Redish Equine Journal

Sometimes, as a trainer, teaching students how to get the correct diagonal can be daunting. From the student’s perspective, it can be confusing trying to understand how to get the correct diagonal.

Here is how I teach my students how to understand and always get the correct diagonal!

1. They must first understand what “inside” and “outside” mean in the horse world.
If your rider understands inside and outside hand, leg, and shoulder, then you’re ready to move to the next step.

2. Let them look at the horse’s inside and outside shoulders move forward and backward at the walk.
When your rider is walking, let them look at the big shoulder muscles flexing and contracting at the walk. Let them get used to seeing those muscles and watching one move forward while the other moves backwards. Ask them if they see the rhythm.

3. Call out “now,” “now,” “now” repeatedly at the same time the outside shoulder moves forward at the walk.
Ask your student if they can see the outside shoulder moving forward when you call it out each time. If they can, then ask them to say “now,” “now,” “now” every time the outside shoulder moves forward. Do this in both directions.

4. Let your students look at the horse’s outside shoulder push forward at the trot.
While they’re trotting (preferably on a lunge line in a 20 meter circle), let them look at the outside shoulder muscle moving forward at the trot. Let them get used to seeing the muscle and watching it move forward. Ask them if they see the rhythm. Do this in both directions.

5. Call out “now,” “now,” “now” repeatedly at the same time the outside shoulder moves forward at the trot.
Call out “now,” “now,” “now” repeatedly at the same time the outside shoulder moves forward at the trot. Ask your student if they can see the outside shoulder moving forward when you call it out each time. If they can, then ask them to say “now,” “now,” “now” every time the outside shoulder moves forward. Before you move onto step 6, make sure your student can really identify that outside shoulder moving forward at the trot. Do this in both directions.

6. Ask your student if they’re rising/standing up in the posting trot while the outside shoulder is going forward.
Get your student to rise on the outside diagonal. Odds are, they’ll be trotting on the inside diagonal. Tell them that the correct diagonal is when they are rising or standing up when the outside shoulder is going forward. Their butt should be in the air when the outside leg is going forward.

7. Teach them how to fix their diagonal.
When they’re trotting, once again, odds are they’ll be on the incorrect diagonal. So, when they’re trotting, tell them two sit two beats and begin posting again. I tell them to, “bounce, bounce, UP!” Saying that usually helps them figure it out. Many of your students might sit 3 beats. Tell them it’s a double bounce, and you could also say, “sit, sit, UP!”

8. To solidify diagonals in their brains, do tons of walk to trot transitions.
Ask your student to walk and then ask for the trot. As soon as they trot, ask them “check your diagonal!” The newbies will take a while to check at first, but after a few moments of looking, ask them, “got it or don’t got it?” Eventually, when my students rise into the trot, and all I have to say is, “got it or don’t got it?” They know what I’m talking about. If you say, “check your diagonal” instead, students will tend to just fix it without looking. Make sure you have a phrase that makes them check first, then fix if needed! “Got it or don’t got it” works for me! Repeat the walk to trot transition frequently until it’s solidified in your student’s brain. Don’t let them trot around on the wrong diagonal! Eventually they’ll become annoyed with your harping and check it on their own — they’ll also want to please you and show you they can get it without your help! Constantly remind them about it so it becomes second nature.

I hope this helps trainers or riders learn how to teach or get the correct diagonal!