hairycob
Well-Known Member
Did my first TREC with my 5yo cob Jason yesterday and had so much fun despite him not really wanting to leave other horses. I had paired up with a lady I met at a map reading training session who had a 5yo welsh cob. Jason & Rory hit it off straight away which was great.
I was a bit worried about the Control of Paces as we are having a few issues with cantering & there were 2 bends to negotiate - too many opportunities for being on the buck inducing wrong leg! As it was I couldn't get him to go into canter going in so trotted through & only got canter as we came out of the other end. Walk was better though he tried to nip over to the others as we went round the 1st bend so I had to check him a bit, but we still scored 15. My partner managed to canter nearly all the way & got a 9 for walk.
We had walked the PTV a couple of times the night before & I was quite confident about the flat obtacles & a bit nervous about the jumps. I've never jumped a ditch before but thought I would have a go at everything except the rein back corridor - not taught him that yet - & would decide on the day about the remount. I was pleased to find out that if I didn't do that obstacle the judge would hold him for me while I got back on as the last 2 obstacles were mounted.
He was a bit nappy again going away from the start but the step down was good & we trotted the narrow corridior fine. I suspect he was forward going at that point as he had sussed a route back to the lorry park which caused a problem turning the other way into the bending. Trying to go round bending poles whilst stopping your horse turning round & going the other way is not the way to good marks! Managed to get through in approximately the right direction but the s bend was straight after & he was walking a bit too quickly so touched a couple of times. And I had practised those 2 loads & thought they were my bankers. Next was the road crossing which is basically a rustic double. He did grid work for the 1st time last weekend but he took it in his stride & we scored 10! The ridden inclines & walk through water went quite well & then the dreaded ditch - slightest of hesitations then over for 9 marks. 3 led obstacles were ok but I decided he was too excited to stand for the remount so asked the judge to hold while I got back on. The last but one obstacle was a small log - honestly he could easily step over it - but he misjudged the height just slightly. One of those occasions were you hear a collective grasp from onlookers & think "oh hell!"
Trouble was I didn't come back down as fast as he did
My son told me it looked like I was trying to brake mid air & he was probably right!. Still I got back on & decided to do the maypole at walk rather than the trot I had planned.
I had been a bit cocky about the POR as I only live a couple of miles from Keysoe, but the route went in the opposite direction & I didn't know it all except when we crossed roads.
In the end my parther got 91 & I got 89. I can confess now but I was worried she's get a huge score & I would get all zeros so it was nice to be so evenly matched.
I haven't seen the final scores yet but we have already decided we will do some more pairs comps next year & try & get to some winter series as well.
Hot chocolate & muffins to anybody who managed to read the whole lot!
I was a bit worried about the Control of Paces as we are having a few issues with cantering & there were 2 bends to negotiate - too many opportunities for being on the buck inducing wrong leg! As it was I couldn't get him to go into canter going in so trotted through & only got canter as we came out of the other end. Walk was better though he tried to nip over to the others as we went round the 1st bend so I had to check him a bit, but we still scored 15. My partner managed to canter nearly all the way & got a 9 for walk.
We had walked the PTV a couple of times the night before & I was quite confident about the flat obtacles & a bit nervous about the jumps. I've never jumped a ditch before but thought I would have a go at everything except the rein back corridor - not taught him that yet - & would decide on the day about the remount. I was pleased to find out that if I didn't do that obstacle the judge would hold him for me while I got back on as the last 2 obstacles were mounted.
He was a bit nappy again going away from the start but the step down was good & we trotted the narrow corridior fine. I suspect he was forward going at that point as he had sussed a route back to the lorry park which caused a problem turning the other way into the bending. Trying to go round bending poles whilst stopping your horse turning round & going the other way is not the way to good marks! Managed to get through in approximately the right direction but the s bend was straight after & he was walking a bit too quickly so touched a couple of times. And I had practised those 2 loads & thought they were my bankers. Next was the road crossing which is basically a rustic double. He did grid work for the 1st time last weekend but he took it in his stride & we scored 10! The ridden inclines & walk through water went quite well & then the dreaded ditch - slightest of hesitations then over for 9 marks. 3 led obstacles were ok but I decided he was too excited to stand for the remount so asked the judge to hold while I got back on. The last but one obstacle was a small log - honestly he could easily step over it - but he misjudged the height just slightly. One of those occasions were you hear a collective grasp from onlookers & think "oh hell!"
Trouble was I didn't come back down as fast as he did
My son told me it looked like I was trying to brake mid air & he was probably right!. Still I got back on & decided to do the maypole at walk rather than the trot I had planned.
I had been a bit cocky about the POR as I only live a couple of miles from Keysoe, but the route went in the opposite direction & I didn't know it all except when we crossed roads.
In the end my parther got 91 & I got 89. I can confess now but I was worried she's get a huge score & I would get all zeros so it was nice to be so evenly matched.
I haven't seen the final scores yet but we have already decided we will do some more pairs comps next year & try & get to some winter series as well.
Hot chocolate & muffins to anybody who managed to read the whole lot!
My mare will be having her first practice at le trec obstacles on the weekend at RC, I can't wait, despite being big she is fairly nimble.
