Anyone use music to get a proper BPM/Rhthym while riding?

[ParadoxFarm]

I know this might seem more like a dressage question, but I’m having trouble finding that proper canter we all talk about when jumping. I feel like I’m doing well and then I watch a video of myself and realize I’m going SO SLOW. I think if I could practice to music that it might help. Has anyone done this? I know canter should be somewhere around 95 to 105 BPM, but I’ve not tried matching music to the canter.

Has anyone done this and found it helpful?

I wonder if there are any riders on YouTube doing this. Hmm. I may have to search.

[fourmares]

Yes, I ride to music all the time. I’ve also ridden with a little clip on metronome. You can get one at any music shop.

[fatappy]

I don’t ride to music. But it’s funny while I’m cantering, a song usually comes into my head based on my canter rhythm, not vice versa.

I have a metronome ap on my phone that I use when I’m riding the baby.

[betsyk]

I’m no expert on musical freestyles, but if I remember correctly the idea is to find music that fits the horse rather than attempting to fit the horse to the music. There’s a range of internal tempo for all of them and if you push them outside that range you risk messing up their gaits. On the other hand, I love riding with the music cranked in the arena and it’s mostly trial and error to find what my horse likes to trot or canter to - he will pick up his pace or brighten his way of going if he likes what’s in the background. There are lots of old threads about what people like to ride to.

[ParadoxFarm]

I will do a search. I guess I just need the music to remind ME what pace to go. :). Thanks.

[supershorty628]

If you can get someone to video you, you can put it to music and then get that song in your head. I did that for a long time until I knew the rhythm I needed - I would put songs on my iPod that matched Nikki’s canter and would listen to those on repeat on my way to shows/lessons.

[In1]

Yes! Absolutely. I have found it very useful with my older and advanced students to help regulate tempo and improve adjustability.

[Losgelassenheit]

Oh thank god, I am not alone! Growing up in the music world, I’ve always been one to hear a song and immediately think, “OH this matches so&so’s trot/canter!” I download and then listen while schooling. I have a playlist for every horse, lol.

ETA: I’ve found Rihanna’s “Diamonds” helps get a nice pace on my hunter mare. Great rhythm and builds nice impulsion. Also used to have a BLAST on my jumper with Gorillaz “19-2000” in my ear. Happy, upbeat, encouraged a nice forward canter. Oh this is so my thread If you’d like any music suggestions, shoot me a PM!

[Simbalism]

The best way to get your rythmn is to use a metronome( or the metronome app as another poster mentioned) Then you can go online and find music in that BPM range depending if you want to increase or decrease your pace you can go up or down slightly from your gait BPM. You can even use a free online program called Audacity to edit your chosen songs to speed them up or slow them down and also splice songs together. You could make a musical collection for your whole schooling ride including walk.

[ParadoxFarm]

You all have been very helpful. I appreciate it! I did download an ap and will try to do it. I’m still trying to figure out the best way to use it, though. I pick my BPM, but then there are choices for beats per bar, and also clicks per beat. Not sure what I need in there. Anyone familiar? Maybe just 1 and 1?

Thanks, again.

[BITSA]

[QUOTE=supershorty628;7695290]
If you can get someone to video you, you can put it to music and then get that song in your head. I did that for a long time until I knew the rhythm I needed - I would put songs on my iPod that matched Nikki’s canter and would listen to those on repeat on my way to shows/lessons.[/QUOTE]

I am trying this! Great idea.

[snaffle635]

Try thinking about the one-two, one-two tempo you need. Then think of a song that matches that tempo.

For horse shows, I need a bit more pace than at home. For my now retired hunter, i needed a bouncy canter as well. For me, Kesha’s ‘We R Who We R’ song worked. Silly, I know. But I would listen to it in the car and sing it (in my head) in the warm up ring and in-gate.

I have a friend who used to sing Row Row Row Your Boat On course out loud. :). When that was too slow, she switched to Barbara Ann.

Once you find a song that works, try googling the name of the song and “bpm”. You can then find other songs with the same beats per minute.

BTW I look for around 120 BPM for horse shows.