Diamond Equestrian

Had great morning doing a protocol/comp for K & K Equine this morning. Lucky we had the indoor. Good to have my judges hat on for a change instead of my coach or competitor hat. These days are so beneficial for buildings horse and rider 😃

WTB bombers ultra comfy lock up snaffle 135mm

Still few spots available. All run in the indoor. Perfect to get ready for spring

First 2 outings on our own and at the indoor for first ever lessons. Handled it all really well. Just slowly gaining confidence as even though he is big he is only 4 🥰

Very good explanation about trot diagonals which I'm always correcting riders with when they are on the wrong one!

THE LONG TROT, OR, A REALLY LONG POST ON TROTTING

“Rise and fall with the shoulder by the wall…”

So goes the old riding school ditty taught to countless students learning to rise, or post, to the trot. I am always interested in the reasons and excuses some people will give at their disinterest in learning their trot diagonals. That is, in taking the correct one as an automatic habit, to rise with the outside shoulder on any arc, or bend.

Often, these same people are involved in starting colts and young horses, or in riding long hours on the ranch, or the trails.

Perhaps if the reasons why these trot diagonals matter are better known to us, we will renew our efforts to master this simple thing. A failure to do so speaks of an incomplete education, if not a telling reluctance in furthering one’s basic horsemanship.

The term ‘posting’ comes about from the carriage driving days, when postillion riders mounted upon fast-trotting harness horses learned that the long journey was made less arduous, when they moved in unison with the trotting horse. Hence, ‘posting’ the trot.

I prefer the terms ‘rising’ and ‘sitting’, myself, and will use these throughout the rest of this article.

So, the rising (or posting) trot allows the horse and rider to move with ease. To sit on a big-moving horse, or any horse for long miles, is to cause undue strain to the back. This is important while we are developing our own seats and also, while furthering our horses.

***

From the horse’s point of view, the trot is a gait that uses both sides of the body equally. As one foreleg progresses, the opposing hind leg does, as well. The diagonal pair not reaching forward are weight bearing. To ride on a left curve, then, we will want to rise with the right foreleg… also known as rising on the right diagonal.

Once we have learned to rise on either the right or left diagonal, we can refine ourselves by doing so with feeling, rather than sight. We learn to change diagonals smoothly by sitting for a count of one-two beats, rather than the up-down-up-down of staying on the same diagonal. We progress by requiring ourselves to change smoothly each time the horse changes rein, or to keep him from tiring over long, straight distances. This is up to us.

Knowing all the reasons why we rise with the outside shoulder is key in helping understand the importance of trot diagonals. Too often, our attention is given to the rising with the shoulder, as an aid to helping the horse turn.

While this is somewhat true, it is the lightening of the load of the rider by leaving the saddle while the inside hind leg is stepping forward under the horse’s body, that makes all the difference to the horse.

We also know that the diagonal on which we are rising covers more ground than the diagonal on which we sit! Therefore, the outside diagonal on a circle will actually help the horse remain on the bendy track, for it makes sense that the shoulder on the outside of the circle will need to cover more distance with each stride, than that on the inside track. It can help to visualize one’s horse on rails, as though he is on a set of train tracks.

Knowing this is magical in straightening the habitually crooked horse, the one who goes with a markedly hollow side in relation to the opposing one, which is stiff. The horse who is hollow to the left rein will drift outward through left hand turns, while ‘falling in’—cutting corners—when travelling to the right. His near side is in the habit of contracting. Rather than fight this horse, if I mindfully spend a lot of my rising trot on the left diagonal, even through gentle serpentine bends, he will gradually strengthen and straighten his body.

This tells me that I must decisively ride both left and right diagonals equally when I am riding for a distance along straight lines—and both unschooled horses and riders will almost always favour one diagonal over the other. A failure to do so, will soon make a fairly straight horse travel crookedly, like a trotting dog!

Unschooled horses and riders will often change unknowingly to their stronger diagonal, even when they have made a point of starting out in the weaker one. Horses will do a little skip-change to force us onto the diagonal pair that feels most able to carry our weight. When we’re beginning, we can benefit hugely from a pair of knowledgeable eyes from the ground.

Thus, the goal with both schooled horses AND riders is to find comfort in both trot diagonals, equally. One must not be favoured over the other, at all.

When trotting along uneven ground or along hillsides, the rider should be choosing the diagonal that is opposite the incline of the hill, to allow the horse to keep his feet more easily. (This is opposite the canter lead we would choose, if we were loping along the same hill.)

***

The rising trot is of huge importance to the horse who struggles with relaxing his back, or with energetically going forward. It is less strain for both horse and rider to trot while rising, because it eases the driving force of the rider’s seat in the saddle. This should be of importance to us, whether or not we are schooling our horses under English or Western gear.

Understanding that our diagonal choice is what frees the hind limb reaching under us, has a key part to play in helping green horses pick up the inside leading leg at the canter.

So few riders can be seen switching to the ‘wrong’ diagonal in the last few strides before asking the young or unschooled horse for the canter depart. This is a shame, for it’s an excellent tool to encourage our horses to take the inside lead, without the force of using too much outside leg, or speeding up at the trot, or messing with the reins.

Why would this weird thing help the horse? Well, if we don’t sit into the transition, we are not hollowing out the back of the unschooled horse. If we rise to the ‘wrong’ diagonal in the last few trot strides, he can keep his back up and swinging when he needs it most. We are now freeing up the outside hind leg of the horse to strike into the correct canter lead… for it is this leg that begins the three-beat canter.

This last paragraph is solid gold for anyone involved in the schooling of young, or green, horses.

