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GENERAL INFORMATION FOR ALL COMPETITIVE RIDERS Membership in NATRC is not required to enter these rides or to receive ride awards; however, membership is required to be eligible for National and Region 3 year-end awards. If you are not a member, you may join at any time by completing the membership application found in the center of the book. Awards are given at rides through 6th place in all divisions and classes for both horse and horsemanship. Sweepstakes awards (high point horse) are also awarded in Novice and Open Divisions. High-Point Combination award for horse and horsemanship is given for Competitive Pleasure Division. Breed awards are awarded at rides as sponsored and to be eligible, riders need to provide copies of their horse’s registration papers with the ride entry form to each ride’s management.
Riders should become familiar with the current year’s NATRC Rule Book which may be obtained from the ride secretary either by mail, if requested on the entry form, or at the ride itself. All rides will be conducted under the current NATRC Rules. Some general requirements and suggestions are: 1. A Saddle must be used, but no other tack restrictions apply. 2. Hoof protection (shoes) while not required is recommended. 3. The use of wraps, bandages, medications or stimulants are NOT PERMITTED. 4. Stallions may be ridden by adult riders only, identified by yellow ribbons in their tails and double-tied to their trailers. 5. All horses must be kept under similar conditions from preliminary check-in until awards presentation. The usual tie place is at their rider’s trailer, but picket lines, stops and tree savers may be used at management’s discretion. 6. Riders under 18, whether competing or not, must ASTM/SEI, Snell or approved helmet at all times when mounted. 7. If you’ve entered a ride and find you cannot attend, PLEASE notify ride management immediately so that another competitor who may be wait-listed can take your place. Check ride descriptions for any refund policies. WHAT TO BRING You will need your own camping gear, horse equipment, buckets, feed, halters, ropes, etc. Hay or grain is not usually available at a ride. Bring your own food and cooking equipment (some rides offer meals), trash bags, rake and shovel (some rides require clean-up of manure at the trailers). Water for horses is always provided but human water often is not available so bring your own. A responsible adult must supervise all children at a ride whether competing or not. RELEASE FORM All competitors, workers, management personnel and judges will be required to sign a release form for insurance purposes. WHAT IS THE SCHEDULE FOR A RIDE? The competitors normally arrive at the designated camp site early on the Friday prior to a ride weekend. After setting up their individual camp, riders present their horses to the judges for a thorough physical examination. Scars, blemishes, or unsoundnesses are noted on the judge’s scoring cards. Friday evening a briefing is held to inform riders about the next day’s trail, provide them with a map and other scheduled events at the ride. Saturday morning, at the judge’s discretion, riders may be instructed to approach the starting line mounted or with their horse in-hand. Riders are usually timed out at 15-30 second intervals. Riders travel at their own pace during the day, following well-marked trails and using a map that shows turns, elevations and mileage reference points along the route. All horses, including safety rider’s mounts, are observed several times during the day, often at a surprise point at the top of a steep climb where pulse (P) and respiration (R) rates of each horse are taken by a team of volunteer veterinary assistant workers. The P&R results are used in scoring the horse’s condition by the veterinarian judge. After a mandatory lunch stop, the riders continue. Upon reaching the 2-mile point, rules require that forward motion be maintained until reaching the finish point, thereby insuring that all horses arrive in camp in approximately the same state of physical exertion. Riders may hold up at the 2-mile point if their timing window requires it. Saturday evening and Sunday morning, riders are usually asked to present their horses for another veterinary physical examination which determines if the horse has suffered an injury or other problem which could potentially disqualify him from continuing to participate in the ride. Sunday’s ride (If a Type A or AA) is conducted in the same manner as Saturday’s ride but is often shorter in distance. Upon completing the trail, riders must present their horses for a final vet-check. Awards are made based on horse and rider scores at a ceremony. Copies of the cards recording comments and points by the two judges are provided after the awards are presented. Riders needing to depart the ride site prior to awards are advised to seek permission of the ride management and the judges. HINTS FOR COMPETITIVE TRAIL RIDERS ON THE WAY TO THE RIDE