TREC or 'Technique De Randonnee Equestre De Competition' (T.R.E.C) started in France around 1970 where they have a highly organised equestrian tourist industry. A way to focus training and development of professional guides working within the sector had to be identified, and the concept of TREC was born as a suitable way to test this.

The sport has its own international governing body, the Federation Internationale de Tourisme Equestre (F.I.T.E.) http://www.fite-net.org/. The United Kingdom joined to gain international recognition in 1996 for its newly developed Equestrian Tourism Qualifications. Membership of FITE is via the BHS.