Using wrong diagonal

[eml]

I was playing with one of my school horses yesterday trying to improve his lateral work. He was very stiff on one rein, wouldn't even straighten when we first got him and I felt we were both happy in a light sitting trot but uncomfortable in rising so as an experiment tried on the other (wrong) diagonal. Fantastic like riding a new horse, worked well on his good rein too.

New theory.. tried the same on another pony which customers complain is uncomfortable to trot on... same result...brilliant.

My guess is that I support more with my leg as I 'sit' and that therefore I am more effective.. Love someone else to try to see what happens!!

[Calsanjo]

I'll give it a go - my 4yo is very one sided. I'll let you know what happens!

[Greymar Geneva]

It m,akes sense for it to work along the straight - its only the bend where we need to be the right diagonal. The only problem with doing that is you are exacerbating the problem and making it even more "one sided".

[eml]

sorry Greymar I think you've misunderstood. While riding light sitting or rising on the 'wrong' diagonal the horse becomes much softer latterly on both reins. This can only inprove its onesidedness

[Greymar Geneva]

even is it does soften him - you are effectively building up the wrong muscles and teaching him to carry himself in the wrong manner, decreasing his bend on the circle. That was what I was trying to explain. Riding on the correct diagonal does serve a purpose and if you ride the horse round a bend on the wrong bend, how is it helping the horse?

I may be completely wrong but I cannot visualise how you method could work. Anyone else?

[eml]

Sorry Greymar we still seem to be at cross purposes. I am not using this to decrease the bend or ride with an incorrect bend but to increase the correct bend when working on his stiff side...anyway I now understand that 'correct diagonal' is not set in stone as I believe the French school of thought is the opposite from the traditional English one! (or I think that was the translation!

[Greymar Geneva]

I'm not closed to ideas - if you could explain to me how it could work I would try it!! Almost every horse is one sided to some degree (especially Dougal - hee hee)

[qwerty]

Are you rising on the wrong diagonal on both reins? It wouldn't be too bad if you did that, aslong as you do change diagonals when you change reins or you will build up the wrong muscles.
But still I have to agree with GG (oo - just noticed that!), on straights he will seem alot better because he can use the side he prefers but that will build up his good muscle and not work the others correctly.
Do you not have problems on small circles with rising?

[eml]

Hi Greymar and Querty.

Answers first:

Yes I used the 'wrong' diagonals on both reins and as I always sit on small circles don't know what would happen.

Just to clarify the horses I am working on are mainly late teens plus that come to me with a lot of mental or physical 'baggage'. Its not a general recommendation for all horses!

The first one I discovered it on had such a long standing habit of working on a left bend on either rein that it took me a year of corrective work and physio to release his muscles so that his tail hung straight!

I am going to play around with the concept a bit more. I generally work in sitting trot but I had already discovered that this horse was so sensitive that he worked much better with a light seat hence the rising and the discovery.

[Greymar Geneva]

Keep us posted on how you are getting on - I'm quite interested now.

If anyone can help explain I will be grateful... I'm going to ask my instructor tomorrow and see if she can explain the results:D