The Old Gray Mare

Posting On the Correct Diagonal – What Is It and Why Do It



Posted: Sunday, September 18, 2011

by The Old Gray Mare
www.DressYourHorse.com

A most distinguishing factor of the english riding discipline is posting to the horse’s trot. Simply explained, posting is the up and down rhythm of the rider that appears at once beautiful and also effortless as the horse trots.

Many riders are able to naturally feel the diagonal movements of the horse as he trots – right front leg and rear left leg move simultaneously up and forward, repeated diagonally with left front leg and rear right leg. Visually, when the horse is trotting along the rail, with the rail on his right side, the “correct diagonal” is the “right diagonal” – the horse’s front right and rear left are in forward propulsion and up while at the same time, the rider is up and out of the saddle posting. As the horse continues his trotting movements, each time the right foreleg is raised, the rider is up and out of the saddle.

“Posting on the correct diagonal” comes into play primarily in the show ring. During pleasure and trail riding, the rider may pick up either diagonal and clearly prefer one over the other. In the ring while being judged, however, it is good practice to post the proper diagonal. During equitation and hunt seat classes, when the rider is being judged for appearance and perfection of his/her riding skills, posting the correct diagonal is a must.

If you are reading this explanation but you are not a rider yourself, you might ask why even bother to post. Can’t you just stay seated? Of course, you could “try” to stay seated in the saddle but that is easier said than done. The trot is a unique gait that propels the horse forward. While it is surprisingly easy on the horse, and he can readily cover great distances at the trot, it is not so easy on the rider. In fact, it can be rather bone jarring. Each horse has a unique “feel” at his trot and the rider trying to sit knows exactly what this means. Therefore, posting eliminates the bounce and the unattractive position of the rider if his/her legs cannot grip the sides of the horse tight enough to eliminate the bounce.

Executed correctly, the paired movement of horse and rider portrays elegance and fluidity as one creature in forward propulsion. It appears effortless, rhythmic and sophisticated. Certainly, a posting rider who sits astride his horse properly and posts is not nearly the burden on the horse’s back as is the bouncing, jostling and inept rider.

Perfecting an attractive posting position, in combination with good hands, tight seat and correct diagonals, takes practice – a whole lot of it.

It is worth the practice in appearance of horse and rider. Better than that is the thanks of your horse.
Heidi Rucki brings expertise as a horsewoman, dog lover and stained glass/mosaic artist. She is an accomplished freelance writer in the horse industry. Writing online as The Old Gray Mare, many of her current articles can be found on www.DressYourHorse.com. In the past, Rucki wrote for numerous horse organizations including The Connecticut Horse Council. She took early retirement from Phoenix Home Life where she wrote mutual fund prospectuses and was responsible for their submissions to the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Old Gray Mare writes to share knowledge and her love of horses for everyone but especially for novice and new horse owners. Besides her two main websites, she has recently published three new blog sites. Of those, her favorite is www.BeautyOfHorses.com.
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