Diagonals

[Vik]

Can anyone give an easy explation to riding on the correct diagonal. I just listen to my instrutor and sit twice when he shoouts (I did go into it a little years ago) but cannot remember now.

Thanks ! Vicki :)

[shaka]

You sit when the outside leg comes back. I used to think Outside - Oof! As I learnt to trot on an old typical riding school pony who needed a kick every time you sat:p

[Vik]

The front one I take it ...

Thanks ! That doesnt sound too hard I'll try this tomorrow !

[shaka]

Yup, the front one, glance down quickly at the horses shoulder and you'll see it, but try not to tip forward when you look. Good luck:)

[galadriel]

Got a more in-depth discussion of diagonals here, if you'd like:
http://lorienstable.com/articles/riding/450-trotting-diagonals/

[Vik]

thanks, that was a useful link.

Vicki

[nutkin]

rise and fall with the leg on the wall!

[Lora]

I don't know if this is complete lack of rythm here or something else. I'm fine on diagonal until my instructor starts that up sit up sit sit sit up.. (and crazy degrees of this) i get to the second one, screw it up, then go back to my normal post hoping she doesn't harp at me too bad.

Most embarrassing though.

[entreat]

ok, so if I were tracking right, I would sit when the left fore leg is where?? (sorry Gal... I couldn't make sense of rise with the outside leg... what is the outside leg doing when I rise.... is it forward or back?? eeerggh... I need a drink...)

[galadriel]

Okay, your outside leg is the one to the outside of your circle. If you're tracking right, you're basically making a very large right circle, so your left is to the outside.

As the outside (left) shoulder moves forward, you'll rise. As the outside (left) shoulder moves back, you'll sit :)

[entreat]

So (straining to remember how a horse looks when it moves...) the shoulder is forward when the leg is back? And this gives the inside shoulder room to move/extend?

[galadriel]

Mmm, what you can see is the shoulder, not the leg, but the shoulder moving forward also indicates that the leg is moving forward.

You're right that the shoulderblade moves back when the leg moves forward, but the bottom of the shoulderblade, and the rest of the shoulder, moves forward. So if you're looking (glancing!) down, and you see that one shoulder is forward, that leg is also forward.

As the outside leg moves forward you rise; as it moves back, you sit. You can't see the leg, though, all you can see is the shoulder :) So watch the shoulder, and it will tell you what the leg is doing.

[entreat]

Ok! I think I've got it now!! I don't know why this is such a brain strain!! hmm... not enough time spent on riding, me thinks!

Thanks again, Gal!!