Trec at Stockland Lovell

[Quantock-cob]

Is anyone planning to do the winter series Trec competition at Stockland Lovell, Somerset on 30th October?

I am hoping to take my cob and have a go. It will be our first time so just going to see what it's all about and have a laugh really.

Does anyone have any ideas for exercises we could practice at home?

For those who don't know about it Trec Southwest has all the info,

Thanks

 

[SplashofSoy]

Not actually competed but have done a BHS Trec training two days and we did the obstacles, they are all listed in the rule book including all the distances and measurements but some of them include bending poles, going through poles which form a narrow chanel at whatever pace is comfortable, reinback between poles, making a Z bend with poles to walk through. Also with control of paces just practice how fast you can walk and slow you can canter without breaking.

It is really fun and the horses tend to have a good time as its something different but also good schooling.

 

[JFTDWS]

I'm on the other side of the country (so not heading over for that one ) but you should definitely go and enjoy yourself - trec people are some of the friendliest competing riders I've ever encountered (with the possible exception of horseball, but that's another story )

The TREC rulebook is invaluable and is available from the BHS bookshop for under £6 (last time I looked). It's easy to mock up a number of obstacles at home and the rule book will give you measurements for them.

Easy ones to practice are low branches (jump wings and a very light pole - pref not a jump pole! set 6" above your horses withers - start higher and work down to this!). Canter corridors, rein back corridors, s-bends all just need poles on the floor so are easy to set up. Another one I've seen a few times, but shouldn't be at an affiliated trec as it's not in the rule book (yet?) is a "side step" where you have to full pass along a pole or a natural obstacle to get round it. Mounting from the off side and immobility don't need any equipment at all. Bending poles can be set out with traffic cones... Essentially the list is endless Worth bearing in mind that many obstacles can be lead as well as ridden. Last trec I did I made a total hash of the led obstacles because I never practised them with my old boy.

There's a lot more discussion about improvising these things on the trec-uk forum - and some photos too which would help. But I also think getting the rule book is invaluable - gives you info on marking too which isn't "obvious" if you've never done trec before, e.g. cantering cleanly through the bending poles will give you 10, trotting gives a 7, but breaking from canter to trot halfway scores 0 (out of 10).

Good luck and enjoy, anyway And photos, please

 

[Quantock-cob]

Thanks for all this - lots for us to practice at the weekend!! And I'll certainly check out the Trec-UK forum.

I'll let you know how we get on after the event!