Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I never pay much attention to description of diagonals - I just ride 
them. Right left - whatever, who cares as long as they feel right and as 
long as the horse and rider are their most efficient. I basically switch 
automatically - probably every 20 strides or so - more so if the trail 
is curvy. I don't think about it - it just happens. It is automatic 
because it feels right. I know when I end up on the wrong diagonal re 
wrong because it just feels wrong and that is what it is all about - 
isn't it?

I've taken riding lessons from time to time over my life. The worst came 
from - usually dressage instructors - who tend to want to explain via 
the spoken or written word when a picture is worth 10 words and the feel 
would be worth 10,000 words. The best instructor I ever had was a woman 
who had done everything with horses from gallop TB's when she was a teen 
to Grand Prix level eventing. To her the mechanics were simply a 
necessity to do what you wanted to do with a horse in her case jump 5 
foot spread fences or fox hunt. To me it was endurance.

It is a lot easier when the mechanics become a necessity to an end 
rather than an end in themselves.

Left, right - who cares unless you want to write a book.

Truman

Beth Walker wrote:
> That wasn't exactly what I mean.  I don't have any problems finding 
> the correct diagonal in a ring, and I  change diagonals frequently 
> when on the trail.    I was referring to the earlier discussion in 
> this forum where folks were talking about which diagonal they used 
> when posting on slopes.  Because the terminology was different, I was 
> pretty sure I wasn't getting what they were saying.
>
>
> On Apr 17, 2007, at 4:16 PM, Truman Prevatt wrote:
>
> > If you post by feel - you don't need written instructions. If you 
> > post the wrong diagonal on a left circle or going around a left turn 
> > - it just doesn't feel right and you horse gets irritated trying to 
> > get you correct. The tighter the circle or sharper the turn the worse 
> > it feels. I've never been impressed in learning athletic moves or 
> > form from the written page.You don't learn to hit a tennis ball by 
> > reading a book. Those that have the feel will do it right - those 
> > that don't can read all they can get their hands on and still not get 
> > it right.
> >
> > Jackie Robinson never had a good batting coach till he got into the 
> > majors - he didn't need it. Instruction is good. Video taping is very 
> > good so you can see what you are doing and connect that to how you 
> > felt. At the end of the day you have to develop the feel and trust 
> > that feel.
> >
> > Truman
> >
> > Beth Walker wrote:
> > > Jonni, I agree that the results are the same as far as the actual 
> > > posting is concerned. The only problem occurs with trying to follow 
> > > written directions - at least for me. I always thought that the 
> > > "left diagonal" was the one you used when traveling left on the 
> > > circle (which is the right diagonal), and vice versa. Since I was 
> > > using the terms backwards, I would end up on the wrong diagonal if I 
> > > tried to use written directions for, say, posting on a slope.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On Apr 16, 2007, at 5:34 PM, Tx Trigger wrote:
> > >
> > > > I think that Beth and I were taught the same, and get the same 
> > > > result as those who are posting to the shoulder. I was just taught 
> > > > as the FRONT leg that is to the inside of the arena HITS the ground 
> > > > in front of the horse, I was to be "up" on my posting. So, left 
> > > > front foot hits ground, I am on my left diagonal. When right front 
> > > > hits ground in front of horse, I am on right diagonal. At least it 
> > > > worked for me in all my years of showing and english equitation. 
> > > > LOL Here is a quick video with a girl talking about posting. She 
> > > > explains it the way I was not taught, but result is still the same. 
> > > > She is showing the "up" when front foot to center of ring HITS the 
> > > > ground.
> > > > http://www.expertvillage.com/videos/trotting-diagonals-one.htm
> > > > Jonni
> >
> >
> > --
> > “It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter 
> > how smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong” 
> > Richard Feynman, Nobel Laureate in Physics
>
>
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
> 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!!
>
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


--

“It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how 
smart you are. If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong” Richard 
Feynman, Nobel Laureate in Physics


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

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!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=