le trec

[Grey_Arab]

Hey, I'm interested in giving le trec a go and was just wonderig if any of you lovely people had any experience of it at the lower levels, I know roughly what it involves, a ride were you've got to map read and then a kind of obstical course.
Anyone any more details??

 

[kate081]

Did it at MKEC a couple of years ago. Is fun. Bit like handy pony really. We did a hack where we had to find letters which spelt something out. That had to be completed averaging a fast trot. The obstacles were things like mounting on the wrong ride, walking thru a snake of poles, leading horse whilst walking on stepping stones, making your horse stand while u walk away. The other thing is the fast trot / slow canter which i think gets quite a few marks. Get penalised for breaking pace. Also a few XC jumps but were optional small ones. Great fun so long as u have a reasonably sane horse!

 

[clipclop]

Just do it
Basically you have three phases.
The "control of paces" section is you have to do as slow a canter as you can for approx 150m and then walk the same distance as fast as you can without breaking pace (I would say this is the hardest phase as a lot of points can be gained or lost here but you can't get eliminated so you just do your best and enjoy.

There is the PTV section which is the "Obstacle" part of it. Depends on the comp as to what you do. It is all possible and again you can't get eliminated the worst that can happen is you get a zero for that one obstacle if you do one to perfection then you get a full 10 points. (Normally you get a course walk to tell you what is expected or watch a more advanced competitor).

The Orienteering is a 16km fun ride where you have to find your way. No biggy either and normally you will be sent on a lovely ride.

I enjoy Trec as I find I just giggle my way around it all. I don't take it seriously at all. There are other disciplines to poo your pants about but this isn't one of them. (Not at the low levels anyway)

Enter it. I swear you will come back and tell us what a laugh you had!

 

[Orangehorse]

There are Trec clubs that hold events for first timers and they will gladly help you and give you information and some tips on what to practice.

You need the rule book so you go to the competition with the right equipement. A rider ID card and ID on the horse as well; flourescent something on the rider, a waterproof, small first-aid kit, a headcollar and rope, and some other things as well I can't recall - this is all checked before you set off on the orienteering part.

You copy down the route from the master plan and you are allowed 10 minutes to do this. Then you come out of the map room and have to decide whether you go left or right! (The thing I was most worried about! It is perfectly possible to do the whole route back to front - it has happened).

The control of paces sounds straight forward, but the organisers do sneaky things like having it next to a pile of silage bales with flapping plastic. And don't forget to go through the start and finish flags.

The "handy pony" shouldn't be difficult to a horse that can jump and is well schooled. Not all the competitiors jump though, even at Level 2, I was surprised. The other things are like low branches, step up and down, mounting, going in a trailer, leaving the horse inside a 10m circle. It is a good idea to practice a bit, and again the organisers can be sneaky, like putting the "corridor" right in front of the water jump, so the horses were gawping at the water and trampled all over the corridor - nul points.

You CAN be elimated if you miss out a fence/obstacle and don't tell the judge that you are missing it.

Go on, give it a try. It is fun.