# Competitive Trail Riding...



## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

I am going to my first one Saturday to help. Barry and I are safety riders. One of the ladies in our group is hosting and my friends are judges. We are going to have a blast!


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

It's fun. 


What it entails depends on what you mean by competitive trail ride (CTR). ACTHA hosts rides called trail challenges. These are eight mile courses that take around two and a half hours to complete. You are judge on your horse's performance across natural(ish) obstacles along the trail. It's like a trail class on an actual outdoor trail. :wink: These types of rides are good for pleasure type distance riders who just want to have some fun once in a while. Since the courses are so short, it doesn't require much conditioning.


On the more endurancey end of things are NATRC rides. I do these, so I can tell you more about them than ACTHA. On a NATRC ride, you are given a map of about 20 miles of trail, a pace (3 or 4 mph), and a time (e.g. 5 to 5 and a half hours). Along the trail are points (A, B, etc.) to guide you along and to use as milestones to make sure you're on time. The aim is to ride 20 miles of trail in the allotted amount of time -- neither too fast nor too slow.


As you're fighting with time, judges are hiding along the trail, watching and waiting. You have two cards: horse and horsemanship. Each is judged separately. The vet judge has power over your horse card. This judge is looking for a well conditioned (checks out sound and has good P and Rs)and well mannered trail mount. The horsemanship judge has power over your horsemanship card. This judge will look for a safe campsite, good equitation, and your trail manners, along other things.

The basic aim is to survive two 20 mile days and check out at the end with a horse who could turn around and do 20 more. 


... Questions?


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## Calmwaters (Aug 24, 2011)

I like the way the ACTHA trial sounds, is there jumping or anything like that involved?


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

They might ask you to pop over a tiny log here and there, but nothing serious. Basically, to do 90% of obstacles, you need these skills: turn on the forehand, turn on the haunches, back, and sidepass. You also need a horse that will stand perfectly (to mount especially), cross creeks and logs, and transition up and down smoothly through his gaits. A good, solid canter/stop trot/stop transition is a real asset as well.


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## Calmwaters (Aug 24, 2011)

My horse is a Paso Fino and I can not trot due to a back injury on my part so I guess that would knock us out. Oh well guess I will just stick to pleasure riding.


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

No! My horse is gaited too. By "trot", I mean middle gait. I just say trot because most people have normal horses.


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## Calmwaters (Aug 24, 2011)

Oh thats good to know now next question, Tequila is 20 yrs young is that to old? Shes in good shape and healthy. Also, can you tell me what these terms are I have never had lessons but have been riding since I was 6 so I am not exactly sure what you mean by these movements turn on the forehand, turn on the haunches, and sidepass.


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

On the forehand. You move the horse's back end without moving the front. 





 
Sidepass. Moving your whole horse sideways without going forwards.





 


I can't find one for turn on the haunches... I would google it and try to find some more clips. These are just examples I pull off youtube in two minutes.



20 is not too old. I get my butt kicked by 20 year old horses every day of the week.  If the horse is healthy and conditioned well enough, anything is possible regardness of age.


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## Hidalgo13 (Dec 24, 2010)

subscribing because I really want to do this when I'm older! )


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## Calmwaters (Aug 24, 2011)

Okay thank you I will ask the last owner tomorrow if she can do these things if not maybe I can find someone that could help me teach her. It looks as if it is done with leg pressure is that correct? Also how do you know when you need to make these movements?


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

NATRC sounds like fun!!!


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## Calmwaters (Aug 24, 2011)

QOS said:


> NATRC sounds like fun!!!


I agree!


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

NATRC is the greatest thing since cheese in a can. :wink: Full stop.



It is done off leg pressure indeed! Your horse may know how to do these things already. You have to figure out how to press the right buttons. Teaching them from scratch can be a little tricky. I would get someone to show you both how it's done. 


You'll be stopped along the trail and asked by the judges for these movements. They may say, "Sidepass over that log," and you will, well, sidepass over that log. You'll know when you're required to do these things. The judges explain the obstacles well, and you can ask all the questions you want!


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## Calmwaters (Aug 24, 2011)

This is awsome! The man that helped me find her is super nice and is helping me with my riding and use to show Paso Finos I am sure he will know how to get her to do these things if she knows how and if not he has a really good trainer that I could get to teach her and me if need be.


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## Brighteyes (Mar 8, 2009)

That sounds brilliant. Good luck!


