For many riders the thought of doing a formal dressage test can be a little off putting, it is perceived as boring, not challenging enough but there is another way to have a go at dressage. Many Riding Clubs now run Freestyle Dressage to Music competitions and these can prove a fun interesting introduction to the sport of dressage. Along with having to learn and perform your test there are the additional challenges of actually designing your test and setting it to music.
Before you can even begin to design your test there are three crucial elements you must find out from the competition organisers. First the required or compulsory moves, there will be certain moves you must perform and if you miss them out you are instantly throwing away chances of scoring marks. Second the moves you are not allowed to use, the test will normally be set at a particular level of dressage typically Preliminary or Novice for Riding Club competitions and you will not be allowed to introduce moves that are solely used in higher levels, by doing so you will be penalised however faultless the move is! Finally the length of the test, you will not have to design a test timed to the second but there will be a time frame to work.
So you’ve got a rough idea of the test, now for the music, first thing to do if at all possible is to get someone to video you riding your horse in all three paces, walk, trot and canter, you will need a reasonable amount of time in each pace, say a circuit of the school or equivalent. When choosing music there are three things I personally look for, this is where your video will be handy, firstly does the beat of the music match the horses paces, you will need one for each of the three paces, walk, trot and canter, try and get the closest match you can. Secondly does it match the look of your horse and thirdly the personality of your horse. You can have any type of music you wish and this is where the personality of the horse plays a part but try to avoid music with lyrics (words) as this can detract from your dressage test and don’t just stick to the type of music you prefer as you may need to explore other areas to find the best match for your horse, who knows you may even find something new you really like. How do you find all this different music? Try friends, relatives, most libraries have a music section or large music shops will often let you listen to a CD before you buy it, some of the best ones I’ve found are the cheap compilation CDs. You can have more than three pieces of music if you wish but bear in mind that you are trying to design a freestyle dressage test that flows throughout and too many changes of music can make it seem ’bitty’
Now you’ve chosen your music, designed your test its back to the video. First of all practise and time your test, get your time right and when you are completely happy with it get somebody to video it for your, its far easier to set your music to a video then to try and do it while you are riding your horse. Try and use natural breaks in the music to join different pieces together as this will give a more seamless change of pace and you will probably find that you need to ‘tweak’ your freestyle test in places. One more decision to make do you play an introductory piece as you enter the arena? This is entirely down to personal preference but I feel it not only sets the scene for the freestyle test to come but if you have practised at home with the music then it gets you and your horse in the right frame of mind before you start. One other consideration particularly if your horse is the type who gets hyper at competitions, there you are quietly stood at X waiting to start and suddenly the music strikes up, it can be one of those ’whoa’ moments.
A word about competition day check and double check you have not only got your CD with you but it’s the correct one! Make sure its marked up correctly so the person responsible for playing it knows who the music is intended for and when to start the music.
Regardless of whether you plan to enter a Freestyle Dressage to Music competition schooling to music can open a whole new world. Horses generally enjoy schooling to music and become more relaxed, their paces will often change to ’fit’ the music being played and you will find as a rider that you are also more relaxed, so have a go, enjoy and good luck.
Dressage Divas
The Complete DIY Freestyle to Music Kit
PC CD-ROM