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Re: [RC] re: trotting diagonals - Elizabeth Walker

Yeah, way back when, my riding instructor also tried to teach me the "Rise and fall with the leg on the wall" mantra. Only problem was, I couldn't really see what she was talking about - it was too hard for me to see when the shoulder went forward.

So, she gave me an alternate saying: "Stand on the inside leg". When you are at the height of your "rise", you should be "standing on the inside leg", which will be on the ground. Same effect, and I found that much easier to do. :)

As for feeling the hind legs - I'm still trying... Ah well - more practice.

On Nov 11, 2009, at 2:13 PM, Cindy Collins wrote:

This is always confusing, but really simple. At the trot, a horse's right front/left rear and left front/right rear are connected and moving together. Most beginners would use the right shoulder to rise with, even though the left rear is the driving leg. When you are moving around the arena (or trail) trotting to the left, you rise with the right shoulder. As you go around the arena, the shoulder on the outside--the one closest to the rail--is the one with which you post. This can be phrased as "rise and fall with the leg on the wall." In a straight line, it's good to swap diagonals periodically. However, even on trails, if you are turning to the left or right it is good for the horse's balance to be on the correct diagonal. As you become more sensitive to the horse's movement under you, you will learn to use the driving/rear leg to know which diagonal to follow. Hope this helps and doesn't further muddy the waters :) Cindy, who has a dressage torture/lesson at 5:30 tonight



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Replies
[RC] re: trotting diagonals, Cindy Collins