I'm having a go at Trec!! *Update page 3*

[Burnie]

Me and 3 girls at the yard are hiring a lorry and taking our horses to Askham Bryan in March to have a go at BHS Trec!!

I can't wait, our entries were emailed off this evening as it says to book early

It's only the indoor phases but I'm so giddy already!! Better get practising bombproofing the Tillster :lol:

If anyone has any handy hints or ideas of things we can practise at home I'd be very grateful :evilgrin::D

[stepbystep]

My tip -

Have Fun!! :D :D

Seriously though, just enjoy it, i'm very envious of you and Tilly! And remember to get lots of pictures!!

xx

[Catg]

Wicked! I'd love to have a go at it too, sorry no advice from me but agree with stepbystep we want piccies!! x

[easyrider]

Catg theres going to be one your way soon i think march at brooksby college leics

burnie practice your slowest canter and your fastest walk, worth 60 points, popular indoor obstacles, jump, reinback, canter corridor, gate, immobility, mount, bending, low branches, bridge, plastic sheet (water or ditch)

[CityLights]

Trec is a good competition i think its not something ive done much of but i can see its appeal

look into how you get marked its quite complicated and practice a few of the obsticles, its not so much handy pony type spook things you have to deal with more like poles and obsticles that simulate things you might have to do out hacking

[easyrider]

its also about rider position abd balance and cooperation of your horse, some of the obstacle may be lead so you horse needs to walk/trot quietly behind you, not have to be dragged neither should it barge past you or be at your shoulder.....the trec rule book is worth buying as if you want to do well, knowing the scoring system is good, but lots of trecs are judged by non experience trec people so scoring can flutuate...its quite complicated

[Burnie]

Thanks guys I'm really looking forward to it already. Will defo be armed with a camera! :D

Easyrider, I'll invest in the book you advised, the competition we're entering is run by the White Horse TREC group so the judges should know their stuff, but they sound so friendly and open to newbies on their website :D

Most of the obstacles sound self explanatory, but of interest what is a canter corridor??

[BHNRS]

What is Trec? get lots of pics :D

[fofo]

Sounds fantastic! I'm sure you will both enjoy it.

Canter corridor - isn't it cantering between two parallel poles on the ground?

WeeB will know I'm sure.

[easyrider]

canter corridor are a narrow path of poles 8m in length set 50cm wide....you can negotiate it in walk trot or canter, the higher the pace the mores point up to 10 but if you knock it you loose points if you go outside you score nil you can gain or loose style points too
trec comps are labour intensive and not all judges are trained, my OH has judged at many trecs due to lack of volunteers and he doesn't ride so so sorry they wont all be experts in trec but if you understand the trec rules you will have more of an idea what you are doing...but enjoy it thats whats its all about

[amandaxx1]

Aw that will be great, I'd love to have a go at it x

[WeeB]

ooh! Great burnie! You and the tillster will love it I'm sure!

I'd just say go and enjoy it!! I'd done a few training days before i did my first short format comp and I think that helped, as I knew what we were ment to be doing at each obsitcal.

Most stuff is really easy to practice at home, you just have to get the dimentions of each obstical right (or do an s-bend really small at home like i did so when you get to comps you feel like you could menouver a double decker through it! lol! :P) I have the rule book and could pm you some of the popular obsticals and there dimentions.

The ones I've seen most of are, s-bend (or Z-bend) bending, low hanging branches, corridor, rein back and maypole. All which are easy to practice at home.

For low hanging branches I'd just practice flattening against your horse. With B I put my hands right down by his shoulders to encorage him to lower his head, relax myself and try to be like a floppy rag doll, put my head down one side - looking at the ground, and try really hard to keep my bum down!

bending poles are closer together than PC bending poles.

Rein back - I cant really do this properly but did score on it! I was told at one of the training sessions to get him to take one or two good steps back and then walk on, straight out of it. (when practicing) Also, in the comp you can ask the judge to tell you when you've gone back far enough.

s-bend - really easy to set up and then its just practice practice practice! Ride right into the corner before starting to turn. And keep outside leg on to stop there 1/4s swinging out and hitting the poles.

