NATALIE & LILLI's FAQ's For NATRC Newbies

Cobbled together last year from the CTR list for a bunch of people who wanted to try NATRC and are on the Southern California Gaited Riders list...compiled from LOTS of newbie Q&A's with some updates by Lilli in R1...and Jonni in Texas, and Sue Flagg and a bunch of other been-there, done-that, got-the-t-shirt, and-the-bragging-rights-too ....types!

Keep in mind these Q&A's are not from the rule book per se, but from the experiences and opinions of folks on the list answering similar questions over the past couple years. In addition, I compiled this stuff as it pertains to Region 2 (and a little of Region 1) so things might be slightly different in your area. For example, our R2 trails tend to include a lot of hills and terrain that's stressful on a horse so our rides may have fewer obstacles, or may be timed/paced differently than in other regions that maybe don't have so many hills etc....make sense?

WHAT IS NATRC?

NATRC is NOT a race. It's a timed, judged trail ride. Your ability to work as a team with your horse and be a SAFE rider and handler are "judged" by a "horsemanship" judge, while you horse's condition, soundness and overall health is judged by a vet judge.

There are three divisions, Novice, Competitive Pleasure (CP) and OPEN. You can enter a ride at any level you choose, but understand that Novice is for younger horses, or for less experienced riders with horses of any level, or for anyone new to the sport.

If you've never done a CTR before, don't be intimidated...if you just tell ride management it's your first ride, you'll be flabbergasted at how helpful everyone will be!!! Other riders, volunteers, the vet judges/secretaries, horsemanship judges/secretaries LIVE to help out the total newbie... seriously! All you need to do is ASK and you'll get all the help and guidance you can possibly stand! *and then some!*

You can stay in novice as long as you want to, just so long as you haven't won the class more than 5 times. Novice and Open have "lightweight" (under 190 lbs with tack) and "heavyweight" (190 and above). Yes, sorry to say, you will have to get weighed to enter OPEN or NOVICE! CP doesn't have weight classes, and is designed for the more experienced rider/horse who doesn't want to do the additional distance or speed of OPEN.

IN general, CP is timed the same and follows the same trail as Novice. Distances range from the 21-25 miles for one day rides to 50+ miles in two days for OPEN. You will hardly ever do more than 25 miles a day in Novice or CP.

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WHAT ARE THE RULES?

Check out all the rules/regs at NATRC (membership info there too). There s a FAQ page for newbies now I believe. See other answers to most of the common questions below.

P&R's/VET CHECKS - CHECK IN PROCEDURES ETC:

Typically, you'll check in on a Friday afternoon with the vet and get a "baseline" metabolic's checked (capillary refill, hydration, gut sounds, muscle tone, back/withers/loin, & legs). Most NATRC vets will want to see that you can trot your horse next to you away from him and back again, and STOP without running him over! Also, most vets expect you to lunge your horse on a 12-16' line in both directions. With gaited breeds, that can get a bit difficult, but all my horses know how to lunge, and most will either gait or trot on the line. Just let the judge know when you walk up that you have a gaited horse. There are now so many gaited breeds in NATRC the judges are pretty good at realizing that a the big floppy walking horse walk is NORMAL and the horse is not lame!

After the vet check-in, which start around 2p.m. on the Friday before the ride (and ends around 6 p.m. and takes about 10 minutes once your turn comes) your time is your own until the rider briefing which usually held at sundown. At the briefing you'll get a map. If you can't get to a ride before dark on the Friday, make sure you get permission from ride management in advance to arrive "late" and make arrangements for vet checking your horse.

ONCE YOU'VE VETTED IN, YOU ARE OFFICIALLY COMPETING AND SUBJECT TO HORSEMANSHIP JUDGING FROM THAT POINT ON!!! So make sure you have your horse safely tied, water/food available, camp set up etc. as soon as you can. You are expected to keep your rider number bib on at all times in camp and on the trail, BTW.

