by Glenn Herbert and Christy Landwehr. June 21, 2022.

https://www.horsesinthemorning.com/partnerships-in-the-equine-industry-by-cha-for-june-21-2022/

Athletic Equestrian: Riding in College Podcast. Middle Tennessee State University- Head Coach Ariel Higgins. Podcast by Sally Batton. September 23, 2022.

https://sites.libsyn.com/321800/podcast-81-ariel-higgins-mtsu-head-coach

Athletic Equestrian: Riding in College Podcast. IHSA Western High Point Team- Middle Tennessee State University. Podcast by Sally Batton. June 2, 2023.

https://sites.libsyn.com/321800/podcast-111-ihsa-western-champions-

WKRN News Channel 2 Sports. MTSU Equestrian team makes history. Story by Samaria Terry. June 28, 2023.

https://www.wkrn.com/video/mtsu-equestrian-team-makes-history/8773763/

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