diagnals

[kel]

when in trot i am always forgetting which diagnal i am suppost to be on does any one know how i can start to remember!

[ponynuts]

You should always be sitting when the outside front leg comes back. If you notice the outside front leg goes back and forward whilst engaged in trot.Think of it as the front leg futherest away from the centre of the school. I used to have this problem but now i seem to be able to feel that I am on the wrong diagonal.

[denise42]

" Rise and fall with the outside wall" ;)
Meaning you should be out of the saddle when the outside foreleg is going forward and back in the saddle when it comes back.
I repeat that little saying alot when I ride. :rolleyes:

[imabrit_us]

I struggle w/ feel . . . it's not that I don't know HOW to feel it, it's that I'm so busy thinking about everything else that it tends to get left until last, by which time my instructor has already shouted "diagonal!"

The chief instructor (who I have infrequently) stresses that everything is sequential and to prepare/take your time . . . it's good advice and when I do that I remember diagonals . . . let's say I'm moving forward to trot and then changing the rein, then the sequence goes . . . prepare for trot (shorten up the reins, half halt), nudge (and maybe flick w/ the whip depending on the response I get from the nudge!), sit for a few strides, rise on the correct diagonal, prepare for the turn (half halt!), hand to leg aids, sit for two at some point across the rein change, prepare for the turn (half halt!), hand to leg aids around the turn, change whip over.

If I think about it in sequence like that, it works. If I don't, it doesn't and then I'm left going . . . "oh crap, what happened to my diagonals and I didn't prepare for the turn!"

Preparation, preparation, preparation.

N

[Bay Mare]

It's really difficult feeling it when you're in a riding lesson as the instructor tends to yell 'diagonal' before you've even had time to think about it. It isn't until I've had Saffy that I've had time to feel which is the wrong one and which is the right one .... if you can't feel the difference between them then how are you supposed to learn?

[NoviceNic]

Try this it works for me. If you relax and don't rush to rise you will 9/10 rise on the correct diaganol. Failing that I always take a quick peek down and make sure the outside leg is forward as I sit. ;)

[ponylover88]

...

[horseXgirl_]

Watch the horse's shoulder that is closest to the wall. When it goes up, you go up. When it goes down, you go down. If your instructor tells you that you are on the wrong diagonal, just sit for 2 beats then continue. :)

[winterbalto]

Much like what another post said:

"Rise and fall with the shoulder on the wall"

Or if you learn in an outside arena, fence. I thought diagonals were sooo hard when I first started taking lessons. I simply coule not see when the shoulder on the wall was going forward. Then after a few months I suddenly saw it! I'm still not perfect and I may fall on the wrong diagonal but if I look down I can always see if I'm rising and falling correctly :) It takes time and may seem frustrating but you'll get it sooner or later.

~Nicole

[hApPiNeSs]

Failing that I always take a quick peek down and make sure the outside leg is forward as I sit

nic, lol thats the wrong way round :D

you should be forward as the outside leg is forward :)

[vjwuk]

so I knew when to be sitting I thought outback, outside leg back