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HOW TO P&R:

On Saturday during the ride, you'll usually have a P&R (Pulse and Respiration)check mid-morning or before lunch. Then another in the afternoon.

For the P&R, you come to the place on the trail where the ride has arranged for it. You'll dismount, line up next to the horse and rider that came in just in front of you, and take a card from the P&R volunteer that has recorded your time-in. You then have 10 minutes to wait before the P&R is taken. You can unsaddle, unbridle, whatever you want. Just do what you need to do to get your horse pulsed down. My advice is to avoid letting them eat as that tends to increase pulse rate.

With Bo, I loosen his cinch, take a rag to his sweaty face, rub his forehead. In about 5 minutes he's asleep and so is totally pulsed down by the time the P&R needs to happen. P&R's are 15-seconds, usually. Most vets have a "17 hold, 16 go" criteria for pulses. You'll be held another 10 minutes if you horse is pulsing in at 17 or higher. However, you are docked points for any pulse over 12 or respiration over 9. Bo gets, on average, 10/7's which is great (the first number is the pulse, the second is the breaths in 15 seconds). After the P&R, make sure you wait for the person next to you to get done. A horse leaving the P&R can ruin the scores for the next competitor... horses get so upset when even a 10-minute herd buddy leaves them! I usually ask the person who came in after me if it's ok to leave before I actually do. It's considered good etiquette.

Sometimes there is a vet check after the P&R, sometimes not. In most cases, however, you won't be able to water or feed your horse BEFORE getting through P&R. I've learned to let Bo tank up at very opportunity BEFORE the P&R and let him eat when I say so on trail (very important to let them eat on trail at points of YOUR choosing to keep gut motility moving!) so when we get to P&R it ends up being just one more stop on the way, rather than a "rest stop" like in endurance. Still, this is an example of how NATRC tries to "level the playing field" for all competitors. If your horse isn't permitted to drink until the P&R is over, neither is anyone else's.

For two day rides, there is usually only one P&R mid morning the second day for Novice and CP divisions, and two for Open. . However, most vets will ask to do either a check unmounted before you leave on day 2, or (*in most cases I've experienced) you'll have to mount up and do a "trot by" the vet judge on your way to the starting point. (Use Running Walk in the place of "trot" in these answers for TWHs doing NATRC, FYI)

At the end of the ride (either the one day or 2 day rides), usually you'll get between 30 minutes and an hour to get your horse cleaned up and ready to be vetted through for the finish. They make a point of saying your horse doesn't need to be ready for a show ring, but make sure you get the sweat, icky trail stuff and mud off them. Make an effort to CARE for your horse. If you used or carried a whip at the check in (for lunging) make sure to use it or carry it at the check out too. Weird quirk in Horsemanship scoring that! Make sure your horse eats and drinks well before seeing the vet at the check out so his gut sound scores will be good. The idea is for your horse to get the same or better scores at the end of the ride than you got at the beginning.

NO NO's:

BIG NO NO in NATRC is the use of any kind of "drenching" i.e. electrolytes, drugs etc., during the ride (drenching is filling a big syringe or bucket with stuff then literally pumping it into the horse- Just to clarify, electrolytes in powder or paste form are allowed. Remember the ride" starts at check in to the final vet check out at the end of the day or 2 days!!! Mui Importante!

Nor can you use boots, wraps, braces etc. You can hose a horse's legs or have him stand in a bucket of plain cold water before the final vetting. After the ride is over and you've vetted through. Anything goes. I see portable corrals come out, wraps go on, magnetic blankets, you name it! It takes a couple hours after the ride for the results to tally, but an awards ceremony is held by early evening and you'll be on the road home before dark, usually.

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JUDGED OBSTACLES:

That said, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT...if at any time you feel that you need to "pass" on any of the P&R's, judged observations or whatever for your own safety or the health of your horse, you can feel free to do so. You don't automatically disqualify yourself if you do, you just lose the points and may not place.

