Thursday, July 30, 2009

How to figure out and see diagonals on your horse?

I have been riding for about 3 years and still I can't get my diagonals to save my life! I have tried many things such as closing my eyes and feeling them, looking at them, saying up, up, up.It gets really frustrating. Are there are tricks or tips or advice you could give or know of?
Answers:
Ride on quite a small circle, say 10 to 15m, at rising trot. Ride a couple of circuits then, staying on the circle (in the same direction) change your diagonal by sitting for an extra beat.Ride around a couple more circuits and compare the feeling you get from the horse. The smaller the circle, the more likely you will feel the difference between correct and incorrect.
When you are on the correct diagonal it will feel much more smooth, and the horse will move with more ease.
It can help to try this exercise on the lunge, with your eyes closed. It will help you to develop 'feel'.
A good way to check your diagonal is to look at the horses shoulder (the outside shoulder, being the one on the outside of the bend or circle). If you imagine a big spring attatched to your belt buckle, and the horses outside shoulder, you should be pulled up and forward with each stride.
Hope this helps!
yeah when you're trotting, rise when the horse's front outside leg reaches forward, then sit after it goes back and repeat, it's that simple. so say you're going to the left, when your horse's left shoulder reaches forward, rise and when it goes back, sit and repeat. good luck!
when you no ur off ur diagonals sit 2 beat then rise again you should beable to feel it
when your horses outside leg moves forward, stand, and when it comes back, sit, and repeat. if you feel slightly off, sit for 2 beats, you should be able to feel the difference.
You can look at your horse withers, but with some if my horses I ride, you can see their foot moving on the ground.
Make sure not too look down too long though, because they can feel your head moving.
You rise and fall with your horse's outside front leg(the front leg closest to the rail).
OR
You rise when the horse's inside leg is back and fall when the horse's inside leg is forward.
Good luck.
Cantering has three beats to it, on the third beat whichever front leg is hitting the ground and more in front of the other, thats what lead you're on. Thats how I do it.
This is just a little saying that my first instructor tought me, "rise and fall with the leg on the wall" it is easy to remember, it really just means that when your horses outside leg goes forward, you go up, and then when it goes back down again sit down, it's very easy to look for, and if you're wrong just "sit a bounce" and you will be on the right diagonal, but make sure that you check that you are posting with the leg on the wall.
I hope I helped you!
~Olivia

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