Trainer: Christoph Hess
Length: 33:41 Minutes
Inside leg to outside rein - properly using diagonal aids
While riding our most direct, and the most delicate, connection is usually between the rider's hands and the horse's mouth. In this lesson judge and trainer Christoph Hess works with rider Maja to improve this connection, to make sure that the horse is actively moving from behind and swinging through the back, by working the inside leg into the direction of the outside rein. This is called the diagonal aids, an important principle of classical training and an essential skill for riders to have.
Since this horse is not particularly easy to ride, Christoph Hess notes the importance of training in a biomechanic way, letting the horse seek the bit and stretch forward. Throughout the lesson you can see an improvement in the quality of the connection that positively affects the rest of the training. A good way to check your contact: Transitions! “It’s the most clear in the transitions. If the contact is good then the transition is good” says rider Maja.