(However, missing an entire P&R will probably eliminate your horse from the running completely, so consider it carefully)

Ride your own ride. Treat each CTR as a chance to learn something new and try to keep that oh so competitive-I'm-new-don't-know-what-to-do-and-might-embarrass-myself demon on your shoulder under lock and key...better yet, just don't let him come with you on your first ride! Find someone who has half a clue, hang out, make a friend and HAVE FUN!!!!!

These days, the Region 2 rides are not doing the "wait in line to do an obstacle" stuff so much (THANK GAAAWD!) There were lots of complaints about rides taking an hour longer than necessary etc. so the Board of Directors listened and advised ride managers to simplify things. Other than one minor exception, the rides I've done since last summer are usually "observations as you go along" type situations.

You'll be watched climbing a hill--make sure to get off your butt and OUT of the saddle! If you don't know how to post, LEARN because it's the same "motion" you'll need to get out of the saddle on up hills--getting up and forward helps your horse to climb. THIS GOES FOR GAITED BREEDS TOO!!! It's good horsemanship, demonstrates rider skill, and makes it easier for your horse to carry your carcass on his back for 25 miles or more! Feel free to use mane to pull yourself up if you have to. You'll also be observed on the down hills too (don't lean back, stay vertical to the slope with your feet under you, and make sure your horse is seen to walk carefully and slowly down steep stuff for max points!)

There's always a creek crossing. They will either tell you to go right through and come back to another spot to offer water, or they may not say anything-in which case either ask (if you see the judge...sometimes they hide!) or remember to stop in the middle and offer your horse water. If he doesn't drink, carry on. But ALWAYS offer your horse water at any opportunity even if you don't think he's not thirsty/it's not hot etc. UNLESS TOLD TO DO OTHERWISE By the judge! You never know when you're being watched!!! You may also be watched navigating some difficult footing, or stepping over a natural barrier (log?) on the trail. Also be careful about your horse "buddying up"--it's not such a big deal anymore, but it can still be points off. If you ride with a partner, practice "leap frogging" so the same horse isn't leading all the time. Also try to ride alone or with another cluster of riders from time to time. You want a horse that can go down the trail and be happy alone or with someone else and NOT freak out if a buddy isn't available. Basic, common sense stuff is what they judge you on so don't get too concerned until you hit OPEN.

My favorite is still the obnoxious judged mount! Bo will stand still as a tree when he's not being watched, but the minute someone watches him, he's a jig monster. We finally got our first "+" for a judged mount last spring after doing CTR's since 1997! Bo stood like a rock for the first time ever in front of the judge! Yippeee!

The rides that have "observations" rather than obstacles are MUCH easier to deal with IMHO and means fewer people end up with delays that have to be dealt with at the end of the ride. Still, I'm told OPEN riders will still have to do the occasional judged "gate open/close" and stuff like that.

Keep in mind that Horsemanship Judging is really Safety Training!

OTHER STUFF:

You're ability to "camp" safely with your horse is judged too, don't forget! It's part of the Horsemanship scoring! So pay close attention to the rules for tying your horse.

Region 2 rides expect a horse to be tied to the trailer all night. I've NEVER had an issue with this, neither has Bo. (Endurance riders who've never done NATRC always seem to gasp at the idea though! Frankly, most of the wrecks I've seen at rides have been when at Endurance rides when a horse gets loose from a portable corral! You rarely see problems with horses tied to trailers at NATRC rides! The new "sky hook" type trailer tie systems are LEGAL in NATRC. I plan to get one at some point. They are really nice and allow your horse much more movement).

