When we were riding at Hyde Park on our first riding lesson, I clearly remember how difficult it was for me to get accustomed to the rhythm of the 'trot'. As a drummer, I thought I had a good sense of rhythm and beat, but as I soon realized, playing an instrument is very different from riding a horse! You can only do so much to control the horse and get what you want from it. There has to be an equal amount of leading and guiding from both rider and horse. But for the most of my ride, it felt like my horse Shame Us was 'playing' me!
I soon encountered a very interesting article about music and horse-riding by Larrisa, a riding coach who runs a school in Vancouver, Canada (www.larissacoxtraining.com). In her article, she writes about how listening to music or a metronome while riding can actually improve your sense of rhythm and beat. What an interesting concept! For more details on how to use music to improve your riding, check out her blog http://tackandtalk.wordpress.com/2009/06/11/311/.
Larrisa has also created a poll entitled "What music do you like to listen to while you ride?". If you'd like to participate, you can go to http://twtpoll.com/bqrfdj and submit your answer.
As a music lover myself, the idea of riding with music is a fantastic idea. I can't wait to make a music play list for my next ride!