PAY attention
to the strong and weak points of the horse type of the horse, best paces, which paces you want to show? Know to “hide” your mistakes, and weak pace

·         Rider: the technical level of the rider? Advanced or beginner.

·         The rider have to like the music, who have to fit with the 3 paces + transitions

I)                    Make choreography. Take a video and only after thinks to the music

Freestyle is a living thing, and you can change some movements when the horse is improving…
-              Don’t forget to get two copy of your DVD (if a failure) and don’t us rewriting CD – better on Hard Disk Drive.

Thinks “Clear and Simple”

II)                  Choreography

Define a degree of difficulties, of movements who are allowed, begin with simplicity, don’t overdo:
-              Calculate yours risks
-              Parallel to level of horse and rider
-              Keep the building of you test logical
-              Balance between straight and curves lines, the movements must be shown clearly (judge have not to look after what compulsory movement it is ?)
-              Use all the arena space. Use the quarter lines, small diagonal.

Show the good points clearly at the good place, and the weak points a little bit farer

Example, the E judge can see it, and the other judges think “they have seen it”…

·         Respect the training Scale and the basic of a classical way of riding

·         Remain, that the tile start at the first step after the first halt and stops at the final salute (don’t forget to take the time)

·         Entry music must not start more that 20 seconds before the rider enters in the arena and halt. If not, he will be eliminated.

·         Build your pattern with an entry, (give your business card)… here I am!

·         Keeps some high lights during the test, and try to find a final act ( an apotheoses) for the end and halt.

·         Don’t forget to check if there is not allowed movements in your pattern = (mine 8 points per judge + choreography mark 5 and below … for Para riders)

·         Check if the compulsory movements are well shared out: right and left.
If one is missed, the mark is 0 for non shown movements and the note of choreography will be affected.

·         The first free style, make them simple and secure.

                                                                                                                

III)                Music

The music have to smatche with the horse and his gaits, (no Wagner for a light small Lusitanian horse, or Mozart for a big Oldenburg).

·         A slow music for walk

·         Dynamic and rhythmic for the trot

·         Dynamic and spirited for the canter

The music suit to one kind of story, one idea, one subject:

·         Have an introduction and a final, create a story. Have a entry music

·         Help the picture to have more brilliancy. (Avoid back ground music and too much voice…) can disturb the judges.

·         The music may give a signal to prepare another pace or movement. Caution, it’s coming… (You can use a jingle)

·         The music has to flow through each other + each transition.

·         You can ask for a crescendo when the horse extend

·         If your horse lack of “crispy” or elasticity, find a music that is well rhythmic, not too fast, the music hate to carry your horse.

For checking the beats you have to look at:

-          TROT: you can take any front legs (who touch the ground).

-          CANTER: Inner front leg.

-          WALK: Hinds legs or front.

For Para rider, specially in level 1a you have to be inventive + music for halt + different music’s keeps it CLEAR AND SIMPLE.

In competition, if you got a music failure during your freestyle where there is no backup system the rider should leave the arena and will restart his test during a scheduled breaking the competition or at the end of competition.
The rider may decide whether to restart the test from the beginning or to start at the point where the music failed. In any case the marks already given will not be changed.

IV)               Artistic marks?

You have to know that … artistic marks are closely in relation with the technical marks. (You cannot got a lot of 5 4 in specific movement and get 8 9 in artistic)
There is close connection between the degree of difficulty and the technical execution. The artistic could not be good if the technical is poor…

·         RYTHM AND ENERGY are closely connected to the regularity of the paces (stability of gaits) and the impulsion of the horse, at more advanced level; we are looking for more elasticity.

·         HARMONY between horse and rider is related to the submission of the horse and the influence of the rider. Aids

o   Harmony of the couple.

o   Relaxation.

o   Simetrical Bending.

The perfect harmony is a situation where the horse and riders are melting together as centaur.

·         CHOREOGRAPHY, USE OF ARENA, CREATIVITY

o   Design and general construction of the test.

o   Sequence of figures clear and symmetrical using the whole arena

o   Originality, your test should not looks like a standard test, avoid the track and the long diagonal at higher level

o   And you should include difficulties that are achieved.

·         DEGREE OF DIFFICULTIES

o   It’s also a calculated risks (If you take risks they have to be well performed…) lack of quality in the execution of movement is considered as a deficit in the performance ability of rider and horse deduction in the degree of difficulty scoring

·         MUSIC
The judges have to judge the correlation of music to the horse’s gaits and the couple, and do not influence by the music itself…

·         CRITERIA
The music should be adapted to the rhythm of the gaits and smatche to the couple, and emit a kind of emotion.



KAJ