Most NATRC people take their horses for walks regularly. I walk Bo before I turn in, then first thing in the morning before I feed him at 5 a.m. If a ride starts at 8 you need to give at least 2-3 hours for eating. I walk my horse again before I mount up for the start. NATRC encourages and teaches you how to take care of your horse. It's not me who says it either, I've had die hard endurance people tell me they can always tell NATRC people at endurance rides...we are the ones who can open gates on horseback and pamper our horses royally!! LOL

You'll need to figure out how to feed and water your horse at the trailer. Do this before you go to a ride. Bo prefers hay on the ground to a hay bag so that's what he gets. You should figure out if your horse likes a haybag or hay net or wants his dinner served to him on china with the best silver and table cloth--doesn't matter. Just figure it out BEFORE you go to a ride!

My water is in a flat backed bucket on the trailer and I use the wheel well of the trailer to rest it on so the bucket doesn't swing around and slosh everywhere. Others use a "muck bucket" set beside the trailer, anything goes as long as it's "SAFE" and a horse can't get tied up, tangled up or hurt by whatever you are using to tie, water or feed him with.

I sleep in the cab of my truck usually (very quiet and comfy!) Though I do have a tent for warmer rides. I found that an old tire inner tube tide to the tie ring on my trailer insulates me from Bo's moving around at night. His lead line is tied to the inner tube. It allows me to tie him so his rope is a good 2-3 inches from the ground for safety, yet he can stretch his head and even lies down to sleep at night tied right there to the stretchy inner tube on my trailer tie ring.

No easy way to teach a horse to tie to a trailer, just have to do it, and keep them tied there longer and longer--AT HOME--before you go to a NATRC ride or other "horse camping" trip. A NATRC ride is no place to "train" your horse to tie to a trailer!!

Remember to take a rug or blanket. Your horse can't move around to keep warm like at home, so will likely need a blanket to keep warm, not having one at least "available" so the horsemanship judge knows you have it is points off. You also need to keep a clean campsite. Take a rake and something to put muck in. Some ride managements will deduct points if you don't keep your campsite neat and tidy! (Think Girl Scouts and you've got the right idea!)

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TIMING:

Horses and riders are timed out at the start, both days. You usually don't start en masse like in endurance. Anywhere from 15 seconds to 1 minute between riders, or rider pairs.

For CP/Novice, the rides are pretty much timed for your average non-gaited walk. 25 miles will take about 6-7 hours (including stops). You have a minimum and a maximum time to complete. Coming in under the min-time is docked points, as is coming in too late. However, ride management is usually very understanding if you get held up at a P&R or something through no fault of your own and you won't get docked if you're late which is why it's good to keep track of your time VERY carefully.

I ride with two watches. One set on "real time" (digital) and the other an analog watch with a sweeping hand that I set to noon at the start and let run for the ride. That way, if it says the first "time point" should be reached by 1:47, I can look at my watch and see that time, even though my other one with the real time says' 9:30 a.m. or something.

All times on the map you're given on Friday night at the briefing (after vet check usually at dark) are timed "mid point" so you usually have 15 minutes on either side of that time to make it to that point. The only place that your actual ride time is considered is the finish.

PACING YOURSELF:

I ride a fast-walking Quarter Horse who easily goes faster than the novice and CP pace of 3-5 MPH. He prefers to ride with gaited breeds, and his regular walk is about the speed of a slow Flat Walk for my TWH. So we do a lot of "hanging out" and smelling the flowers, Kodak moments etc. at the time points or at lunch or whatever to eat up time so we don't come in early. In my case, I aim for mid-point or max time. That way I know my horse gets lots of breaks during a ride. Because it doesn't matter "who finishes first" in NATRC, my goal is to get the best possible P&R's and vet scores and if I have to use my max time to make sure my horse fresh as a daisy at the end, so be it. When I started doing LD Endurance rides with Bo after not doing any for several years once I sold my Arab mare, my vet scores were so much better! NATRC has definitely helped me to learn what it takes to get GREAT vet scores AND STILL FINISH WELL in endurance!!!

OPEN is timed faster than CP and Novice. It's more like endurance pace, 4-6 mph which means you are trotting (or Run Walking) on the flat bits, and timed for a fast walk on the up/downs. You won't see very many NATRC'ers trotting or gaiting on the hills, FYI.

