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Music has well established psychological effects on moods and emotions.



Think about that.



We already know this if even subconsciously. If music did not have a physiological effect on our body and mind, marches would be played at bedtime and not at the half-time of football games. Lullabies would be heard at parades and Gregorian chant would bombard our ears at the grocery store.

Want to know more? Here is the scientific answer to how music affects our physiology and… Continue

Here is a question I get all the time about the riding your freestyle at home vs. riding your freestyle at a show. I thought you might all enjoy it! Ruth



Question:



I have ridden my freestyle a number of times in competition. I have ridden it time and time again perfectly at home and know my music very well.



This is my question. I ride my test perfectly at home but when I get to a venue... I am ALWAYS ahead of the music!!! It's not a big problem because I know… Continue

Hi everyone... a lot of you have been asking me about how i begin to diagram a pattern or how i start to memorize a test.



I start with these blank arena diagrams... I find them useful for a number of things.

1. Memorizing regulation tests.

2. Learning the exact geometry of the arena.

3. Learning my exact tangent points for movements such as circles and serpentines.

4. Drawing my tests from beginning to end.

5. Drawing each movement according to where the… Continue

When the judges are listening to your music, what are they listening for?



One of the most frequently asked questions I get is, “How do the judges evaluate my music?”



I’m going to go over the guidelines that are given to the judges so you can be on the same page as they are. In last month’s newsletter, I did an audio clip on what the judges are looking for. But so many of you have asked me to put it in print so here it is.



There are four categories that the… Continue

I have been getting so may questions about picking out great riding music, i though i would give you a few more pointers!! For more information, sign up for my free newsletter! Its easy, FREE and private!



www.ruthhoganpoulsen.com





1. Choose music that has dynamic changes. Dynamic changes are audible changes within the music (either volume or intensity) where you can make transitions. (for example, the music should FEEL or SOUND like there is a transition to an… Continue

Ride your HORSE to MUSIC and solve training issues! Whether you are riding a dressage musical freestyle, or just riding your horse to music, there are TIPS you should know before you start. Over the years, you have told me that the most important thing to you is that you want the RIGHT MUSIC for your HORSE and you WANT TO HAVE FUN!!



You've also told me that:



You want help recognizing the rhythm of your horse's gaits.



You can't maintain a rhythm.…

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Before you can pick the perfect music for your horse, you need to understand the difference between rhythm and tempo.

Many people use the words rhythm and tempo interchangeable, but they do not mean the same thing. I will talk about the meaning of each, both in musical terminology and in riding reference.



Rhythm - When riding, regularity of the rhythm refers to the even spacing between each step in a stride of walk, trot or canter. In music, rhythm is made up of sounds and… Continue

6 tips for picking out great music for your horse



1. Know your horses ideal BPM (beats per minute)

2. The average horse has BPM as follows.

Walk 90-106 BPM

Trot 138-160 BPM

Canter 96-108 BPM

3. Pick music that matches your horses BPM within 4-6 BPM range.

(For example if your horse has a canter of 104 BPM, choose music that is between 100 BPM and 108 BPM)

4. Choose music that has a very clear down beat. (The down beat is the beat that you… Continue