Canter lead/trotting diagonal, Can you tell which one you're on?

[PapaFrita]

I've been rather surprised lately by the number of people I ride with/see ride AND jump competitively who can't tell what leg their horse is cantering on (without looking)...
How common (or not) is this?
Also curious to know how many people can tell, without looking down, which diagonal they're trotting on

 

[JessPickle]

Pickle feels really strange on the wrong canter lead so I know whether he is right or wrong

But I cant tell right diagonal without looking down but I dont ride competively so it doesnt really matter

 

[PapaFrita]

Exactly; feels really odd so I would've thought it quite easy to tell. Trotting is a bit harder though

 

[Forget_Me_Not]

Horse feels back-to-front.. if you get me on other leg... and in trot.. ive alway had the nack of rising on the right dig. Mher i havn't got a chance have i

 

[0]

yes and yes
No's to the first question in particular would imho be worrying!!

 

[madgirl]

I can tell if maor is on the right canter diagonol but it is my worst habit to look dow just to make sure ver very annoying and i cant help doing it lol! however i cant tell in trot!

 

[JessPickle]

I do think its easier on pickle because he has a bigger stride I find it a lot harder to tell on short strided horses/ponies but can still tell just not as easily.

Trot I can only tell if I a on the wrong diagonal if I corner and get that weird bounce thing on the back of the saddle (not sure anyone understands that!) my instructor taught me by making me close my eyes when riding!

 

[druid]

Yes to both..how can one not?? They should feel completely different...

 

[conniegirl]

I can tell when im on the wrong canter lead without looking, but have to have a look for diagonals.

 

[Bossanova]

It amazes me how many people cant do these two things. People seem to ride disunited canter fairly often too, without seeming to realise....

 

[teapot]

Yes definately to the canter and yes 98% of the time for trotting diagonals.

I tend to forget about diagonals and it is called for a lot of people "doing a Vicky" at the yard. As I've been shouted at for it some many timesssss

Well atleast I'm remembered for something

 

[moodymare1987]

Yes for both, it feels wrong, With the canter i can tell before a horse wrong legs it if im going to be on the right leg or not, and trot wise ive always been taught to feel for the diagonal. we used to have to say if we was right or not, and had to be aware if footfall as we was always asked which leg is were etc and count 1234 for each foot going down, xxx

 

[kirstyfk]

Hands up! After 20 years of having horses I can't do my diagonials. I was never taught properly and have now given up trying!

 

[moodymare1987]

sorry to hog post, but i want to be part of a clique?? but which one will i be in??

 

[ladylisa]

Same as most people, i can tell in canter but always look down and make sure for trot. naughty naughty

 

[sojeph]

Yes and yes.
I do think some automatically can and some will always find it difficult. Same with counting strides!
My daughter is 10 and has no problems with all three. Her friend that rides with her just can't get it!!

 

[S_N]

Yes and yes. Canter has always been easy, trot - well I never bothered till I went to college!

It's interesting that some of the big name foreign trainers advocate riding on what we percieve to be the 'incorrect' diagonal.......

 

[JustKickOn]

canter- sometimes- it depends on what horse im riding, and it feels 'odd' when the horse canters on the wrong lead so in goes the flying change

trot- sometimes- again depends on what horse im riding, but if im on the wrong diagonal i feel off balance so change and check if im right.

 

[RobinHood]

Yes to both. Even when I'm hacking I ride to the left is the bath bends to the left or to the right if they path bends to the right, having sensitive thoroughbreds has made me very conscious of being on the rights diagonal because they go all tense and hollow if you are wrong.

I can't bear watching people rideing on the wrong diagonal it just looks so peculiar.

 

[jcberry]

I cant tell both without looking, isuppose it doesnt feel right when your on the wrong canter lead, bu i have to look down

to see

 

[fizz-tally]

yes & yes,jay has such a big stride when trotting he would chuck me out the saddle if the wrong one lol

 

[SouthWestWhippet]

I can tell in the trot but I always look anyway - my instructor tells me off all the time! But some horses are so unbalanced on one rein they push you onto the wrong diagonal so I usually double check on stiff or unschooled horses.

I always thought I could tell the canter and I definately can on a circle/straight line but the other day I was asking my horse to move sideways in the canter from the 3/4 line to the long side and I 'thought' she'd done it perfectly but someone watching said she had changed legs. So I'm feeling a bit paranoid at the moment about whether I can really feal the canter lead or not. Could be the girl watching didn't know what I was trying to do though...

 

[HBII]

I put sometimes to both. I always try to feel and then check by looking down. Trot is pretty much there when I have got my head screwed on properly and canter likewise. However if the trot to canter transition is a bit ropey that generally throws her on the wrong leg.

Gh

 

[miamibear]

I learn pretty early on to feel when i was on the wrong canter lead, cant explain it but it just feels wrong!

I never could feel if i was on the wrong trot diagonal until recently, since Red has come and my seat has improved again back to how it was before Bailey i can now feel pretty well. I still look but thats habit.

Mainly its like trot, oh that doesnt feel right, look - yes wrong diagonal then change it!!

xx

 

[BenjaminBunny]

I can feel both really easily

but i guess that is from only riding in riding schools from age 3 to about 5 years ago before i part loaned and now owned

and we kinda got it implanted in our brains - or should i say shouted at if it was wrong

 

[merlins-mum]

I can NEVER tell about the trotting diagonal. Complete blank! I usually just wait for my instructor to say 'check your diagonal' - then I *know* I'm wrong.

 

[WishfulThinker]

I used to be able to tell easily, but after 2 bad falls I find it increasingly hard. And Beau doesnt help as he isnt very bouncy or up and down. The weird thing is that I have COMPLETELY forgotten trot diagonals!! The record so far is asking 6 times in 10 mins - lol