can anyone help with ponyclub exam??

[pony_clubber]

hi im taking my C+ pony club exam next year and am really worried because since i took my C test last year i cant get on the right diagonal i used to be able to do it fine but i cant now i kow what it is its just once i start riding i lose it

if anyone can help i would be really greatful

thanx
:) :)

[Wally]

Relax and stop trying so hard. Just start trotting, rise on any diagonal. Glance down and try to get in rythm with the leg on the wall (rise and fall with the leg on the wall) once you are out of the saddle when the leg come forward and sitting when the leg comes back try to keep the rythm. Once you get the feel you will automatically rise on the correct diagonal without looking. Don't get a "thing" about it. Relax and go with the flow.

A good thing to practice is sitting for two beats and rising for two beats of the trot, it helps your balance and ability to change diagonals easily.

[SweetHillsGurly]

i'm not in pony club(we don't have one at the barn and i don't want to shlepp to the one on the other end of the island:rolleyes: )so im not completely sure how it works..... which horse are you using? could you use a very smooth and comfortable horse, or do you draw a horse, or do you use your own or the one you use in lessons a lot?

[cvb]

Hi

I remember getting really confused everytime someone tried to teach this, as they had a habit of teaching different ways.

You have a choice of looking for which shoulder is going forward, and which shoulder is coming back.

You want to find a way where you can easily look down just with your eyes, rather than dropping your whole head.

Personally I find it easier to look for the outside shoulder coming back, as i can do this with less head movement than looking at the inside shoulder.

It also tends to make you wobble less if you look when you are on the sitting part of the movement, rather than when you are in the air !

After that its just lots of practise - helps if you have someone on the ground who can tell you when you are right. If not you will get even more confused :confused:

If you are riding you own pony, it can also be worth practising going from sitting trot to rising trot, and see if your pony always throws you onto the same diagonal, regardless of which way you are going. Then you will know which way you are likely to need to change !

Its worth remembering that you can sit for a few strides, there is no rush to be rising as soon as the horse trots. I have seen people where they are rising when the horse is still walking :) . Just give yourself some time when you start to trot and you will find you have time to do the checks and think it through.

Good luck with your C+.

[heland]

I agree with everything cvb says.

I normally glance down at the shoulder. It does take a lot of practise.

I did read in a book that if the shoulder of the horse is hard to see then you could rub a bit of chalk on it, so when trotting you will see the mark go forward and back.

I haven't tried this tip but it does sound good.

:D

[liz--y]

it helped my sister when learning to see if she was on the right diaganal, she would look at the shoulder on the outside leg an as it can back she would say back, then she could see if every time she was saying back if she was sitting down, i dont really know how to explain it.

[schimmer]

Sounds like you have a problem with "feel," part of which is being able to tell what leg is moving when. There are some great exercises for leaning this. First, know in which order the legs move in each gait (pretty obvious for trot). Then you can have someone lunge you while you close your eyes, which helps you feel the horses movements better. Guess which leg is moving and the lunger can tell you if you're right. Soon it will be second nature.

In terms of specifically solving the diagonal problem, try to feel which back leg is stepping under in the trot. While sitting the trot, you will feel the horse's back dip left and right. If you are tracking right (your right shoulder to inside of ring) you will want to post on the left diagonal. When you feel the horse's back dip left, he is stepping under with his left hind. That means his next step will be right hind/left fore, and you want to rise. So sit until you feel the left dip, and post on the next stride. It's really easy once you know what the legs are doing. You'll never have to look at your diagonal once you have a sense of feel.

It's worth spending the time on this - it'll help you with all of your riding, especially in lateral work and asking for the correct canter lead.

good luck on your exam!

Sue