***

Lastly, a common fault of those rising to the trot is to rise with too much effort, leaving ‘hang time’ at the apex of their rise. This faux pas can be easily fixed by imagining that one’s head, or helmet, must not move at all during the rising trot.

If a horse and rider were trotting along the far side of a stone wall, this would appear as though the head was riding smoothly along the top of the wall. There would be no bobbling up and down and this one detail of a level, unmoving head is as much the mark of a well-taught equitation rider, as any other. To do this, the rider’s movement is not up-and-down, so much as an absorbing of the horse through a front-and-back motion with the hips. Yes, it takes much practice.

The above will give you some fun trot work to tweak over the summer, as you go about your riding, whether in the arena, or out on the open trails.

Spots at 9am poles this fri
PM to book

Astra did the last comp in the K & K Equine unofficial dressage series. All sorts of riders and ran from prep to medium so something fir everyone. Astra hasn't won any of the mediums but she has improved her percentage each outing and got series medium champion for being consistent. Never thought I'd get a comment saying calm horse 🤣 and I'm sure most of you who know her can giggle at this comment 😃 It's all about the journey and to keep working away even with challenges. Astra having a well deserved break for a few weeks now so I can focus on 4 year old brother Atticus 😃

Exactly 😁

In terms of bad horsemanship, there are few things worse than doing things that make a horse nervous and anxious, and then punishing the horse for the “bad” behavior that the rider caused.

And every day, any place that humans deal with horses, this is exactly what we see so much of.

It is easier and more satisfying to blame the horse than to blame our inability to train and ride well.

Learning how to ride and train well enough to create calm, willing partners is hard. Not too many riders can do it, but most think they can.

And that’s why the vicious circle keeps playing out, the rider does something to make the horse worry. The worried horse reacts. The rider punishes the reaction. The horse gets more worried and ramps up the reaction, which makes the already annoyed or angry rider react with MORE pressure, and yet another World War Three is under way. We watch this all the time.

Go for a walk instead, Learn to ride, maybe?

My friend kel is looking for a Penciller this sat at Ayr Hill.
Message 0435840522 if you can help. Good experience pencilling

Went to Boneo on a wintery day today. Really pleased with Astra in the advanced today . She did 2 of calmest tests she done which is a big win for me as Astra is a spicy red head with attitude to match. But today makes the journey worth it to keep persisting with this mare 🥰 G

This certainly rings true

Let’s talk about the lack of quality coaching and lack of standards in the equine industry. For example, kids learning with someone who claims to be an "coach" and all they learned is how to see-saw a horse's head down and chuck their body over a fence like a champion. All coaching is not equal.

But what happens when you have a good coach? One that opens their program to you, takes you under his/her wing? Becomes invested in your success? When you essentially become part of the "family"...

Eventually, something will happen...

Coach tells you that you are not Karen O'Connor 2.0, and not ready to make the move up to the next level.
Coach says you need to go back and fix some holes in your training.
Coach says you have developed a bad habit, and it needs to be fixed before you can accomplish your goals.
Coach says you need to make sure that your horse is being ridden (not just hanging out at the barn).
Coach says you need to dedicate more time to studying the sport, not just riding.
Coach says it isn't a "horse" problem, it is a "you" problem.

People have become increasingly more reactionary. More easily offended. In lieu of everyone getting a trophy, it is so hard to hear these words from people you admire. Some of the best coaches will be the toughest. Not ones that tear you apart constantly, but coaches that aren't afraid to have the tough conversations with you. Or conversations that you may not have wanted to have.

But remember, a good coach is in YOUR corner. They want YOU to achieve success. They dedicate so much more than an hour of time to your growth not only as a rider but as a horseman. Maybe you are burning the candle at both ends (and in the middle), and you need a reality check that this sport requires more of your time and focus.

These conversations can hurt, but while it may sting at first.... take a second. Think about why your coach is against you moving up right now, why your coach is saying to wait until the summer to be a working student, why your coach is saying that you should not enter the show until the homework and flat work is done.

Surround yourself with coaches that aren't afraid to have these tough conversations with you. You don't want or need a "cheerleader" coach. You are paying you for your coach’s expertise... the positives and the criticism. Let them help make the best decisions for your horse, and for your program. The lessons on the horse and the lessons off of the horse. Are you ready? Are you doing what is best by your horse? You owe it to yourself and your horse....

*** Copied and modified from Courtney Sendak

Spot at 9 and 10.30 tomorrow at poles pm to book

If any clients want a wknd away with your horse this is a great place of a friend of mines. Like and share please 🙏

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066531548406&mibextid=LQQJ4d

Spots still available pm to book

https://facebook.com/events/s/friday-pearcedale-poles/451062420906152/

For anyone who knows me I bang on about this all the time 😬🤣😬

💙🩵 ATTICUS 🩵💙

Definitely not fait weather riders this morning having Boneo all to ourselves! Atticus first time under saddle here for a positive short ride thanks to Ethan Height who helped me last few weeks as he got longer legs than me and Atticus is a very tall 4 yr old 😁 He was much less looking than his sister Astra 🤣

9am poles FULL spots left at 10.30 😁

Been out and about recently gaining more confidence with Astra our and about. Here a few snaps from Cranbourne South Comp on Sunday.

JUST ADDED 12PM GROUP TO FRI POLES

Just turned 4 yr old ottb Manny has come out of 12 week spell for a short burst of learning about becoming a riding horse after not making a racehorse. As he has a pretty solid temperament he will spend a few years with Tash a volunteer for RDA Knox where he will hopefully go into a life of service with RDA after gaining much needed life skills first 😀