Know your level requirements. The do's AND the don'ts and the required time limits. If Medosi Productions is doing your pattern, there's no need to worry about this one.
Know your strengths and weaknesses.
Create Pattern Draft 1.
Ride through difficult parts of Draft 1 and make sure everything flows smoothly for you and your horse, or at least know that you can realistically make it flow with a couple run through's
Finalize Pattern or revise and repeat step 4.
Organize videographer. All they need is an iPhone, or video camera, a steady hand and 30 mins. Extra time allows for extra takes if needed.
Organize a timer. Timer starts from the moment you move off from the first halt to the end of the final halt.
Video pattern and time pattern.
Include your hand going up to signal the music.
Include both full halts AND salutes.
Videographer stands at C, and starts videoing BEFORE your hand goes up.
Use a tripod or two hands for steady filming.
Zoom in and out and keep the horse in the frame at all times (the horse's legs only are ok on the C short side).
If you make a mistake, stop the movement and start over from the beginning of that movement. The camera should keep rolling for this for easy editing purposes! We can edit the Schooling video to be accurate if we have the footage.
Make sure your pattern is within the time allowed. If not, you'll need to go back to steps 3 and add or take out or add.
Send video to Medosi Productions. Include notes of any edits needed if we are doing the draft video edits.
Music choices
Know your budget and your competition.
If you're on a tight budget, you'll need to be ok with music that best suits your horses gaits, primarily in timing and secondly in general theme. There are many remixes of songs so its possible to find your favorite song in a time that suits your horse but it also takes time/costs money to look. The searching and studio editing is what really costs. No matter who your competition, well timed music always shows better.
If you're slightly more flexible financially, we can pick songs that you love and recreate them to fit your horses timing and general impression.
If your headed for the CDI's, we will focus on what inspires you the most and what truly makes your horse dance. Medosi Productions can sync your favorite song perfectly to your horse and add or remove elements to fit your horse's presence!
BPM map. Medosi Productions will determine the Beats Per Minute for every gait of your freestyle. If you are choosing your own music make sure you know your horse's BPM and they match your music choices!
Medosi Productions will search for songs that fit your genre, gaits, and horse. If the budget is flexible, the following parameters can be mostly ignored.
*Walk- minimum 2 basic elements for collected walk and extended walk.
*Trot- min 3 basic elements for collected trot, extended trot, and lateral work.
*Canter- min 3-4 basic elements for collected canter, extended canter, half passes, and pirouettes
*Piaffe/Passage- 2 basic elements
It is strongly suggested that the songs fit together in one of the following ways genre, instrumentation or style of remix.
Practice AND SHOWING
While we are creating your freestyle, we suggest you practice riding through the pattern a couple times. Video it and send us the updated videos if possible. You will never ride the exact same pattern twice, and we will make slight adjustments to time the music to the average of the patterns.
Once we have completed the freestyle, you will receive your practice video with the audio synced and some notes about what little elements we have added to help you stay with you music. Watch it as many times as you can stand, until you can just listen to the music and know where you are in the arena. This is the KEY for being able to stay on your music in the show arena where many variables can get in the way!
Once you feel you are familiar with the music, ride through it to practice at least twice before you show!
Don't forget to take your music to the show!
Find out when and where SOUND CHECK is and make sure you're there to check your own music! Sound check IS NECESSARY and gives you the ability to set your volume level!! Walk in the arena and make sure it is audible from every judges booth! If they cant hear it, it will hurt your score! If your horse is affected by loud music, take your horse with you to the sound check or ride at the same time, if allowed, to ensure the music doesn't get too loud. If your horse is unaffected or less affected by the music, turn it up as loud as the speakers will stay clear and be pleasant to the judges. If its too loud for the spectators, its ok. Not every venue is well set up to play freestyles.
Go over your music the evening before your freestyle day. Go to sleep with it playing.
Remember your marker for where you put your hand up to signal the start to the music.
