I need help finding my diagonal (horse back riding)?

Question

Ok so i ride english and western but that doesn't really matter. I have mastered everything like half seat and posting and canter, but i really have trouble finding my diagonal. Because my instructor always says "You're diagonal is wrong" so i try to post when the outside shoulder (horse's) goes up. Is this correct? Because that's what (i think)she told me. Thanks!

Answer 1

Ok. when the outside leg/shoulder goes forward u shood rise, when it goes back you sit,

to change your diagonal sit to beats the rise again

gd luck.

Answer 2

Yes, you rise when the outside shoulder goes forward.  If you glance down and see that you are on the wrong diagonal, you bounce twice and then go back to posting normally.  To keep the same rythm and stay on the same diagonal, think 1 2, 1 2, 1 2, 1 2, or up down, up down, up down  or even say it aloud.  Dont worry, with practice and time posting/diagonals will start to become really simple and practically a second nature.

Answer 3

When I was young and first started out in riding, my former coaches gave me two versions of a little verse which should help you a lot with this, Quarter. The first of these little sayings is "Rise and Fall with the leg on the Wall", and the second is "Forward and Back with the leg on the Track". In both cases, what the verses refer to is your horse's OUTSIDE front leg- that is, the front leg which is closest to the rail, wall, or track on the OUTSIDE of the arena you are riding in.

Depending on which direction you are traveling in, you rise when the outside front leg moves forward, and sit when it moves back. The concept of "diagonals" at the trot comes from the way in which ALL horses, and most four legged animals, move when they trot or jog. As a horse trots, he is jumping back and forth on diagonal pairs of legs- that is, one forefoot and the opposite hind foot move together at a time, and the process is repeated again and again, as long as the horse is trotting. Posting, or rising, to the trot came about centuries ago, during the time of what were known as "post riders". These riders were people who rode horses which were also pulling a carriage- often an open Landeau or Brougham type, which required a 4 horse hitch. These carriages did not have drivers, at least at first- the responsibility for control of the horses fell to the post riders, who rode one of the horses in each pair while also controlling the other through an extra set of long reins. Since these vehicles were designed to travel long distances, that meant that the post riders had to find ways of staying comfortable during long hours in the saddle. Since it is very tiring, not to mention unconfortable, to sit the trot for long periods of time, the idea of "posting" came about naturally.

This same concept was eventually used for deliveries of mail and other supplies in places like England and parts of Europe. As time went on and the population of these places grew, roads were established to allow people to travel this way from place to place- for business, for visits, or other reasons. Many of the roads had lodging places or inns along them which became known as "post houses", and the roads themselves became known as " post roads". The "post" in all of these names referred to the actions of the post riders- and indeed, many of the early post houses were built to accomodate the needs of these early travelers. Even the concept of the post office for mail evolved out of this idea, as did the idea of a "postmaster". Postmaster was the name given to the men who owned and ran the lodging or rooming houses along these roads- and it later came to be the title of anyone who ran an office which delivered or processed mail and supplies for trade or commerce.

This should help you understand posting and how it came about a bit better. Today, posting, or rising, to the trot is required in most kinds of competitions and horse sports- and there are penalties in many of them for failure to do it properly. The easiest way to check your diagonal is to watch the horse's outside shoulder for a split second. If you are moving up and down when it moves forward and back, then you are moving correctly. When you change direction at the trot, you should sit one stride and then resume posting- this time, on the opposite diagonal. Until you get comfortable with diagonals, it helps to keep the horse trotting slowly, because this makes his motion and yours easier to see. You can speed up some once you're comfortable- and with time and practice, going to the correct diagonal will become an automatic response. This has happened to me, and to almost every rider I know.

I hope this helps you out some.

Answer 4

Imagine your  on the rail. When  your horses front leg closest to the rail goes foward you go up

Answer 5

i was told that it should just feel right to you instead of  looking for when you have to rise have someone watch you and tell you when you are on the wright diagonal so you get the feel of it. you will find you will be getting it right more of-ton on one side they the other.

Answer 6

You have the same prob as me! I am on the correct diagonal on one rein and the wrong diagonal on the other. I can't seem to get the time right on that one rein, it's so strange as I find it without trying on the other!

Then I start trying too hard and get flustered. It just comes with practice I think, so keep trying. I know I have to even if it makes me mad.

Rise when the horses shoulder is forward.

EDIT, What, thumbs-downers on the loose today, cowards.