Hey Hey:) Diagonals...any help??

[lil'filly]

Hi. My name is Darci and I would like to know, I used to be having troubles with my diagonals, I still am, just not as much. You see, I know what they are, posting, and movement with the horse or something, (i think) and I know how to change them. How do you know if your on the right diagonal though?? Please help me, I desperetly need it!!:p

[jUmPingIsLifE]

you should be going up as the outside leg is going forward. sometimes if helps if you take some scotch tape or something and stick it on one of the shoulders. than you can see that leg a little bit more when you look for diagnols. sometimes at camp we put two differant colored polos on to help. posting mostly comes with A LOT of practice though! also you could try saying "one two one two" as the horse trots, as there are two beats. you go up on one, sit on two, outside leg goes foward you should be in the air, outside leg goes back you sit. soon you will get so good, it will be almost a natural feeling. it just takes A LOT of practice :)

[lil'filly]

THANX ALOT! I WILL TRY THAT!!

[galadriel]

I think it's Wally that I'm quoting (somebody on this forum):

"Rise and fall with the leg on the wall."

I think that's really nicely phrased, and easy to remember. I've been using it for my students and it seems to help them a lot. What you do is you follow the outside leg--the one that's next to the wall of the arena--forward (up) and back (down).

:)

[Wally]

Try training yourself to feel the diagonal, it's hard to start with, but start in sitting trot, get to feel the way the horse's back drops slightly each time he steps under with a hind leg. Your left hip will drop when he steps under with a left hind leg and vice versa. So in trot it stands to reason when his left back leg comes forward his right front leg will be too. When his right back leg steps under his left front leg will be going forward. Do a little of this often so you will get to feel which pair of legs are moving forward. Once you can identify this you will be able to feel whether you are on the right diagonal without the untidy tip of the head to check.

Sit and when your outside hip drops you know to rise on the next step.

[lil'filly]

well thanx for all that. I have been riding roughly a year, and I am starting to understand it better. I always new it, just not as well now. Thanks guys!!!