Post by:
Unknown - Thursday, October 11, 2012
About the Author:
Competitive Trail Riding is generally referred to as CTR. It's an equine event where riders cover distances of between 15 and 40 miles a day over rough country. Plenty of participators quit after the first day, but others stick hard to it for 3 days. The contest aims to assess functional coordination between rider and their pony, and to judge the physical fitness of the riders and their horses at the end of the competition. The event can be physically demanding, and riders and their horses are subject to comprehensive physical examination before and on finishing of the event. Since there is an element of risk to riders and their horses, these events adhere to high safety requirements; there's a panel of vets on the spot and all judges are seasoned veterans.
It is obvious that the fittest horse and rider team wins the event. It is easy to presume that all of the difficult work is performed by the pony, but that presumption would be unfair to the rider, who is also subjected to a great amount of strain and wear and tear. Every horse-rider pair is accompanied by a team of trainers, nutritionists, horse handlers and carers and others. They're united in their common goal of maintaining the pony in peak condition. The rider's role obviously is mostly directing and controlling and taking the simplest routes, such as would subject the horse to minimum difficulty. You can't succeed in events like this without fully focused commitment. In all facets of mental and physical health, the pair must be at the peak of their capacities.
When competing in these events, remember that:
- horses are naturally scared animals. As prey animals, they have a tendency to see potential danger in lots of things. Therefore, the more your pony is desensitized to objects around, the better he will be able to behave during the event. This suggests anticipating all possible objects that would spook your horse and getting your pony accustomed to these objects. Obviously, this implies convincing him that the objects are in no way dangerous to him by exposing him to them gradually and in non threatening circumstances. All this can be done in a secure setting like an arena;
- you ought to be totally conversant with your horse and his wishes and moods. You should be able to read every nuance of his body language like an open book. You also should be well informed of old injuries and incidents where the horse was scared. Point them out to the judges of the event because if you don't the judges will negatively mark them at the end of the event. You are responsible for intimate knowledge of your pony and everything needed to keep him secure and in the best of health;
- while the horse's fitness is of supreme concern, you as the rider will also have to face plenty of hardship and thus you need to stay fit. When you're fit and at optimum weight, you are less of a strain for the pony. Make sure you are following regular exercise and diet programs;
- when at the event, you need to make sure you are dressed appropriately and in conformity with relevant rules imposed by the event organizers;
- keeping your pony comfortable and free from irritants is of supreme concern. Give him the best kit and gear available. Maintain all gear and tack in spotless working condition. Leave no stone unturned in terms of guaranteeing your horse's perfect health and comfort;
- correct pre-event training is vital. You must work your pony up to the event slowly and with a correct plan. Correct training will keep both your pony and you at the apex of your abilities. While you have to train hard and constantly, ensure you don't over exert your pony or yourself. Start by covering 5 to 7 miles of increasingly craggy terrain 5 weekdays;
- while training your horse, you need to make sure he can vary his footing as needed and attune to varying terrain conditions;
- while training, you need to also get your horse used to proximity and constant physical contact with humans. He will be touched and examined constantly while at the event. You want to ensure that does not trouble him;
- while coaching, you need to get your pony accustomed to both running and still water of varying tastes and compositions. Your pony must be given food and water at regular intervals thru the day, and it's necessary that he is given training to ignore horses? Natural reluctance to drink water from unfamiliar sources.
It is obvious that the fittest horse and rider team wins the event. It is easy to presume that all of the difficult work is performed by the pony, but that presumption would be unfair to the rider, who is also subjected to a great amount of strain and wear and tear. Every horse-rider pair is accompanied by a team of trainers, nutritionists, horse handlers and carers and others. They're united in their common goal of maintaining the pony in peak condition. The rider's role obviously is mostly directing and controlling and taking the simplest routes, such as would subject the horse to minimum difficulty. You can't succeed in events like this without fully focused commitment. In all facets of mental and physical health, the pair must be at the peak of their capacities.
When competing in these events, remember that:
- horses are naturally scared animals. As prey animals, they have a tendency to see potential danger in lots of things. Therefore, the more your pony is desensitized to objects around, the better he will be able to behave during the event. This suggests anticipating all possible objects that would spook your horse and getting your pony accustomed to these objects. Obviously, this implies convincing him that the objects are in no way dangerous to him by exposing him to them gradually and in non threatening circumstances. All this can be done in a secure setting like an arena;
- you ought to be totally conversant with your horse and his wishes and moods. You should be able to read every nuance of his body language like an open book. You also should be well informed of old injuries and incidents where the horse was scared. Point them out to the judges of the event because if you don't the judges will negatively mark them at the end of the event. You are responsible for intimate knowledge of your pony and everything needed to keep him secure and in the best of health;
- while the horse's fitness is of supreme concern, you as the rider will also have to face plenty of hardship and thus you need to stay fit. When you're fit and at optimum weight, you are less of a strain for the pony. Make sure you are following regular exercise and diet programs;
- when at the event, you need to make sure you are dressed appropriately and in conformity with relevant rules imposed by the event organizers;
- keeping your pony comfortable and free from irritants is of supreme concern. Give him the best kit and gear available. Maintain all gear and tack in spotless working condition. Leave no stone unturned in terms of guaranteeing your horse's perfect health and comfort;
- correct pre-event training is vital. You must work your pony up to the event slowly and with a correct plan. Correct training will keep both your pony and you at the apex of your abilities. While you have to train hard and constantly, ensure you don't over exert your pony or yourself. Start by covering 5 to 7 miles of increasingly craggy terrain 5 weekdays;
- while training your horse, you need to make sure he can vary his footing as needed and attune to varying terrain conditions;
- while training, you need to also get your horse used to proximity and constant physical contact with humans. He will be touched and examined constantly while at the event. You want to ensure that does not trouble him;
- while coaching, you need to get your pony accustomed to both running and still water of varying tastes and compositions. Your pony must be given food and water at regular intervals thru the day, and it's necessary that he is given training to ignore horses? Natural reluctance to drink water from unfamiliar sources.
About the Author:
Horses are Heather Toms
passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of
articles with other horse lovers read more
passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of
articles with other horse lovers read more
Jika anda suka silahkan tautkan ke artikel ini
You've just read an article category dengan judul Winning In Competitive Trail Riding. You can bookmark this page with a URL http://recreationsportsupdates.blogspot.com/2012/10/winning-in-competitive-trail-riding.html. Terima kasih!
Please Give Me Posting Rating ...
