Sunday, June 2, 2019

Nina Thompson Dressage Freestyle Clinic


This weekend was the dressage musical freestyle clinic I was really looking forward to.  There was an evening seminar session then a riding session the following day.  I have a general idea about what musical freestyles are and the more I see them at rated shows the more I have wanted to do one.  95% of my rides I have Pandora on and there are always songs that seem to match their gaits or that I think would be fun to do a freestyle too so I make a list or download them to make sure I don't forget about them.

I have just never been sure of where to start with putting a musical freestyle together so when I saw this clinic was coming to town I registered immediately with Klein.  The seminar was really a necessary part of the clinic.  Nina broke down the basics of how you get your horse's baseline BPMs (beats per minute) in all gaits, what tools to use, what the range of BPMs are, etc...  She also had different video examples that she made to show us songs that did and did not work for a particular horse.  While some beats may work for a gait, the song may actually make the horse look slower than it is or heavier, or the reverse can happen.  It was very interesting.

In the seminar she also went over how she picks songs, what judges are looking for as far as artistic scoring, and choreography strategy.  I learned a lot!

The second day she told us to have a different color polo wrap on one front leg for our rides.  This helps with visibility when watching the horse to determine BPMs as well as watching it move to certain music.  She sent us all a questionnaire prior to the clinic and asked what level we are riding, our horse's strengths and weaknesses, what is more important: having fun or scoring high, what type of music we had in mind, and did we have a preference for lyrics or instrumental music.


As far as scoring and music I said that I am more interested in having fun with a musical freestyle.  Of course I don't want to go in there and not do well, but if it is between having songs I love or having songs I think the judge would love, I'm going with what I want to ride to.  Nina can work with pretty much any preferences when it comes to songs.  She has a database with hundreds of songs so she can flip through them and find whatever you are looking for, and if she doesn't have it she can get it.

She said that the majority of judges seem to prefer instrumental music so a compromise she uses is, if someone is more concerned about score, popular songs that have been covered by something like a violin group.  Or she will find the instrumental version of the exact song.  She can also work with music and adjust the speed of it if it is slightly off.  Too much adjustment can distort it a little bit though and actually make the horse appear a little heavier.  She showed us examples in the seminar.

The choreography strategy was also very interesting.  I keep forgetting that the judge won't have a list of movements you are going to do for your test.  There are required movements for each level, but they don't have the actual chronology of them like they do with a regular test.  This allows for a lot more freedom.

The second day she started with watching Klein do different movements in all three gaits and matching them with a metronome to get her BPM. 


Then we started trying different songs with the different gaits.  It was fun to listen and feel Klein match up with the music.  We found Macklemore songs that match all of her gaits.  Cake By The Ocean went nicely with her working trot too.  There is also one song I really want to use that we tried and will coincidentally work perfectly with her working canter too, it's called The Man by The Killers and if you read the lyrics and just replace "Man" with "Mare" it's 110% Klein mare.

I know the score like the back of my hand
Them other boys, I don't give a damn
They kiss on the ring, I carry the crown
Nothing can break, nothing can break me down
Don't need no advice, I got a plan
I know the direction, the lay of the land
I know the score like the back of my hand
Them other boys, I don't give a damn
I'm the man, come round
Nothing can break, nothing can break me down
I'm the man, come round and
Nothing can break, you can't break me down
I got gas in the tank
I got money in the bank
I got news for you baby, you're looking at the man
I got skin in the game
I got a household name
I got news for you baby, you're looking at the man
When it comes to Friday, I always earn
But don't try to teach me, I got nothing to learn
'Cause baby I'm gifted
You see what I mean?
USDA certified lean
I'm the man, come round
Nothing can break, you can't break me down
I got gas in the tank
I got money in the bank
I got news for you baby, you're looking at the man
I got skin in the game
I don't feel no pain
I got news for you baby, you're looking at the man
Who's the man? Who's the man?
I'm the man, I'm the man
Who's the man with the plan?
I'm the man
Who's the man? Who's the man?
I'm the man, I'm the man
Who's the man with the plan?
I'm the man
I'm the man
I'm the man
I got gas in the tank
I got money in the bank
I got news for you baby, you're looking at the man
I got skin in the game
Headed to the hall of fame
I got news for you baby, you're looking at the man
Right hand to God
First in command
My testimony, but I take the stand
Who's the man? Who's the man?
I'm the man, I'm the man
Who's the man with the plan?
I'm the man
Who's the man? Who's the man?
I'm the man, I'm the man
Who's the man with the plan?
I'm the man
I don't give a damn
I'm the man


Overall, it was very interesting, and very fun and I am going to continue working with Nina to put together a musical freestyle that we will use this fall at rated shows.  I am looking forward to working with her more and learning more.

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