Getting Your Groove on!

Horse mad kids in your household? Check out Pegasus' article on how to get started with Freestyle dressage, published in the fab Boys Ride Too magazine.

Getting Your Groove On! Welcome to the world of dressage to music.

Ever felt a bit down in the dumps, then you put on your favourite music, have a bit of a dance and suddenly the world seems like a sunnier place? Well, imagine dancing to your favourite tracks with your equine best friend – that’s what dressage to music is all about!

Dressage to music (often known as Freestyle dressage) is for absolutely everyone so, even if you’re trying dressage for the very first time, companies like Pegasus Dressage Music can design an Introductory level dressage test for you and set it to your perfect soundtrack.

So how does it work? First, you need a floor plan for your dressage level. Each level has a set of movements you must show (for example, for Preliminary level you must ride 20 metre circles in trot on both reins) but as long as you include all these movements, then you can be completely creative in how your test is put together.

Now comes the fun part! Choosing your music. You get to choose one music track for every gait of your pony: so you’ll need a track for walk, one for trot and another for canter. The tempo (or beat) of the music tracks must also be exactly in time with your pony’s hoofbeats and that’s where a professional editor can help out. Using computer software, they can match up the music’s tempo perfectly so that it actually looks like you and your pony are dancing to the music. Then they blend the music tracks for every transition. The result? The ultimate dance soundtrack completely personal to you and your equine partner.

Next up – it’s competition time! There are heaps of places you can enter your Freestyle music arrangement. Online platforms run competitions every month, as well as traditional venues in your local area, so you’ll never be short of a place to show off your dancing skills. All you need to do is practise riding your dressage test in time to your music so that you can impress the judge at C!

Anna Beattie, from Pegasus Dressage Music, an online company who choreograph and edit musical arrangements for riders, explains the appeal.

“Dressage to Music is an incredibly fun way to spice up your dressage. Our clients love the opportunity to get creative and we design a soundtrack that is completely personal to their riding partnership. In terms of choosing your music, anything goes: you can have pop, rock, movie soundtracks or even rap! As long as it puts a big smile on your face coming up the centreline, then that is what dressage to music is all about.”

Looking forward to trying dressage to music for the first time is fifteen-year-old dressage rider, Max Isom. An active member of Dressage Ireland, he recently moved onto horses and plans on bringing his five-year-old cob, Zillakami, through the levels: “Not only am I a dressage fan, but music plays a really big part in my life. I often school Zillakami to music at my livery yard – I love the way it gets you in the zone and lifts your mood. Of course, I named Zillakami after the American rapper so I’m hoping to design an arrangement to reflect my musical tastes. I also love a bit of punk so it’s going to be a lot of fun planning my Freestyle arrangement!”

So what are you waiting for? Dressage to music is the perfect way to create something totally unique to your riding partnership and hopefully win some rosettes along the way. There has never been a better time to get your dancing shoes on!

For more information on how to get started pop over to Pegasus Dressage Music on Facebook or on their website: www.pegasusdressagemusic.com. They can take care of everything, from your choreography to your professional music edit, and are always on hand to give advice and support.