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December 7-9, 2001 was a cold and blustery weekend but eight riders and over thirty auditors turned out to learn how to put together a musical freestyle. Cynthia Collins, of Luna Tunes, was on hand to explain the rules, give tips on making one's own freestyle, and help select appropriate types of music for each horse presented.
The clinic began Friday evening at the UA Horse Farm with a lecture that discussed rules and practical tips. Most of the rules for musical freestyle can be found in the USA Equestrian Rule Book in Articles 1928 and 1922.6.8. Some of Cynthia's own suggestions are 1) know the rules; 2) know the requirement for your level; 3) pick your music; 4) put your music in order; 5) edit the music; 6) choreograph the freestyle; and most importantly, 7) have fun!
In selecting the music, she recommends using a metronome to match the beat of each gait. You can do this either while riding or by adjusting the metronome to a video of your best ride. The trot is usually 150 beats per minute and the canter 95. Adjust the metronome until the horse's front legs are in sync with the beeps. She says to avoid "beat-less" music and to not pick music with vocals. Classical music is frequently hard to work with because it usually varies in speed. Cynthia also suggested staying with a
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theme for your music, picking music that "helps" your horse, and to select music you enjoy because you will hear it often.
Editing the music is much more difficult unless you already have expensive sound equipment. There are computer programs available to do the editing, but they may take much time to learn. Music editing is one area that she believes is best left to a professional.
Choreography is about the interpretation of the music. Listen for musical phrases and decide what movement might fit there. Loud phrases might be good for trot or canter extensions. Quieter music might be good for the lateral work. Changes in the music will often express transitions within and between gaits.
Cynthia suggests the KISS method: Keep It Simple Stupid! Don't overtax you or your horse by trying things in a freestyle that are difficult unless you know you can pull them off. Also, use the entire arena without being "test-like". Use quarter lines and short diagonals. Try not to be confined by the placement of the letters.
In addition, you must account for the judge. Try to imagine how s/he will see the freestyle. Did you place your good movements near the judge? The ones you aren't as good at
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