Choosing music tempo for each gait
Tap your horse's tempo for each gait first, then look for music within about 8 percent of it, or near half or double it. A stretch that small keeps the music sounding natural; past 15 percent it rarely does.
Last updated 19 October 2026. Written by the Kurtempo team.
Start from your horse, not the music
Every horse has its own tempo in each gait, and in a freestyle the tempo should stay the same through the collected and extended versions of a gait. So measure it: play a video of your ride and tap each footfall the convention asks for. The median gap between taps is the tempo in beats per minute.
| Gait | Tap | Usual range |
|---|---|---|
| Walk | Tap each time a front foot lands: 2 taps a stride, left front, right front. | 90 to 135 bpm |
| Trot | Tap each time a front foot lands: 2 taps a stride. | 120 to 175 bpm |
| Canter | Tap once a stride, as the leading front foot lands. | 80 to 120 bpm |
The ranges are a rough guide, not a rule; your horse's tapped tempo is the number that matters.
Finding music near the tempo
Tap the beat of a candidate track the same way, or type its tempo if you know it. Then compare. The builder works out the stretch: the gait tempo divided by the track tempo. A trot at 150 bpm and a track at 147 bpm is a stretch of 2 percent faster, which nobody will hear.
Many tracks are near half or double the tempo you need. A ballad at 76 bpm fits a 152 bpm trot as half time, one beat of the song to two trot steps, with no stretch at all. The builder's closest beat setting tries 1 to 1, half time and double time and picks the one that needs the smallest stretch; you can also choose one yourself.
How far can a track be stretched?
The builder time stretches with the Signalsmith Stretch library, which changes the speed without changing the pitch. Small stretches are clean. As the stretch grows, sharp sounds such as drums and plucked strings start to smear and voices sound processed. So:
- 8 percent or less either way: fine.
- Over 8 and under 15 percent: allowed with a warning. Listen to it with the video before you choose it.
- 15 percent or more: refused, unless you override with a reason, which prints on the cue sheet so your helper knows it was a choice.
Orchestral and electronic music with a steady beat stretches best; a solo voice or a single acoustic guitar shows a stretch first.
Worked example
A horse taps at 108 bpm in walk, 152 in trot and 98 in canter. The rider has three tracks: a film theme at 110 bpm, a pop song at 76 bpm and a march at 120 bpm.
- Walk with the theme: 108 / 110 = 0.982, 1.8 percent slower. Fine.
- Trot with the pop song as half time: 152 / (76 x 2) = 1.000, no stretch.
- Canter with the march: 98 / 120 = 0.817, 18.3 percent slower. Refused. As double time it would be 98 / 60 = 1.633, too far. She chooses another canter track at 100 bpm: 2 percent slower.
Common mistakes
- Choosing music you love first and forcing the tempo, which ends in a stretch that sounds wrong.
- Tapping the canter three times a stride instead of once, which reads as about 300 bpm.
- Matching a walk to a fast track by mistake as double time, so the music hurries the horse.
- Forgetting that the walk tempo in a test is often slower than on a hack; tap the walk you ride in the arena.
- Using music you do not have the right to use at a show. Some shows and streamed events need licensed music; check the rules.
Frequently asked questions
Should the music match the walk exactly?
Match the rhythm you can hear and the judges can see. Walk music is often matched to the front feet, 2 beats a stride; some riders prefer a slower, half time feel. Either works if the beat lands with the feet.
Is a 10 percent stretch too much?
Often it is audible: drums smear and voices sound processed. The builder allows it with a warning and asks you to listen. At 15 percent or more it refuses unless you give a reason.
What if my horse's tempo changes between shows?
Tap a fresh video and fit the music again. A typed tempo can also be used for a small change, such as a horse that is a little quicker in a show arena.
Sources
- Signalsmith Stretch, a polyphonic pitch and time stretch library, Signalsmith Audio, MIT licence. Last reviewed 19 October 2026.
- Guidelines for Dressage to Music (revised November 2025), British Dressage. Last reviewed 19 October 2026.
- 2027 freestyle tests, USDF. Last reviewed 19 October 2026.
Rules change. Check the current rulebook and test sheet for your level before you ride.
Next: assembling a freestyle in an afternoon. Try one song first in the magic step, or open the builder. The stretch rules are on how the tempo and the stretch work.