| Tips to help your dressage horse (or any horse!) enjoy | | | | 7.Choose music that has dynamic changes. Dynamic |
| the benefits of riding a musical freestyle or just riding | | | | changes are audible changes within the music (either |
| to music. | | | | volume or intensity) where you can make transitions. |
| So whether you want to ride competitively or just | | | | (for example, the music should FEEL or SOUND like |
| want to enjoy riding to music at home, here are some | | | | there is a transition to an extended trot) When you are |
| free tips. | | | | riding a freestyle for competition, the dynamic changes |
| 6 Tips for Picking Out Awesome Freestyle Music for | | | | of the music need to match your transitions both within |
| Your Horse | | | | the gate and from gait to gait. Meaning, when you |
| 1. Know your horse's ideal BPM (beats per minute) | | | | begin and end a half-pass, the observer should see |
| 2. The average horse has the following BPM:o Walk | | | | and hear the transition and hear the change in the |
| 90-106 BPMo Trot 138-160 BPMo Canter 96-108 BPM | | | | music occurring together. When riding a transition from |
| 3. Pick music that matches your horse's BPM within | | | | gait to gait, such as the canter to walk for example, |
| 4-6 BPM range. | | | | the observer should hear and see the transition to the |
| (For example if your dressage horse has a canter of | | | | walk occur with the change in the music. |
| 104 BPM, choose music that is between 100 BPM and | | | | 8. Choose music that has appropriate back ground |
| 108 BPM) | | | | music. Even when a selection of music has the correct |
| 4. Choose music that has a very clear downbeat. | | | | BPM for a trot; for example, the music that is in the |
| (You'd tap your toe to the downbeat.) | | | | back ground has an impact on the FEEL of the music. |
| 5. If you CAN'T tap your toe or clap your hands easily | | | | If you have a hot nervous horse, a high pitched frantic |
| to the beat of the music, it's not great freestyle music! | | | | violin in the back ground will NOT help you or your |
| 6. Choose freestyle music that will help you achieve | | | | horse maintain rhythm and relaxation. On the other |
| your horse's ideal tempo. | | | | hand, if your horse is always lacking impulsion or is lazy, |
| For example: If your horse is a bit on the lazy side, | | | | more upbeat and forward moving back ground music |
| choose an upbeat and energetic piece of music that | | | | will help you increase his energy level. For example, a |
| will help YOU ask for more energy. If your horse is hot | | | | soft and slower piece of jazz music might be |
| or nervous, choose freestyle music that will help you | | | | appropriate for a nervous horse, but would allow the |
| feel calm and steady as well as help your horse with | | | | quiet or lazy horse to have even less energy. |
| rhythm and relaxation. | | | | |