Help picking up the correct diaganol right away!?

Question

ok so I've been riding english for a long time now and I KNOW my diaganols just fine. But when I do patterns I sometimes pick up the wrong one so I have to sit-a-bounce.

I can usually tell if I'm on the wrong one but I need to learn how to pick up the correct one right away.

So how do I learn to pick up the correct diaganol right away without looking down? I know I need to feel them and not look down. Any excersizes or tricks you guys have learned?

I'd app. it a lot! THANKS! Haha i'd like to save myself the embaresment!

Answer 1

This is a problem I struggle with, too, and I ride and show English.  But the strange thing is - without concentrating or paying any attention I will ALWAYS pick up the left diaganol.  In fact, if I didn't pay attention I would trot on the left diaganol constantly.  So it does seem strange to me that my concious self cannot tell diaganols, but without any thinking about it I do pick up a certain diaganol.

What about you?  When you trot in a straight line, do you consistently pick up one diaganol, or are you fairly even?  

My trainer had me do a sitting trot, and tell her when my horse's back right leg was swinging ahead.  I was supposed to call "now" everytime it swung forward.  That isn't that difficult to feel if you concentrate because there is a swinging motion as each side of their back moves.  See if you can learn to feel which back leg is lifting off the ground and swinging forward.  Why?  Because in a trot the right back leg moves forward the same time the left front leg moves forward.  (By the way, I don't think you can feel the horse's front leg motions nearly as well as you can their back)  If you can learn to tell when a specific back leg moves forward, that will tell you that the other front leg is moving, too, and then, at least in theory, you can learn to feel your diaganols.

In my case, I'm not good enough to do it quickly.  If I sit the trot for ten seconds or so I can pick it up.  But that is much too long for a pattern.  So I still have to look, and the way I'm going I may have to look all my life.  If I could just learn to trust myself I'd know I was going to automatically pick up my left, and I'd just go from there - but the truth is, when a person starts focusing on that then suddenly its harder to tell.

Good luck and work hard.  You will be docked a few points for looking, but I can tell you from experience that missing a diaganol and then trotting around a pattern is much worse than looking and getting the right one.  (Did that one recently and blew a class.  Rats!)

Also, make sure you that get quick at picking up the diaganol when you do look.  You should be able to do so within two strides of your horse's trot.

Answer 2

Well when I start the trot on my horse, I start posting as soon as he breaks into the trot and I get the correct diagonal right away. I don't think I'm explaining it very well but it just takes time, you have to really know your horse, mine almost always starts with the same leg when he gets trotting. Other than that I don't know what else there is that  you can do to pick it up right away, like everything else in riding its all about feel.

Answer 3

ya i have got that same problem....but ive tried riding in an arena with my eyes shut and trotting and then sometimes you can get the feel of the diagnals better..if that makes sense

Answer 4

Don't be embarrassed to look down! Everyone does! Just check when you first start trotting, then remember to sit a bump every time you change direction. You can also stand a bump, sometimes that will be a little less noticeable.

After a while you will know which foot the horse is putting down as soon as he picks up the trot, but it can almost be called an art. Try switching directions often and remembering to change. Also sitting trot helps. Feel how the horse moves both forward and left to right. Your seat should feel like it's being moved in a circle. Try to pick up the diagonal without looking. Then just remember where in the movement the horse's outside leg is moving forward.

Answer 5

To be honest I have the same problem. But i learned to fix it. I had someone i knew(my trainer) lunge me. And i wud learn to feel that once the leg on the wall goes forward i wud go up. After awhile u can finally feel wen it goes forward and  u shud no that u shud rise.

You probly know this but here is a saying i always use:

Rise and fall with the leg on the wall

Answer 6

Once you get enough practice it comes, but there is almost no way to tell without looking down at the horses shoulder.

Answer 7

Have someone you trust (trainer) lunge you and the horse you ride (if he/she lunges quietly). Drop the reigns to the buckle/ends and hold onto the mane. Close your eyes and trot in a circle. This helps not only with learning to "feel" a horse, but also balance in the saddle. You can sit the trot for a while until you get the hang of it, but then when you think you know the right diaganol, start posting. The person on the ground should be able to tell you if you have it or not. Repeat :) I hope this helps.. good luck!