The timing system in NATRC really taught me how to pace my rides in endurance. I know what a "4 mph" trot feels like and I understand now how to gauge my time on hills and where to make up time on easier parts of the trail...very useful skill, IMHO.

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ENDURANCE VS CTR: Key differences you need to know:

BIGGEST difference between LD endurance and NATRC is that you can't have "forward motion" OFF your horse. You can get off and walk back the way you came, get off and hang out any time, but you cannot proceed down the trail unless you are mounted. This often riles the endurance people until they realize that NATRC is timed in such a way that you don't need to "rest" your horse by walking him. In addition, it means that every horse and rider has done the same "work" by the time they get to the P&R so judging condition is on a level playing field.

In addition, there is always a "mandatory forward motion" point before a P&R or the finish. This means that everyone will bring their horse into a P&R having done the same amount of "work" to get there. Unlike in endurance where you regularly see people hand walking their horse into the vet checks (me included) so they will pulse down faster. In many cases, the end of the ride will include a one-mile "forward motion" marker, you can't stop, get off your horse etc., until it's over. You can, however, hang out at the marker, killing time, resting your horse etc., for as long as you want to (as long as you have it to spare and can finish on time).

WHAT KIND OF SADDLE DO I USE?

I have a "hybrid" type Aussie stock saddle. You can use any kind of saddle and any kind of horse. Just so long as you are comfy, and the tack fits the horse. I love my aussie but these saddles are not for everyone. About the only thing NOT allowed is a bareback pad. You must have a saddle.

Can you clarify what the shoeing rules are?

As of 2001, the NATRC national rules changed about shoeing changed. You can now compete on a barefoot horse, or in "easy boots" (but not old macs or anything that covers the coronet band), and any kind of shoe as long as it doesn't cover the sole of the foot. Full pads are still not allowed. But rim pads are fine. I also found out this year that Natural Balance shoes are OK too.

Keep in mind, however, that NATRC does not permit you to use bell boots, wraps, splint boots or whatever on your horse's legs. This is a major difference from endurance! The reason is because NATRC wants to keep the "playing field level" so all horses are subjected to the same conditions at a ride and can be judged against each other. Besides, if you have a horse that interferes or forges, or trips a lot, and "needs" special pads or boots or wraps, it's probably not the best horse for long distance riding. Sorry, but that's a fact. Some people get a bit miffed about this rule and feel it's their choice about whether to use boots or wraps etc. to protect their horses. I would agree, in principle. However, if one horse has boots/wraps and another does not, then judging can't be equal for both can it? Endurance is a race so "anything goes" when it comes to protective gear. If your horse needs pads or egg bar shoes or needs protective boots for some reason, you can still participate in NATRC. You would enter as "Hors de Concours" meaning you get the miles/completion, but can't compete for judged awards in horse and horsemanship.

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Do you give your horse supplements before the ride?

I've found a tablespoon of powdered electrolytes in Bo's complete feed ration each day for about 4-5 days before a ride helps Bo to stay hydrated. Makes him thirsty, so he drinks more. IN summer, he has free access to a salt block. But other than that, I don't do anything different prepping for a CTR than any other time.

It says the pace is between 4-6 miles an hour, would that be an average for the whole race or is that between vet checks?

The whole ride. See my comments on pacing/timing above for this. You can go whatever speed you want to at any time as long as it's safe (however cantering where anyone can see you, where it's not safe, or when a rider/horse can be upset by it, is probably not a good idea. Cantering is against the rules for the NOVICE class, BTW). However, within one ride you'll know how fast you can go to keep your horse's vet scores good and finish within the min/max time allowed.

How do I join?

There's a membership form at the NATRC web site. Or you can join at the rides usually. RIDING magazine (free in most tack shops) has a region 2 NATRC newsletter in it each month, there's a membership form in there. Cheryl Erpelding, the editor of that magazine, is a NATRC R2 member.

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