3rd Level Freestyle ?

[greyiscute]

Hi Folks!

I’m starting to put together a 3rd level freestyle…and trying to be creative of course without doing anything not allowed.

Would an extended canter across the diagonal to a flying change be considered “above the level”?? If you consider it all one movement, then my guess would be yes, but since it is a freestyle, seems you could argue that it is 2 different movements?? Thoughts?

On another note, any creative ideas you want to share for a horse (well, 14.1 pony so quite easy to maneuver) who is super at (trot and canter) lateral work and her changes?

Thanks

[TwoRoads]

I have heard a few judges talk about how a well ridden freestyle where they can clearly see what is happening beats the more creatively technical freestyle. Whatever you do end up doing just make sure it is really obvious from C what the movement is. So for example, doing a lengthening in the centerline makes it really hard for the judge to know what you are doing, kind of why they usually put those on diagonals in the tests.

If you are doing an extended canter on the diagonal I would assume you would do a few steps of more collected canter before launching into the flying change so that shouldn’t really be an issue even though that move in particular shows up in later tests, all the components are still in 3rd level.

If her changes are super straight I would highly suggest doing a few of those on the centerline because those are a lot harder to do and if you aren’t straight it shows, so that would give you an upped difficulty.

[Libby2563]

It would never have occurred to me that extended canter on a diagonal to a flying change would be forbidden at Third, even though it doesn’t appear in any Third Level tests. I would think that would count as two movements, both of which are required. Obviously make sure you show a good transition to collected canter before the change.

Changes on centerline are a good idea if they’re consistently straight. Half-pass zig-zags in trot are “additionally allowed” so you could show off her lateral work with some steep ones.

[rjr]

If you are looking to increase difficulty and impressiveness, you might also make note of the fact that canter to halt is specifically allowed at third level (even though it isn’t found in any of the current third level tests). For the final movement in a third level freestyle I once had an extended canter up the center line, halt at G – A truly impressive finale if you can pull it off. The nice thing about it is that you can even wait until the last minute and decide whether to attempt it – if you are feeling less confident, or not exactly with the music, then just do a regular collected canter up center line and halt when the music stops (which will be somewhere before G).

Also, a 3 loop serpentine with changes on the centerline looks quite artistic and is something different from the third level tests.

[the_riding_gnome]

Thanks for the thoughts! TwoRoads that’s a good reminder about clarity for the judge.

Her changes are pretty straight… Not sure if I’m brave enough to do them on the centerline…but that’s a great suggestion… We’ll see…