Ace diagonals

Do you struggle to find the correct diagonal? Are you fed up of your instructor constantly telling you you’re on the wrong one? Never fear, Team PONY is here to help you ace it! 

What are diagonals?

Trot’s a two-beat gait, so as your pony trots he moves his legs in diagonal pairs – his left front and right hind legs will move together, and his right front and left hind legs move together. Being on the correct diagonal is all about matching your pony’s movements as you do rising trot. 

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Riding on the wrong diagonal can make you feel unbalanced – have a go at closing your eyes for a few strides while on the right and wrong diagonals to get a feel for it and compare. You’ll be surprised by the difference! 

Why?

Riding on the correct diagonal will help keep your pony balanced, especially around corners. When you’re on the correct diagonal your weight is off his back as his inside hindleg moves forward. This helps him to get maximum power and impulsion from his hindlegs.

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The key to staying on the correct diagonal is maintaining your rhythm – try counting out loud or in your head to keep it consistent. It’s really helpful to say ‘1, 2, 1, 2’ or ‘up, down, up, down’ as you rise and sit – give it a go! 

How?

To get started, pick up an active working trot around the arena. While in rising trot, check you’re on the correct diagonal by looking down at your pony’s outside shoulder – the one closest to the arena fence – for a couple of strides. As you sit in the saddle, his shoulder should be back towards you and, as you rise up, it should be moving forwards.

When you’re on the wrong diagonal, your pony’s shoulder will be back towards you as you rise out of the saddle and will move forward as you sit. If you realise you’re on the wrong one, all you need to do is sit in the saddle for an extra beat and then rise as normal. Don’t forget to glance down again and check it’s right!

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Don’t forget that if you’re changing the rein in trot, you’ll need to change your diagonal, too. Sit for two beats as you ride over X and you’re good to go.

Aced it!

Once you’ve nailed diagonals, they’ll become super-easy and second nature to you, so you’ll almost never have to think about them again. Plus, your instructor will be really impressed – winning!