Best tip i got was if your doing an obstical, say the bending, in a pace - say trot - and they break to the lower pace, dont get them back up to the pace you started in as you loose points for each change of pace you do.

But really, for you first one.... have fun!! Everyone I've met through trec is lovely and everyone is really willing to help each other out and cheer each other on! (the first full trec I did I had three people cheering me as I came through the PTV finish, and I'd only met them the day before!!)

cant wait for the season to start again!! :D

[Burnie]

WeeB thank you that is really helpful!

I started practising rein back in the school a few steps at a time as Tilly finds it hard to go back in a straight line (my right hand side being a lot stronger so my fault I think.) Practised walking faster in the school without breaking into trot and ducking under branches on hacks out this weekend :D She is too fresh at the moment to even consider the canter work :rolleyes::lol:

We are just going totally for fun but I will buy the rule book just so I have some idea of what's going on when we get there.

Out of interest what do you have to do with the maypole? :eek:

[Kat loves her Millie]

Haha i bet you will love it! I went to one last year, i was the judge on the rein back phase and I think only one person/horse could do it out of about 40! It was brilliant, would love to take Millie, we would not have a chance! x

[fofo]

I saw an article about this in this month's Horse magazine and it mentioned the training that you are going to Claire. I would so love to go! Can people go to spectate? Is it at the weekend? Me and Jane could go and be the camerapersons for you! (really thinking about gingerbread too :evilgrin:)

[Burnie]

I'm sure you'd be welcome Jane! If you Google White Horse Trec, the details are on their website :D

I've tentatively started practising a few bits in the arena... it's going to be fun!! :D

[daytona]

I saw an article about this in this month's Horse magazine and it mentioned the training that you are going to Claire. I would so love to go! Can people go to spectate? Is it at the weekend? Me and Jane could go and be the camerapersons for you! (really thinking about gingerbread too :evilgrin:)

Did I hear my name :cheekywink:
Claire I would love to come watch :D I'll bring camera, and just for Jane I'll see what I can bake - I'm more than just gingerbread dearie :evilgrin:
Seriously though just go out there and enjoy it its all you can do xxx

[easyrider]

Burnie , the maypole is a lengthof rope about the lenght of a lunge line that is fixed int he centre and the end is hung on a post, you pick up the rope and go round in the direction you are told, some are either way some are clockwise or anticlockwise, you have to stay out of the marked circle and you must pick up and put back the rope in the designated sopt, ie once you pick up and commence you circle in either walk trot or canter you must cross the start and finish in that pace and put the rope back on the hook...try and keep the rope off the ground, and your hand low, you will loose marks if you hand goes to high and ir seem to be hanging on for dear life....will put some photos up


http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k167/easyrider_04/stratford%20trec%20sept%202010/JulesSept10Adissnaps071.jpg

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k167/easyrider_04/stratford%20trec%20sept%202010/JulesSept10Adissnaps069.jpg

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k167/easyrider_04/stratford%20trec%20sept%202010/JulesSept10Jossnaps051.jpg

always enter and exit between the flags otherwise you will be eliminated...

i must add how fab trec is for desensitising horses and for young or green horses, mine was a nervous wreck and quite unsafe on the roads, this sport made him, he was one of the highest scorers last year on the obstacles course, constantly getting 130 plus...so please support the sport and if you dont want to compete go along and help, they always need you

[Burnie]

Thank you so much for the info and pics! :D

I've ordered a copy of the Trec rulebook today from the BHS website, will that explain what all the possible obstacles are that we could come across?

[easyrider]

yes it will, if you want any help just ask and i will try and help....the rules are a bit complicated but once you have done a couple it makes more sense...enjoy it, its great!

