[1rish]

We have been working and working and working and my 8 year old daughter still cant see or feel the diagonal from horseback. When on the ground she can but she doesn't get it on horseback and more often than not ends up on the wrong one. She just cant see it.
She understands the dynamics of it she just can't impliment it. Does anyone have any suggestions? Maybe something across the horses shoulder or ribbons on the horses leg so she can see it better when it moves forward?

[lilrider]

Count for her.. 1 2 1 2 1 2 she goes up on one down on two. Make her practice it at a walkwith you counting. Then put her on a bouncy horse if you have one. Thats how I taught one lesson kid who just didnt get it. Bessy was too smooth so I put her on Stormy (with a leadrop of course) and she figured it out quick lol Stormy is anythig but smooth. Another lesson kid just got it all of a sudden... like we worked on it for two lessons and then all of a sudden it hit her and she could do it lol.

[smitty]

Irish
I am going to take a stab at this one. I have taught hundreds of little kids to ride but not in a long time. I remember the hours in the ring of "see it going forward", "ok, you tell me when it goes forward"......and so forth.

Make her post at the walk. On the lunge no reins. Take all other distractions away...ie: steering, etc. Everytime the outside leg goes forward have her pull herself up out of the saddle using the pommel. Make her say "NOW" everytime the outside goes forward at first and then have her pull herself up....Then (so long as the horse is quiet) make her place her hand along the horses outside shoulder and feel when it goes up. Just let her sit there and do it. Make her say now everytime it goes up...she can then close her eyes and try it. Then go back to having her sit up straight and post up AT THE WALK everytime it goes forward. After you think she has this mastered try it at the trot...a few steps at a time. Make her sit to the trot first and attempt to see it go forward. When it does have her say "NOW" and then have her go up to it.

I know that this is super frustrating and she is your kid on top of it....but stay patient. IT WILL COME. Try the above.....it takes some time but all of a sudden it will come. Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dressage Princess]

or to make it even easier you can count up-down-up-down rather than 1-2-1-2-1-2 just in case she gets confused about whether to go up on 1 or 2. When she is walking, get her to look at the outside shoulder and say whenever it moves back, or get her to count out each step with that particular leg. When she has this well established, tell her that's what she'll need to look for in trot- the movement of the outside shoulder to tell her when to rise or sit. If she's just learning how to rise now, I wouldn't worry about the diagonal until she's confident and comfortable.

[Kiraral]

Does she always ride the smae horse (or pony)? Maybe put her on someone else if she does, to see if that amkes a difference. As someone else said, count up down up down with her (I do it in my head sometimes!) and ask her if shes going up when you sayd up, etc. tiesing a ribben on the outside leg isn't a bad idea either. Or maybe wrape them in opposite colors?

[oldhag]

Put a brightly coloured bandage on the off-fore, and another of a different colour on the near fore.

She'll see them then, and learn the difference.

[Blistering Winds]

The colored polos help.

I was taught....Rise and Fall with the leg on the wall.

I literally had to watch the horse. looking down, till I got the feeling when I first started. I still, to this day, on some horses, look down real fast to make sure I'm posting right. Especially the really smooth horses.

The bouncier the horse is, the easier it is to me.

But for a while, you'll have to vocalize on the ground, let her look down while you lunge the horse. Then work on her looking up and telling you which leg is forward.

one exercise we did in one of the classes I did, we had to sit the trot, and yell out when our horse was on the inside leg. Now, Now, Now, Now, that kind of thing.

And the coach would correct us if we were wrong.

[1rish]

Thank you all for the input. Having her put her hand on the shoulder is a great idea. Your idea's will all be put into motion this week.
I keep reminding myself that she is only a child but when they are your own it is harder to be patient. At least in my case anyhow. I was getting to the point I was going to pay someone else to teach her.
Thank you all very much.

[SecretAgent]

You could try giving it a rest for a few weeks. Go back to concentrating on everything else, and in a few weeks, come back to it

[Cheeky Monkey]

Kids are not always capable of learning it from "up down up down" IT only makes them worse. They try so hard to get themselves up on the up it messes everything up. IF that made any sense. So this is what I do:
Always practice on the lunge. Then the child does not need reins or to worry about anything else. Too many things in the head are not an advantage. Feeling the shoulders really helps. As does putting a sticker or something on the outsidde shoulder so she can see when it moves. And then you just help her by saying Now, NOw as the outside shoulder moves forward. IT is much easier than saying up down up down. One thing for the child to consentrate on. Another thing I just thought of, which i have never tried but I am sure would work, is putting a bell or something that makes a sound on the outside leg (if the horse will allow it). Then there is even a sound to go along with the action.
Polos only work if you are looking at the horse from the ground. A child is not able to, most of the time anyhow, lean far enought over to see the legs.
And do remember that she is only 8yrs. I have adult students who still have to look down to see the diagnol...and some of them still can't even see it.
Just practice it every ride for a few minute on the lunge line, and then help her out with it going large on her own.