A horse who is equally balanced, strong and comfortable when you are riding on either diagonal in trot is important forevery horse and rider, whether you ride competitively or love hacking a horse. Understanding what the diagonals are, identifying whether you are on the correct one and knowing how to change it, will make for a smoother ride on a more balanced horse it even plays an important role in helping to keep a horse sound.Diagonals explainedThe diagonals are all about timing: the moment you rise out of the saddle according to what your horses legs are doing beneath you.To understand this, you first needto appreciate the mechanics of the trot.Trot is a two-beat gait in which the legsmove in diagonal pairs; the right front legand left hind leg move together, as do theleft front leg and the right hind leg.A good tip to help you become familiarwith the sequence of legs in trot is to usedifferent colour bandages on the twodiagonal pairs of legs. You can then watchthe horse and clearly see which legs areworking together, says UKCC Level Four trainer Sam York, who is anMSc in professional sports coaching and BHS lead assessor.Being on the correct diagonal meanssitting in the saddle when the outsidefront and inside hind legs move backand rising when they move forward.Benefits of correct diagonalsFor the horseRiding on thecorrect diagonal when schooling andregularly changing your diagonal whenhacking is important because:It ensures the horses hind legs take an equal workload.It promotes suppleness through the horses back.It allows their muscles to develop evenly.It helps to keep your horse balanced when riding around corners.All of the above is especially key when training young or inexperienced horses.Its easier for the horses inside hind legto step through if the riders out of thesaddle and he will be able to take a longerstride. Remember, that the hind legs create the energy and impulsion.The previous point is particularly important when riding a circle or turn as if the rider is sat in the saddle when the inside hind leg comes through it places additional strainFor the riderBeing able to feel the sequence of thehorses legs underneath you helps toadvance the movement and is importantfor further training and to set up forlong-term equitation, explains Sam.Being able to feeland understand the diagonals in trot leadsto recognising the correct leg in canter,knowing when to apply the aids and thetiming of asking for canter.If you cant feel the diagonal you wontbe able to feel for canter.Recognising the correct diagonalIn walk, shut your eyes while onthe lunge and learn to feelwhen the horses inside hind leg stepsunder.If you find it difficult, have a friend onthe ground who shouts: Inside hind legsteps under now now now everytime that leg comes underneath you,so you can start to identify whatthat movement feels like.In trot, the phrase:Rise and fall with the leg towards thewall can help you to remember that itsthe horses outside legs you need to beconcentrating on. You should be sittingwhen the outside front leg comes backand rising when it moves forward. A brief look down to see where the horsesoutside shoulder is can help but look with your eyes only, dont tip your head, as your chance in weight will unbalance your horse.Recognising whether youre on the correctdiagonal can be simpler when on a circleas more weight is transferred to thehorses inside leg and therefore it can beeasier to feel. Ride a small circle of 10mor 15m and see if it helps you to feel thesequence of legs and when you should berising and sitting.Changing your diagonalIf you need to change your diagonal, sit in the saddle for two beats before rising again. In an arena, this is usually done when you cross the centre line to change the rein. Out hacking it can be done anywhere.Practise sitting lightly and softly in thesaddle for the double beat; you want toperfect the art of changing the diagonalwithout the horse noticing, advises Sam, who is a Fellow of the BHS.If youre on the wrong oneSome horses are very sensitive and willknow if youre not on the right diagonal,while others will carry on oblivious, says Sam.Somehorses who are stiff, crooked or havemuscle imbalances tend to throw you offonto the wrong diagonal, and often ridershave a favourite diagonal too.A horse who favours a diagonal or whose rider doesnt regularly change the diagonal will often feel uncomfortable when ridden on the little-used diagonal, making it easy to identify. It may feel harder to rise. Persevere and start doing it now youll soon feel a difference.ExercisesRide a three-loop serpentine in your training field or arena, changing your diagonal every time you cross the centre line. Ensure youre on the correct diagonal ahead of the next turn.Make sure you systematically change the diagonal youre on while hacking too.Practise transitioning from walk to trot and notice if you always pick up the same diagonal. If you are, remember to change it regularly!Challenge yourselfWhen you become aware of the diagonals, youll find that you go into auto-pilot mode and will naturally pick up the correct one as your horse begins to trot. Its a good habit to have out hacking too. I do a lot of trot work out hacking and I regularly change the diagonal, usually at each bend in the path or road, so that Im on the correct diagonal.When I ride a different horse, I can instantly tell when their regular rider isnt aware of the diagonals, because the horse is really uncomfortable to rise to on one side. Sometimes I find horses are so uneven, that its possible to see it while watching on the ground. If your horse feels like this, dont give up. Continue to change on to the harder diagonal little and often, and youll soon see an improvement.Related contentScales of training in dressage and flatwork explainedBecky Moody explains how to ride the perfect 20m circleExperts explain how to improve poor toplineShould you hack out with your horse on a contact?Lunging a horse: how to make sure they are working correctlyThe post Why riding on the correct diagonal is important for keeping a horse sound appeared first on Your Horse.