Always pack according to a list of necessary gear for your horse and yourself. Don’t rely upon your memory! Have a copy of your horse’s brand inspection (most western states require this) and medical records (health certificate and Coggins test results). Plan and be prepared for any and all weather conditions that may impact you and your horse. Let someone at home know your destination and the emergency phone contact number incase you or they have problems. Carry highway and city street maps of areas you travel though as road closures and detours occur and it’s imperative to know where you are and how to get where you want to be. This is important if you travel alone. COMPETING THE RIDE 1. An ideal NATRC rider is one who is effective with aids, light in the saddle, balanced over the horse’s center of gravity and conscious of his and his horse’s safety in camp and on the trail. 2. An ideal NATRC horse is one that is calm, confident, responsive to the rider, attentive to the trail and well-conditioned for the requirements of the terrain. 3. The horse and rider should be prepared for obstacles and a variety of trails by practicing at home and build on working together as a team. 4. Tack and equipment used by the horse and rider should fit and be comfortable without needing major adjustments during the ride. It is not a good idea to try something new at the ride! Test and experiment with tack changes and new aids before the ride. 5. Riders should be alert to signals of gait and other behavioral signs that their horse may have a physical problem. 6. Riders need to be attentive to trail markings, things that could be a problem for their horse to negotiate and know where they are according to the maps provided. It is important to stay alert, so conversations with friends as you ride along may prove attention distracting. Getting lost is trouble for both horse and rider. 7. Riders may refuse to proceed with any obstacle or portion of the trail that they judge a problem for themselves or their horse. Penalty points may be awarded but they are better than the consequences of an accident. PRACTICE SAFETY IN RIDING AND HANDLING YOUR HORSE AND AROUND OTHER RIDER’S HORSES! 8. Winning is fun and rewarding but knowing you are building toward a goal of teamwork with your horse is even more satisfying. NATRC Rides are all about teamwork, safety and providing you and your horse an opportunity to ride different places with a group of people who are concerned for you and your horse. Judges, both veterinary and horsemanship, are experienced and approved by NATRC and are always willing to help riders solve problems by answering questions and making suggestions…they are not just about critique and deterimining placings during a ride. Take advantage of their expertise and experience. RIDING AND JUDGING BASICS Riders are advised not to bunch up with other riders during a ride. Keep one horse length’s distance, or more between you and other riders at all times during the ride. When going downhill, do not lean back in your saddle or your horse will be unable to use his hindquarters to best advantage. Avoid body sway from side to side as it can throw your horse off-balance as he descends. When going uphill, go light in the saddle and don’t lean over the horse’s neck but do rise slightly from your saddle to free his hindquarters from excess weight as he needs the impulsion. Over logs or water crossings, riders should be slightly out of the saddle but balanced over the horse’s center of gravity to aid him in negotiating the obstacle. Forward motion means go forward on your horse unless instructed to dismount and lead him at a judge’s request. You may dismount and rest yourself and your horse at any time during the ride except when instructed by signage or a judge or within the designated “two-mile” ending segment of the trail. See the Rule book for more complete descriptions of what is permitted under NATRC Rules. Manners of Riders: Be polite and use common sense. Don’t block the trail when you stop. Wait on other riders after obstacles (unless instructed not to do so by the judge), at water stops, P&R stops (don’t ride off until the horse next to you has had his P&R taken, and when other riders are mounting. Ask permission to pass other riders on the trail and do so quietly so as to not upset their horse. Manners of Horses: Your horse should be alert, watchful and willing. Obstacles should be safely by the horse so practice at home on opening and closing gates, standing while being mounted and dismounted, sidepassing, backing, crossing water and other feats that you and your horse may be asked to perform during a ride. Teach him to stand quietly during a veterinary examination including inside his mouth. Teach him to trot in-hand at your side, to lounge at a trot in a circle in both directions, to stand quietly while you reach for an item or put on a coat or slicker while in the saddle. ASK FOR HELP OR ADVICE AT RIDES FROM OTHER RIDERS OR THE JUDGES… THERE ARE NO STUPID QUESTIONS! |
