Diagonals

[Dancing_Diva]

Does anyone else struggle to ride on one diagonal more then the other?

I struggle riding on one diagonal to the point I don't ride on it hardly at all (don't shoot me I know this is bad) I swap diagonals when out hacking on the straight but that's as far as it goes. I feel that on the (can't think what diagonal it as without being on my horse) when rising I feel like I'm being pushed to the left to the point I'm going to go out the left side door! I then change back to the other diagonal as find it also put more strain on my bad knee.

I used to ride wonky and feel I was always sat to the left when I was sat square in my saddle, I'm now fine and don't have this issue anymore but my left side is my weaker side! My mare is built up slightly more on her left side and I guess this is due to the way I ride?

My mare is regularly seen by a chiropractor and never anything wrong with her, I'm also regularly seen by a chiropractor too due to my legs and am fine. My question really is do you really need to ride on the correct diagonal on each rein? I'm never going to do dressage or anything fancy, we hack out happily do sponsored rides and maybe in future bit of cross country, maybe even try trec or endurance.

Or am I a really bad person and need to sort this problem out or stop riding before I break my horse lol??

 

[be positive]

I don't think you are a bad person or that you should give up riding but am concerned that the horse feels so uneven and that the chiro, despite the muscles being more built up on one side and the significant unevenness you feel, says that there is nothing to treat, I would get a registered physio in to look at her, they should be able to help get the horse more level and give you suitable exercises that will make you both more comfortable.

The saddle may need a check as well and I would also be thinking that there could be a need for a vet to look as she may well be carrying a subtle lameness, in my experience no horse should feel that unlevel when going in a straight line if there is no underlying cause, even if the rider is a bit wonky it should not be that difficult to be on either diagonal if you are trying to change regularly.

In answer to your real question no it is not imperative that you are changing diagonal but it is likely to get worse if the reason for the stiffness is not addressed and that may impact on her long term soundness.

 

[Dancing_Diva]

Thanks for the reply. Should have said I find I have this problem on whatever horse I ride though not just my mare, so think the problem lies mainly just with me?

I'm just about to have a new saddle fitted as she's changed shape a lot since I brought her back into work last year following two years off (she had a foal & just was a horse for a while). When I say she's got more muscle one side then the other it's by her withers and her left side is slightly more filled out then her right, not by a mass amount but it's something I notice when I groom!

Vets out for jabs in couple of weeks so I'll see what they think then as well as want to make sure everything is ok with her. But I'm thinking the problem is mainly me!

 

[watchmaker]

My OH had a similar problem. Saddler adjusted saddle and girth is now eccentrically fixed (I forget which way unless I look as I use my own saddle) with it forwards one side and back the other. Works a treat for both horse and rider - they look straight. Ask your saddler?