Could I try TREC?

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BeBopTalulah

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Ok, so I've had a look on the TREC SCOTLAND website and I immediately thought, "Wow, that looks brilliant."

I have a 4 year old cob mare (15.1hh), who is in the process of being broken. I know, I know, it's early days to be thinking about competing in any discipline! But I would just like to know how I would go about preparing her for doing some TREC? Could she do it? I've had horses for years, but to be honest, I've never really competed other than the odd local show. I find that the atmosphere there can be rather.....tense. I also think a lot of the people I've met there are stuck-up, pure and simple, and I'm really not into that. I get the impression that TREC is different? Having never really competed, what's the best way for me to get into it? I'm very lucky in that where I live we have miles and MILES of hillside/off road hacking, moorland and woodland, so I think I'd have a good basic prep initially. Any advice/experience is much appreciated, no matter how small :)
 
I'm sure there are more experienced trec folk on here than me, but I've done bits and pieces - you're right, as a rule I do find TREC people much friendlier than local "competition" people. The best way would be to find a local club who do trec or local people who organise events and training days. I would look for local events on the BHS website, or post on the trec forum (trec-uk or something) asking for local people. Before your horse is ready, I would go and offer to be a helper at events - they're always looking for people - and you could learn the ropes then. When the pony's ready, look out for training days. Also they sell the rule book on the bhs website which would give you an idea of how to train your young horse for an event. But mostly, it's "normal" hacking type stuff - opening gates, crossing footbridges, mounting/dismounting, xc jumps, steps etc and orienteering :D
 
JFTD said:
I'm sure there are more experienced trec folk on here than me, but I've done bits and pieces - you're right, as a rule I do find TREC people much friendlier than local "competition" people. The best way would be to find a local club who do trec or local people who organise events and training days. I would look for local events on the BHS website, or post on the trec forum (trec-uk or something) asking for local people. Before your horse is ready, I would go and offer to be a helper at events - they're always looking for people - and you could learn the ropes then. When the pony's ready, look out for training days. Also they sell the rule book on the bhs website which would give you an idea of how to train your young horse for an event. But mostly, it's "normal" hacking type stuff - opening gates, crossing footbridges, mounting/dismounting, xc jumps, steps etc and orienteering :D
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Thanks! When I was younger I thought nothing of messing around miles from home on a sure-footed cob. I don't think we're made for 'showing', but I think we may be good at TREC :)
 
Ditto JFTD - you should give it a go!

A lot of the 'training' for TREC is the same training any allrounder should have. To be honest I didn't do anything to prepare for my first TREC and didn't have much of a clue about it, I did a Level 1 pairs class with a friend and we asked lots and lots of questions (there was a course walk which really helped). Our horses were both good allrounders with comp experience and ended up doing really well and being placed 4th in a strong class :D That's when I 'caught the bug'

Try and find an obstacles practice session, some RCs run them and there used to be a winter series run by Kelly Marks (don't know if that still happens?) where you do a shortened obstacles session in an arena.

I have met a few people out competing at Level 1 with youngsters; a very good event rider takes her 4 year olds to a couple of TREC events as it's such good experience.

:)
 
I tried it on my older mare before i retired her, we went on a training day with a friend, sadly im a burl me 3 times and im lost kinda girl, and unfortunately so is my mate, hours later in the forest, its gettin dark, im bursting for a pee, so lost and laughing so hard at one point i nearly did pee myself, we decided to take a track to higher ground to try to get our bearings, even after tuition we couldnt tell if tha map was right way up:o only to hear a whistle from a few hundred yards past the track we were going to take, there was the finish line, which we were going to head away from as we were so thick with the map we didnt have a clue.
I would need sat nav in the withers to do it with any chance of not getting lost
We did enjoy the day but deffo not my thing
 
OP where are you? BHS Scotland ate running a training night (amounted) at muirmill nr symington in Ayrshire thurs 25th august that would be a great intro. I believe its free too!
 
Ooohh, yes, OP, have a go!

We did an indoor TREC in February this year, they also did some Horse Agility at the same venue/day so we had a go at that as well.

The thing we found is that no-one seemed to be very clear about what the rules of the competition were. A lot of competitors obviously misunderstood the "immobility" rules because only one or two (who'd obviously done it before) got any marks at all for it, the rest of us got nil marks!! So you'd need to check with the judges/officials first exactly what the criteria is for each obstacle.

But deffo worth having a go! There's always the serious TRECies, but don't let that deter you - we enjoyed ourselves immensely at our day out. Personally I find other competitive stuff (like Riding Club or whatever) rather daunting, but this was serious FUN.

Don't discount Horse Agility either; its something completely different, but thoroughly enjoyable.

Go for it!
 
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