Right Diagnol?

[Chels&&Cleo]

When Im Riding I Can Never Go On The Right Diagnol In Trot Its Sooo Annoying!

I Cant Tell Which Is Right + Which Is Rong Even Tho I've Been Told Sooo Many Times!

Any1 Got Any Tips On How I Cud Remember?

Thnx

xxx:confused:

[horses4eva888]

You sit as the outside leg comes back towards you and rise as the outside leg goes forwards:) Just making this up but you could remember it as "back and down, up and out" :o

[Welshgirl]

When Im Riding I Can Never Go On The Right Diagnol In Trot Its Sooo Annoying!

I Cant Tell Which Is Right + Which Is Rong Even Tho I've Been Told Sooo Many Times!

Any1 Got Any Tips On How I Cud Remember?

Thnx

xxx:confused:

You think you're bad? I don't even know what it is! (lol)

[Joyscarer]

I think of it as sitting on my horses outside shoulder. When her shoulder comes back, my bum comes down to sit on it :D

I found that by staying in sitting trot for a few strides when it came to rising I automatically rose on the right diagonal.

[eml]

I think I read this on here but it has helped lots of people


'Rise and fall with the leg by the wall'

[doris]

You can take heart from the fact that when you have mastered this, you will know when you are on the wrong diagonal as it's so uncomfortable.

[Welshgirl]

Does that mean if you are on the left rein go up when right shoulder goes forward and vice versa?

[Welshgirl]

I think I read this on here but it has helped lots of people


'Rise and fall with the leg by the wall'

thanks -I love that! - it so easy and makes such sense!

[wanabe]

You rise as the outside shoulder is rising and come back down as the inside shoulder is rising.

[Bay Mare]

When you're happy with rising to the trot you can ask your teacher to show you how to feel which diagonal you're on :) Much easier than having to keep looking down :D

[wanabe]

Bay Mare -- please tell us here!

I've been riding over 2 years and I know people who've been riding much longer who can't tell in any formal way. For example, I know that one way feels "right" and so if I'm on the opposite rein and it feels right then it means I'm wrong!

[xxxkristinaxxx]

I remember it by

Rise and fall with the leg on the wall

So you should always be rising and falling with the outside front leg

[wanabe]

The thing is, you shouldn't be looking down so much as to be able to coordinate your movement with the horses outside shoulder! What I've suggested is a quick check to make sure you're "right". That is, glance down when you've risen and the outside shoulder should be forward; glance down when you've lowered yourself and the inside shoulder should be forward. If that isn't the case, then you're doing something wrong.

[xxxkristinaxxx]

After a while you will be able to just tell if you are on the wrong diagonal just by knowing what it feels like if you get me

[Hallmarked]

Bay Mare -- please tell us here!

I've been riding over 2 years and I know people who've been riding much longer who can't tell in any formal way. For example, I know that one way feel "right" and so if I'm on the opposite rein and it feels right then it means I'm wrong!

Sorry, not Bay Mare here, but I will try to answer this question while she is not here.

If you stand behind a horse as it trots away from you, you should be able to see each of his hips alternatley rising a falling in a sort of sew-saw action as each hind foot takes weight or is in the air. The 'up' hip is the leg on the ground, the 'down' hip is the airbourne leg.

You can test this for yourself without a horse by walking with your hands on your hips, as you lift your leg to bring it forward the hip on that side will (hopefully) drop, and your weightbearing hip will be higher. Are you with me so far?

This up and down movement can be felt by the rider as a tilting of the saddle. This tilting of the saddle can be absorbed by the rider by dropping and raising the hip slightly each side. Some riders try to absorb the movement by moving both the hips together in one unit but it does not work quite so well, it also deadens the riders ability to feel and use the seat. It's not strictly an up/down up/down movement there is also a slight swing to it, think how your hips move as you walk on the ground. Hope this is still making sence.

