# im confused...inside or outside leg??



## jazzyrider

im so confused as im hearing different things about which diagonal is the right one etc. 

ive always understood it that a horse should strike off on the side the equals the direction he is going in. that would make it the inside leg.

but, a few weekends ago we had a training day at the pony club and i got roused on for being on the wrong leg. according to what i had been taught i was on the right diagonal. they told me that no i must ride with the outside leg. so technically they were saying that if i was on the right lead i want my horse to strike off on the opposite leg ????

im really confused :? :?


----------



## PaintHorseMares

This confused me at first when I learned how to lope, too, but yes.. right lead=left leg. The horse's outside hind leg is his driving leg that you signal, diagonal to the lead.


----------



## southafrica1001

yea i get confused lol but its the outside leg that is the correct diagonal so if your posting (rising trot to me) then you need to rise with the outside leg


----------



## upnover

Are you talking about finding the correct diagonal at the trot? (sorry, I'm a little confused by your question!  )

For the correct diagonal at the trot, you should be standing up when your horse's outside front leg is out. So when it's back, you're sitting. Some people can feel where their horse's hind legs are so, when a horse's outside front leg is out, his inside hind leg is also out. So some people will feel when the inside hind is out, and post off of that. But you have to be able to feel it.  (it's nice though because you never have to look!)


----------



## PoptartShop

Yeah, I agree with the above posts.


----------



## jazzyrider

hmmm ok! to whoever asked yeah im talking about the trot. wonder why ive been told both ways over the years. oh well  thanks


----------



## tim

Around here you rise as the outside leg is forward.


----------



## hanse004

You can actually look at either leg for trotting diagonals. If you want to look at the inside leg, you will be up when the horses leg is on the ground (or his shoulder looks to be up or back) when his leg is reaching forward and his shoulder is down, you will be down.

If you look at the outside shoulder, you will be up when his outside leg is reaching forward and his shoulder is down. You will be down when his shoulder is back and his leg is on the ground.


----------



## jazzyrider

^^^ thanks but i dont have probs with the process just which was the right diagonal  which i have sorted now anyways


----------



## Rachluvshorses4eva

Okey Dokey. If your at the trot, you need to be riding when the OUTSIDE shoulder is going forward and you need to sit to the trot when the OUTSIDE should is going back. It only takes a tick to look, and just remember, When the horses shoulder goes forward at the trot, so do you making you rise. With the canter, your horse needs his INSIDE leg to be leading because when going around corners, he/she is either going to swap leading legs, go back to the trot or just loose balance. Cantering with the wrong leading leg can mess up the aids as well. If your not cantering with the right leading leg your horse can learn bad habits and also get very unblananced and so can you. :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink:


----------



## jazzyrider

^^^ thanks but that part i know  was only confused about inside or outside to rise on 

p.s. great to see ya back  havent seen you around for ages


----------



## Rachluvshorses4eva

Awww. Thanks! I'm glad I'm back to! lol. yeah, you rise on the outside shoulder. That instructor is just wrong if she/he pulls you up for rising on the ouside shoulder.


----------

