Ok, don't laugh at me

Rosie2407

Rosie2407

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I'm getting myself into a right mess in my lessons with my diagonals.

Schoolboy error I know, but just can't seem to get it right at the moment. My instructor spends half her time muttering 'diagonals' or 'wrong leg' at me.

Anyone got any easy to remember tips that will be quick for me to spot when I've got it wrong and correct it faster?

At the moment it's taking me ages to first work out what beat her leg is on and then where I am/should be in relation to it. I'm also having trouble dealing with all my horses/my other little quirks and corrections as well as getting my diagonals/correct leg
Grrrr!!!

Need to go back to beginners classes me thinks lol!!!
 
dont worry your ot the only one i know its something like you should be sitting when the outside leg is forwards or the other way round ... its confusing lol let me know if you find anything :D
 
You could try different coloured bandages or tape on each leg and then spend time calling out the colours in time with the foot falls. That should help :)
 
The easiest way I have is this: as you are coming down in the saddle, the horses outside shoulder should be coming back towards you.

After a bit you tend to get it right anyway . My instructor used to tell me not to rise imediately as you went into trot but to wait a couple of strides as you will more likely get it right.
 
"Rise and fall with the leg by the wall" ;)

So as the front outside leg comes back, you sit. As it goes forward, you rise.

If you're having trouble feeling it, a sneaky glance down over the outside shoulder helps. If you find it hard to see, you could trying drawing a mark on the shoulder with chalk, to help you see the movement of the leg forwards & backwards.

I find sitting to the first 3 or 4 trot strides helps before you start rising, so you can then rise on the correct beat.

After a while, it does become second nature with plenty of practice - hope this helps! :)
 
It took me FOREVER but now I just rise automatically to the right one!

I have to think of it as "coming forward" and "going back", it might help!

Otherwise, I think its just practice! If you've got a few other issues to sort out, just get your instructor to yell when you're wrong, sit for two bumps and worry about the other issues. The rest will come!

Also, maybe right the correct way on your hand and practise it lots out hacking?

xxxxx
 
It should be when the horses outside foreleg goes forward you should be rising. I used to teach and i found that if someone found it hard to master then go back to walk and watch your horses shoulder going forwards and back and just say to yourself up down up down.. as to when you would be rising in the trot. Also your instructor could put you on the lunge and then you could properly concentrate on your diagonals without having to really concentrate on where yourr horse is going. Do the same thing say up down up down as your trotting round and you'll see whetther or not your on the correct diagonal, as you get better you wont have to look for it you'll be able to feel it, again if your on the lunge you could close your eyes for a few seconds and this can help you to feel it as you wont be thinking about anything else.
Cantering your horses inside leg should be leading, if not then you are on the wrong leg the horses outside leg must be leading wich can be more unbalanced. To start with a quick look down helps to determine it but once you get better you can start to feel if your on it or not. Again lunge work i believe will help you to concentrate on this and not so much on steering etc. I think these are both things that will suddenly just click with you and you will have got it :)
Very best of luck anyhow. S..x
 
with some horses I can feel it, others I just cannot!
I find if you look down at both shoulders, you should be sitting when the outside one is closest to your knee. if you look at the outside shoulder, and can't see it, look at the other, you should be able to work it out, but don't worry, it took me a while - and somehow my pony always seems to bounce me onto the wrong one!
 
Rosie snap - im working on this at the moment
yesterday my instructor worked me on teh lunge and told me to shut my eyes in walk so i could feel his movement - it worked!
I then shut my eyes in trot and it felt much better - im still not perfect but ive noticed i "loose it" when im getting tired! When my instructor said - ok you can get off when youve done 3 in a row perfectly (sitting trot in between) i did it perfect !!!!!!!!!!! lol she did throw a couple more in though :rolleyes::rolleyes:
It really is practice practice practice - made much easier if someone else lunges you both so you cna just concentrate on the rhythm - good luck!!!:)
 
ps - "rise and fall to the leg on the wall" helped me too - you always rise when the horses outside leg - the one nearest the wall - is forward x
 
tell me about flipping diagnals - my problem with my mare is that i couldn't see her leg for her mane as she's a traditional cob so has a very long mane lol used to drive me crazy but i dunno i just managed to feel when i shud be doign it and its obvious to me now haha xx
 
I was always terrible at this. I understood totally what I was meant to be doing, but could just never get it. My instructor used to just bellow my name after a while & i knew to swap. Now I can just feel which is correct, but I'm actually very uncomfortable on the correct diagonal on the right rein which I put down to a very gimpy hip.

You'll master it eventually, honest!
 
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