Horse's trot in diagonal pairs (as I'm sure you are already aware) so that as his foreleg comes forward his opposite hindleg does too. So - when the horse's outside foreleg is coming backwards (as seen by looking down at his shoulder) his inside hind is also going backwards - so the saddle/rider's hip will be dropped slightly to the outside, because the outside hind is in the air travelling forward. If the rider feels the inside hip drop and then rises out of the saddle as the outside hip is about to drop, she will then be sitting as the outside shoulder/inside leg are going back again. Which means she will be on the correct diagonal.:D

This method does rather depend on the rider being able to sit to the trot, but once she has mastered moving each hip seperately rather than the pelvis as one unit she should find it much easier anyway.:D

If anyone else can explain this better - please do, but I hope you are getting the general jist. I've used he for the horse and she for the rider for ease of explaination, I've nothing against she horses or he riders.

[Chels&&Cleo]

:D:D:DThankyou 4 ** Help :D They'll Defo Help! Thankyou :):):):):)

[wanabe]

Hallmarked -- thanks! I think!! :D

I've read your post about 5 times trying to come away with something simple that I can think of while I'm actually in the arena, bumping along in trot -- since I can't sit the trot yet.

I guess it boils down to beginning to rise when your hips dip to the outside. Is that right?

Now, to find out tonight whether I can feel that.

[Daffy Dilly]

You can take heart from the fact that when you have mastered this, you will know when you are on the wrong diagonal as it's so uncomfortable.

Unfortunately not. Daffy has mastered the art of making the right diagonal feel like the wrong diagonal. Swine. :rolleyes:

[Ex-racer]

My Tb always just naturally puts me on the wrong diagonal. I found it really helped to trot with my eyes closed and someone saying now when i should be rising. Then you can concentrate on feeling when u should be rising.

[Daffy Dilly]

Is that him trying to throw you off (not in the literal sense, but in the confusing sense) or you not knowing which is which?

I don't understand how Daffy does it, but apparently he does it because it's easier for him if I'm on the wrong diagonal. I just work hard to resist the two seated strides to change onto the one he wants me on.

[stephanie bay]

I think I read this on here but it has helped lots of people


'Rise and fall with the leg by the wall'

Super! I have been looking for a wee saying for my daughter to remember!

[Hallmarked]

Hallmarked -- thanks! I think!! :D

I've read your post about 5 times trying to come away with something simple that I can think of while I'm actually in the arena, bumping along in trot -- since I can't sit the trot yet.

I guess it boils down to beginning to rise when your hips dip to the outside. Is that right?

Now, to find out tonight whether I can feel that.

Sorry if my post was a bit long winded and confusing and misleading :o, I was a bit tired when I typed that :o and I have only just been taught this myself (after riding for 17 years:eek:) so still trying to ingrain it myself.

Start rising as your inside hip dips, so you are sitting as your outside hip dips. You are feeling the hind legs moving, not the shoulders. As the outside shoulder is coming back the outside hind is coming forwards, so your hip will be dipping that side. Have a go at feeling it for a couple of times and then check by looking at the shoulder to make sure you are on the correct diagonal.

If you are having trouble sitting to the trot, try feeling the horse's hips lift and dip in walk first and allow your seat bones to follow the movement, then go on into trot. It does take practice. Good luck.

[wanabe]

Hah! I've got another thread going about sitting trot. I'll be working on that, too, tonight.

But back to getting the diagonal without looking, I had it backward?

What you just posted DOES make sense. If you want to start rising as the outside shoulder is coming forward, that also means the inside rear is coming forward, and you've said the seat bones will dip down on the side that has the rear coming forward. So rise as the hips tilt down on the inside.

[wanabe]

On giving this some more thought, wouldn't it be simpler to say that as you feel your outside hip rising to rise out of the saddle? :confused:

[Hallmarked]

You could say that indeed. Whatever you find easiest to remember/way to look at it. I only said rise as the inside hip dips because that is what I do;).

Of course the bad/good news is that as soon as you've got the hang this trot business, there will be immediately something else to master:rolleyes: A never ending learning process is riding.:)

[wanabe]

Well, hooray, Hallmarked!!! :)

In my walk warmup, instead of paying as much attention to the forward and back movement of my hips, I felt just for the up and down movement. Then, when I went into trot, I realized that even tho I don't really sit the trot yet, I stayed in contact with the saddle enough for my hips to be moved up and down by my horses movement. Sooo, I just rose when my outside hip was being carried up and, voila, I was on the correct diagonal. I didn't want to push my luck, but was 3 for 3, twice on the left rein and once on the right!
:cool: