Why you should have a go at freestyle dressage to music…
Fancy footwork at its best!
Dressage to music is great fun, and anyone can give it a go; whether you're a Grand Prix dressage rider or a primary graded rider in Riding Club. Even if you don't intend to compete in dressage to music classes, it's still a great way to liven up your schooling at home.
How do I get started?
>Firstly, what level do you intend to compete at? A list of movements required for each level are available from the AIRC website (for Riding Club), or from British Dressage or the Dressage Diagrams website (for Dressage Ireland). The movements listed on the test sheet must be included in your floorplan, and you can also add in other movements performed at that level or any level(s) below. Don't include movements from a higher level (e.g flying changes in a novice test are a no-no!), as you will be penalised for this. Emphasise your horse's best movements by riding them where the judge(s) can see them the best, but if your horse is weak in certain movements try to do them away from the judge(s). Try and make your floorplan symmetrical, most judges will prefer this. Once you have compiled your floorplan, get someone to film you riding it. The floorplan comes first, then the music can be put together! How do I choose the music? The music genre must suit your horse; for example, classical music probably won't suit a heavy cob. The music for each gait must be the right tempo; too slow and it will make your horse look lazy, and too fast it will make your horse look like Speedy Gonzalez! Your horse's tempo can be measured using a metronome, which can be found for free on many websites. You can also ask someone to count how many times one of your horse's hind legs (a different coloured bandage will make this easier to distinguish!) hits the ground in 15 seconds, and then multiply this number by 4 to get the BPM (beats per minute). Many people think that your music must not have vocals, but this view seems to be outdated as many top riders are now doing Grand Prix freestyles with vocals in their music. It comes down to personal choice and the judge's opinion. How do I get Emerald Dressage Music to compile my freestyle music? Simply get someone to film you riding your floorplan (in the correct size arena; most levels compete in a 20x60m, but some, such as Riding Club tests, may require you to compete in a 20x40m arena), and upload this video to YouTube, Facebook or similar. Send a link to this video by email . In your e-mail, mention any requests, such as what music you'd like or would not like us to use if possible. We will keep in contact with you, and send you a sample of the freestyle music we have compiled for you by e-mail within 7 days. If you are happy with this, we will send you the music on a CD by post after we have received payment from you. And Finally… The most important thing is to have fun! Getting started in freestyle dressage to music is not as hard as it seems. Emerald Dressage Music offer a free advisory service if you have any questions you'd like answered. Emerald Dressage Music Website
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