In 2001 when I was completing my Certificate II in Horse Studies, we were given a riding assignment. Getting to ride each Wednesday when I partook of the course along with twenty or so other sixteen/seventeen year olds was a lot of fun and it was nice to think that although the course focused on horse care, we had an assignment linked in with riding.
And the assignment? A Freestyle Dressage test; that is, a dressage test to music. We were given the paces that were allowed in the test, the amount of times we had to change direction and particulars like including a change across the long diagonal and a three loop serpentine, etc.
Otherwise, it was up to ourselves to write the test we would perform. It was also up to each student to put together music that was fitting to the beat of the horse’s walk, trot and canter.
As one who didn’t ride my own horse at the course, it was rather interesting practicing on my 15hh gelding and getting an idea for rhythm and timing and then carrying the actual test out on a 16hh gelding. Surprisingly the music worked quite well, with us trotting and cantering in time to the beats I’d chosen to make up my music.
Perhaps if I’d known about Fortissimo Freestyles, I’d have had the best piece of music to suit my horse and our test. A classically trained musician as well as being a dressage rider, Melissa Widdis has experience in both fields, making her the ideal person to provide the service of music perfect for any discipline that is to be done to music.
What a great idea for a career relating to horses! If you’re interest is in the movement of equines and how this can be accentuated with music, perhaps this line of work would be of interest and worth looking into. After all, someone has to organise the music and choreography to the likes of events at Equitana and other equine related shows as well as the freestyle dressage tests of this world!
“You say we dont know how to jump or turn on a dime… have you ever made a horse dance? You say you jump toward the sky… we say we dance toward Heaven.” – Dressage Rider
Tag: freestyle dressage, equine music, dressage test, fortissimo freestyles
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