09/27/2026
The “What Is…?” Series Continues
We started our What Is…? series by looking at the ranch performance classes we offer through Ranch Riding & More. We're not finished exploring ranch classes, but we're also going to start looking at some of the riding terms and concepts we hear all the time.
The goal is simple: clear, practical explanations in plain language. There's often much more you can explore, but we're going to start with what it means, why it matters and how it applies to everyday riding — without making it more complicated than it needs to be.
First up:
WHAT IS A DIAGONAL?
You’ve probably heard someone say, “Check your diagonal,” “Change your diagonal,” or maybe the old standby, “Rise and fall with the leg on the wall.”
But what exactly is a diagonal — and more importantly, why does it matter?
At the trot, your horse’s legs move in diagonal pairs. The left front moves with the right hind, and the right front moves with the left hind.
When we post the trot — rising and sitting with the horse’s movement — we’re also moving in rhythm with those diagonal pairs.
That’s where being on a particular diagonal comes from.
When riding around an arena, you’ll commonly hear:
“Rise and fall with the leg on the wall.”
In simple terms, you rise as the horse’s outside front leg reaches forward and sit as it comes back.
But why does it matter?
On a circle or through a turn, your horse has to balance his body differently than he does travelling on a straight line.
Using the appropriate diagonal helps us work with that movement and balance rather than continually loading the same side in the same way.
But here’s where we sometimes make things more complicated than they need to be.
If you’re trotting straight down a trail, which diagonal is the “correct” one?
Well…correct for what?
There isn't really an inside and outside when you're travelling straight ahead.
That doesn't mean you should forget about diagonals altogether.
If you're posting for a longer stretch, changing your diagonal periodically means you aren't always rising and sitting with the same diagonal pair.
Think of carrying a heavy feed bucket.
You might be perfectly comfortable carrying it in your right hand — but if you're walking all the way back from the barn, eventually you'll probably switch hands.
Not because the other hand suddenly became the correct one.
You're simply changing the load.
Same idea.
What about in the show pen?
This is where it helps to know the rules for the particular class you're riding.
In some ranch performance classes, you may not receive a specific penalty simply because you're posting on the incorrect diagonal. But that doesn't necessarily mean it makes no difference.
A rider posting in rhythm with the appropriate diagonal through a circle, turn or change of direction can create a more balanced, polished and natural-looking overall picture.
And then there are classes where it matters much more.
In horsemanship and equitation-type classes, knowing your diagonals — and being able to recognize and change them without disrupting your horse — is an important riding skill and may be part of what is being evaluated.
So knowing your diagonals isn't just about avoiding a penalty.
It's about understanding what's happening underneath you and being able to make a deliberate choice instead of simply hoping you're on the right one.
And if you're trotting straight down the trail and suddenly realize you've been on the same diagonal for a while?
Change it. Give the other side a turn.
No crisis required.
That's really the point of understanding diagonals:
Know what they are. Know when they matter. And know when you don't need to make them more complicated than they are.
Ranch Riding & More
