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Page 50 • NOVEMBER 2011 • HORSEMAN’S NEWS Getting the correct lead. Recently, while at a horse


show, a client of mine was having difficulty getting the 4 year old horse she was showing to pick up the correct lead from a canter departure. There is a little trick to help with getting the correct lead. I told her to do a diagonal away from the lead she was wanting and then ask for the correct lead. The reason this works is when doing a diagonal you have the horse’s head cocked away from the direction you are going in. By doing so you are lengthening the outside part of the body since that’s the direction you are going in, and shorting the other side which will be your lead side when you ask for a canter departure. The lead always comes from the hind end and in order to get the horse to step up under him- self to get that lead the horse needs to be more collected on that side; also the horse’s head is already in the correct position to pick up the lead.


How to Get the Diagonal To set a horse up for a diago-


nal you will need the horses head cocked away from the direction you are moving the horse in. Use


your leg to push the horse in the direction you want it to go. Note in the picture above, the horses head is cocked to the right and the rider’s right leg is on the horse moving the horse to the left. Make sure to keep your left leg off when moving the horse to the left and keep your right leg off when moving to the right. If the horse “runs into” your leg, the horse will resist the movement. Running into your leg will pro- hibit the horse from moving its body. It is also important to note that the horse’s body must stay straight and move at an angle. The head/shoulders should not get in front of the hip nor should the hip get in front of the shoul- ders. The rider’s leg should be in a neutral position, thus pushing the horse’s rib cage in the direc-


tion the rider desires. The horse’s legs should cross over each other. (see photo) One way to make sure you are going where you need is that the horses shoulder should point towards an object that you choose. Aim your horse’s shoulder for the object. Also, by looking at where you are aiming to go not only will you know if the horse is moving in that direction but by looking in that direction you are sitting correctly. You have opened up your seat to allow the horse to move.


When starting with teaching


a diagonal you are only going to ask for one step at a time. Once the horse moves off your leg and steps one step in the direction you asked walk the horse straight and pet them giving them a release. By releasing the pressure and walking them straight after they do the exercise correctly you are giving them a reward which is how the horse knows what they did was correct. Build off of this. Ask for one step, and then once you have one step down consistently ask for 2 then 3 and so on. Whatever you do on one side you must do on the other.


Common Issues That Arise Common issues that arise


when teaching diagonals could be the horse throws their head but will move their body. Don’t worry about the head being in the proper collected position at this time. Your focus is on the step, once the step is down the head will follow. Another issue that can arise is the horse won’t move off your leg. When and if this happens disen- gage your horse’s hind quarters away from the direction that you are putting leg on to re-enforce your leg cue. Once the horse is moving off your leg again go immediately back to the diagonal. Other problems such as the horse turning in a circle or the front end leading or the hind end leading are common problems. The entire horse should move as one. Meaning the shoulder and haunch- es should move at the same speed and straightness. This takes prac- tice and work so don’t expect it to be perfect right off the bat. Repetition is important.


Hand positioning- Use two hands when teaching


diagonals. It is important to make sure the head doesn’t get straight or turned in the direction you are asking the horse to go in as this can prohibit the horse from doing the exercise correctly. One rein keeps the horse’s head cocked away from the direction you are going in and the other rein helps guide the horse in the direction you are going in and keeps the horse from turning.


Other Uses for Diagonals Another use for diagonals


would be for lead changes. It is the same principal for picking up the lead for a canter departure as men- tioned above. Let’s say you are on the left lead and you want to change to the right. Canter on the left lead but take the horses head to the right as you canter and have the horse do a canter diagonal across the area going to the left. Really


make the horse step to the left. As you feel the horse reaching just change your leg. So go from your right leg to you left and the horse will change. Why does this work, same principal. The horses head is already in position and the horse’s body is lengthened going to the left and shortened on the right. The horse is going to want to change just because it will be easier. Also by pushing the horse to the left using the right leg the second you switch legs the horse is naturally going to want to move off the left leg.


If you are showing and have


to pass a horse in a class, a diago- nal can be applied. It looks a lot prettier to move the horse over using a diagonal than turning the horse back towards the rail. The ability to perform a diag-


onal is important for a trail horse. If you are going down a trail, one side is a hill side and the other is a cliff. If your horse spooks towards the cliff you need a tool to keep them from going over the cliff. With a diagonal you can push the horse towards the object they are afraid of. It is also a useful tool when


on the trail and a horse doesn’t want to pass by an object. By hav- ing diagonals taught you can actu- ally move the horse towards the object.


Diagonals have many uses and the bonus is that they are actually fun and look really cool!


Christa’s articles on personality traits, round penning and bridle work, previously pub- lished by Horseman’s News Magazine, are available on Christa’s website www.christapetrillotraining.com, along with many other resources and info. Christa trains, teaches clinics & gives lessons out of the Christa Petrillo Total Horsemanship facility near Winters, CA. She also travels to other facilities to train, teach clinics and give les- sons as well. If you need expert, professional help with your horse or would be interested in learning more from Christa she may be con- tacted at 707-317-0598 or 707-688-4358 or email christa@christapetrillotraining.com


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