# Competitive trail riding!?



## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

I'm assuming you're looking for organized trail rides? Cause for me trail rides means grab the horse and go for a (long) walk. There are, area dependent, lots of areas designated for trails with often horse use. You don't want to push him to hard but most trails (again dependent of course) really aren't too difficult on the horses body if you're just doing it casually. From what I understand even CTRs aren't usually to physically difficult, so unless you're looking at hard core endurance or an exceptionally difficult area with no "easy" trails it shouldn't be too hard.

I think that's a great option for him both physically and mentally and you as well!

So ask around and see what trails there are in your area and just play with it. Many barns around here have at least SOMETHING adjacent to the barn (not always much though haha)

If you're looking for more of an organized group sort of ride I can't help with that unfortunately. Like I said I have miles just in my backyard (and even more easily accessible by horse or trailer). We are in conservation land central. 99% of my riding is by myself and ONCE have we gone out in a group (4 total with our 2 neighbors lol).

There are larger groups and I'm sure you can find a small group just by "hey want to go riding with me" as well if that's more what you want.

I have even less advice on anything Texas oriented lol. Most, but not all, of "park and walk your dog" type trails allow horses.


----------



## Mulefeather (Feb 22, 2014)

I would start by looking at local horse show groups and associations. Lots of them have things like hunter paces, competitive trail rides, and other stuff you can do that doesn't involve the show ring!

I would also look into the NATRC (North American Trail Ride Conference), which is the governing body for a lot of competitive trail rides. Most of them are one-day affairs and nothing like the 50-100 mile endurance rides you often see. A lot of them have some sort of obstacle component - logs to jump or sidepass over, a "scary" thing like a fake deer or a water crossing to name a few. 

North American Trail Ride Conference


----------



## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

As far as I can tell, in terms of gruelingness the scale goes something like:

1. casual trail riding on flat ground
2. arena obstacle-course trail class 
3. ATTA Competitive Trail Trials -- these are untimed, 8-12 miles long, with judged obstacles (gate, sidepass over log, drag a bag of rocks, that sort of thing). You can enter at any of 3 levels or ride "noncompetitive". I'm hoping to enter some of these this coming summer.
4. NATRC Competitive Trail Rides (CTR) competitions which are usually 2 day trail rides between 20-40 miles a day. They are timed, judged (both horse and rider), and vet checked. 
5. LD (limited distance) endurance races, usually 25 or 50 miles in a day
6. 100 miler start and end in the dark endurance races.

I recommend starting by seeing if there are any trail riding groups, clubs, or associations in your area. They vary in competitiveness -- the one I belong to is zero in that department, it's just people getting together to ride and camp.


----------



## RZstoney98 (Jan 1, 2017)

Wow thank you guys! I think what we have done recently could be classified as casual trail riding to a more extreme sense. It was probably 6-10 miles of lots of ups and downs and honestly really hard terrain and he handled it all like a pro (despite it being his first real trail ride in all 18 years of his life). I was very proud of him and I could really see a difference in his attitude. My usually lazy hard to get to trot even with Spurs in an arena horse was wanting to jump and run up steep hills 😂 It was all very fun for both of us and he did not seem to come up limpy at all.


----------



## Reiningcatsanddogs (Oct 9, 2014)

It sounds like you might have a trail horse on your hands!

If you are interested in some organized fun as well as trail riding with a purpose, check this group out.

About TETRA 

They organize rides based on regions, clear/maintain trails, do benefit rides for charity, run clinics and symposiums etc. 

You do not have to be a member to attend a ride; you can try it before you buy it, so to speak.

On the 18th of this month they have a "get acquainted" ride for region five, north of Houston into Texarkana, at Hillard Ranch.

It does cost money to be a member ($20 individual, $25 group) and then whatever fees might be associated with a group ride, clinic etc.


----------



## 6gun Kid (Feb 26, 2013)

I don't know exactly where in SE Texas you are, but there are some great trails at Sam Rayburn, on the Ebeneezer side, There are also some trails at Cattail Marsh in Tyrrell park in Beaumont, and plenty of trails (although they are multi use) in the Big Thicket National Forest in the Kountze area, or Sam Houston National Forest in the New Waverly area.


----------



## RZstoney98 (Jan 1, 2017)

6gun Kid said:


> I don't know exactly where in SE Texas you are, but there are some great trails at Sam Rayburn, on the Ebeneezer side, There are also some trails at Cattail Marsh in Tyrrell park in Beaumont, and plenty of trails (although they are multi use) in the Big Thicket National Forest in the Kountze area, or Sam Houston National Forest in the New Waverly area.


I am in the Beaumont area actually, my barn is in Orange. I have ridden at Sam Rayburn and I have been wanting to go back desperately, thank you!


----------



## RZstoney98 (Jan 1, 2017)

Reiningcatsanddogs said:


> It sounds like you might have a trail horse on your hands!
> 
> If you are interested in some organized fun as well as trail riding with a purpose, check this group out.
> 
> ...


Wow thank you!! I'll look into it


----------



## 6gun Kid (Feb 26, 2013)

RZstoney98 said:


> I am in the Beaumont area actually, my barn is in Orange. I have ridden at Sam Rayburn and I have been wanting to go back desperately, thank you!


 I graduated from Lumberton H.S.


----------



## RZstoney98 (Jan 1, 2017)

6gun Kid said:


> I graduated from Lumberton H.S.


Small world! Lol, I'm actually a sophomore at Westbrook.


----------



## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

NATRC is a great way to get out and trail ride and see some new trails and meet other horse people. I did it for a number of years back in the 90's and enjoyed it. My problem was all the rides in this region were in Colorado and most we 8-10 hours haul to get to.

The rides are usually two days. You show up Friday night and check in, Ride out Saturday Morning and finish up Sunday noonish and have some awards after. The Novice and CP classes are usually 40 miles over two days and the Open class is 50 miles over two days.

They are more of a road rally type of event not a race. Come in too fast and you loose points just as if you came in too slow. It's all about rating your horses speed thru the day. You will get 2-4 judges obsticles . Stuff like mounting dismounting, putting on a rain coat while in the saddle, side passing over to pull a ribbon off a branch etc. Great fun.


----------