[Burnie]

Just thought I would let everyone who helped us and everyone who was going to come and cheer us on know, that we have had to pull out :sad-no:

With Till going lame and also another girl who was coming with us having to let her boy go out on loan, it's messed up the pairs teams and made the travelling costs too much for the others who were going to give it a go :(

I'm gutted, hopefully we'll find another Trec competition to go to later in the year when I know my girl is up to it again x

Thanks to everyone who was so excited for us... especially Easyrider and her brilliant photo posts x

[easyrider]

oh thats shame hope your horse gets better soon.....i will just have to fly the trec flag next weekend then, having a go at individual and pairs....not that great at indoor trecs as our canter not great, and you only have 10 obstacles, i like the full trecs as you get 16 and i can pull back some points

[Catg]

Aww what a shame Burnie, hopefully Till's feels better soon.

Easy rider where do you compete? x

[easyrider]

we are doing this one at Onley Equestrain Centre by Rugby its the nearest one so far, then i will be doing a full trec end of may near Oswestry

[Loz]

Oh that's a shame Burnie, there's always next time though. Hope Tilly gets better soon x

[daytona]

What a shame Claire I was really looking forward to a trip out. But you know where I am when up and raring to go for your next one x

[Petticoat Lil]

What a shame, I did it last May with a load from my old yard, we got a fair few photos to give you an idea of what to expect. Let me know if you want me to upload them. The good thing about le trec is that it gives loads of people a good chance of winning, we thought our yard had got all the top spots, until some waman rocked up in her western get up....they were pro's!

[Grey Haven]

Lil I'd love to see your pix if you don't mind uploading them!

[Petticoat Lil]

Course not.

First you had to canter as slow as possible down a 100m track, then turn and walk back as fast as possible...
http://i941.photobucket.com/albums/ad252/laurenallsop/ther.jpg

negotiate a really tight maze without hitting a pole....
http://i941.photobucket.com/albums/ad252/laurenallsop/jame.jpg

Go up and down a hill at your chosen pace without breaking it....
http://i941.photobucket.com/albums/ad252/laurenallsop/jam1.jpg

open a gate (rope on a bollard- make sure the rope doesn't touch the floor)
http://i941.photobucket.com/albums/ad252/laurenallsop/jam.jpg
Go to the end of a corridoor of poles then rein back out....
http://i941.photobucket.com/albums/ad252/laurenallsop/fran1.jpg

Get yoour horse to go under a pole set a few inches above their withers (this horse wouldnt do it so the pole was raised)....
http://i941.photobucket.com/albums/ad252/laurenallsop/fran.jpg

you also had to weave in and out of sticks, do a jump, go over a bridge (poly blocks with rubber matting in the middle). There was no map skills part this day but appatently there normally is. It was loads of fun and it was good that we could all compete against each other. x

[Loz]

Those pictures are great, I was going to ask if you'd post them but chickened out!! Looks like a lot of fun. I want to give it a go with Roulette now, I'd have to do some serious practice at home first.

[Petticoat Lil]

I did it on my ex racer, i knew we wouldn't do well but i also knew there were people there who wouldnt do all the obstacles so we would get more points than them for having a go.

The slow canter she did brilliantly (i thought) but the judge said "don't worry i've seen marginally faster" and obviously because we had to canter first the fast walk was a jog. Anything to do with inside poles we had stray hoofs, the jump she did at a million miles an hour. Basically the whole point was control and safeness so it was never going to be our competition but it was only up the road, 7 of us went so we could all cheer each other on. If they do it again this year I will give it a go with my new mare but like you say Loz there will be practise now I know what to expect.

[Bright Sparkx]

Awh what a shame you cant make, theres always next time :) Hope tilly is feeling better soon x

Petticoat Lil your pictures are great, looks like so much fun id love to give it a go on qomix

[BHNRS]

Awh, hope till gets better soon! x

[Burnie]

Thanks everyone, she's quite a lot better but still not 100% so giving her plenty of time for her foot to feel comfortable again x

Great pics Petticoat Lil, can't wait till my girl is right then we can hopefully have a go ourselves :)