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RE: [RC] diagonals - Tracey LomaxAngie wrote: New point. How many of you bounce twice to change diagonals? I gave that up a long time ago...too many bounces! I stand an extra beat. Depends on the horse. My older, more schooled horses understand that the "double bounce" to change diagonal is also a cue to change bend. Remember that they're schooled for dressage or jumping and so they give me inside bend at all gaits - when I do the "double bounce" they change direction / bend without me having to ask for it. It's kinda neat :) You really feel it when you're doing sitting trot because although, by definition, you're not "rising", I still feel I do this weird kind of sitting double bounce when you change bend. VERY hard to explain. Basically, the directional change is a seat aid change. With the babies, because their backs aren't strong yet, and because any change in weight / seat can easily confuse them, I rise an extra beat. That way, their frame and carriage doesn't change when I change diagonal. OTOH, I also canter in light seat on the babies, so that they have complete freedom of back and neck. Only when they're correctly between leg and hand, and keeping a relatively consistent frame, (albeit usually long and low), do I do the "double bounce" thing. I use it as a cue to teach them to keep balance through the change of bend. It's particularly important for showjumpers, who really need to be balanced on both reins. Of course, very few horses are, but there's nothing worse than coming into a treble combination off a corner and the horse's shoulder is on a different track to his quarters, and you just know that you're gonna run out of room! I have one at the moment who has a tendency to jump right when I bring him in on the left rein, because he drifts out through his right shoulder. So we're doing lots of counter-canter and half-pass at trot to teach him not to lean into the outside rein. Interestingly, he had a bowed tendon on his left fore, and it might be as a result of favouring that leg? He will strike off on either lead, doesn't have a preferred "lead" as such, but keeping that off-side shoulder straight takes some finesse! Sorry...sidetracked! Tracey =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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