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## Calmwaters (Aug 24, 2011)

Thank you! I am looking forward to it!


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## Ladytrails (Jul 28, 2010)

You will have a blast. I'm in ACTHA and we set up 12 trail obstacles in my arena, round pen, and back yard this past weekend to get back into mental shape for the upcoming trail challenge in a couple of weeks. (I broke my arm this summer and am just now back in the saddle, trying to get back in condition!). You can see how your horse does on 6-7 mile trail rides in your area, and if she does okay, you'll be fine. The challenge allows you to take the trail at your own pace, and the people who compete (at least here in my area) are GREAT about giving you tips to help you do well. You get a score for the rider and a score for the horse.... Really fun. I ride gaited and you just tell them at the 'trot' obstacles that you're riding a gaited horse and they score you accordingly at the alternate gait.


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## Calmwaters (Aug 24, 2011)

Thank you I am looking forward to it.


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## manca (Feb 23, 2011)

I wish we had this competitions in Slovenia


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## gigem88 (May 10, 2011)

ACTHA also has divisions which are tailored to your riding skills. The top level (I think it's called competitive?) are the hardest obstacles, the pleasure rider level has obstacles a little easier and the buddy level you don't have to do any obstacles, just enjoy the ride or school a green horse!


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## Calmwaters (Aug 24, 2011)

Thanks everyone.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

manca said:


> I wish we had this competitions in Slovenia


Sounds like the perfect opportunity to open a new chapter! Contact the association to ask permission, I'm sure they'll say yes. Then it's a matter of getting some like minded people together and start doing the competitions.


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## nuisance (Sep 8, 2011)

My father was president of our local NATRC group when we lived in So. CA... too many years ago! I LOVED comptetitive trail riding! We moved to Texas, no NATRC! There is now, but then there was nothing! Just pleasure rides here and there. And, for some reason I grew up and married a man who HATES horses and ended up selling mine.... still rode dads though. I just got another horse a couple months ago, not alot of rides near, all would be a good 4 hrs drive from me, but I'm hoping to try to do a few.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I wish there were some around my area, but everything that ACTHA does, I would have to drive for several hours to get there :sad:.


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## sabowin (May 8, 2010)

I was just on the ACTHA site this afternoon, and wondered if riders doing the "Buddy" level CAN do the obstacles, but yield right-of-way to the competitive riders, or if they have to pass them up. It'd be a lot more useful for schooling if you are allowed to try them as long as you're not holding others up.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

Back in the 90's I did a lot of NATRC rides. I even sponsored a ride for 6 years. ( Which is a lot of work)

The challenges at any given NATRC ride will depend on the judge that is there and what natural obsticles can be found. NATRC really encourages using natural obsticles vs man made. You can expect to be judged on your mount. Your horse needs to stand still while you get into the saddle. If water is available. If will often be used an obsticle. as in a creek crossing, we even once had to cross a lake about belly deep. Steep up and downhill grades are common judging areas. and of course things such as side passing over to tie a ribbon on a branch, backing between two trees, crossing blow down logs on the trail can all be expected.

Almost all NATRC rides involve camping and staying for the weekend. They do offer a single day event. But the cost to put on an event and the travel cost to attend just don't support having one day rides. So almost all rides are two day events.

The rules are defined to make the event as equal as possible. All riders must complete the ride in the same amount of time, Too fast or too slow and you are out of the game. Any forward progress down the trail must be done while riding, No running alongside your horse to save him. All horses must be kept in the same manner. If stalled, All horses must have stalls, Hence most NATRC rides keep the horses tied over night. It's not fair for one horse to have a nice corral to stretch in and somebody elses horse needs to be tied to the trailer because they can't afford a corral.

Check out their website. They are a lot of fun


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## Ladytrails (Jul 28, 2010)

sabowin said:


> I was just on the ACTHA site this afternoon, and wondered if riders doing the "Buddy" level CAN do the obstacles, but yield right-of-way to the competitive riders, or if they have to pass them up. It'd be a lot more useful for schooling if you are allowed to try them as long as you're not holding others up.


I found info on a site advertising a Maryland ACTHA ride saying that buddies can do the obstacles if local ride management allows. I think that would probably depend on whether the ride was full or not, e.g. buddies doing the obstacles would delay the competitors too much. It's a great idea to let them school, I agree!


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