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Specialty: musical freestyles and position
Ruth Poulsen has been long-listed by the USET multiple times and has been awarded the USDFGold Medal as well as the Freestyle Gold Bar.
1. Choose music that has dynamic changes. Dynamic changes are audible changes within the music (either volume or intensity) where you can make transitions. (for example, the music should FEEL or SOUND like there is a transition to an extended trot) When you are riding a freestyle for competition, the dynamic changes of the music need to match your transitions both within the gate and from gait to gait. Meaning, when you begin and end a half-pass, the observer should see and hear the transition and hear the change in the music occurring together. When riding a transition from gait to gait, such as the canter to walk for example, the observer should hear and see the transition to the walk occur with the change in the music.
2. Choose music that has appropriate back ground music. Even when a selection of music has the correct BPM for a trot; for example, the music that is in the back ground has an impact on the FEEL of the music. If you have a hot nervous horse, a high pitched frantic violin in the back ground will NOT help you or your horse maintain rhythm and relaxation. On the other hand, if your horse is always lacking impulsion or is lazy, more upbeat and forward moving back ground music will help you increase his energy level. For example, a soft and slower piece of jazz music might be appropriate for a nervous horse, but would allow the quiet or lazy horse to have even less energy.
3. Choose music that tells a story. Pick a piece of music that has a clear melody. Music that does not have a clear melody is sometimes described as “back ground” or “elevator” music. Music that has a great melody also helps the listener predict and feel what is coming next.
4. Choose music that has clear phrases. A phrase in music is like a sentence. It has a clear beginning and ending. The beginning and ending of phrases are instinctive places to begin and end movements within a gait. For example, if you are a first Level rider, at the beginning of a phrase you might start a 10 meter circle or leg yield. At the end of the phrase, you would be ending that same movement. The length of a phrase should match the length of a movement. If one phrase is not long enough to complete a movement, then you can ride a complete movement to 2 or 3 phrases together as long as you begin and end at the end of any given phrase.
Have FUN and ride to music every day!!
Ruth
on October 6, 2009, 3:36 pm
Perhaps I should start riding to music even when I school.