11/11/2026
🏇🔁 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐨 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 🔁🏇
🐴✨ When and where to change your posting diagonal is one of the questions my students ask me most, especially once they start riding serpentines, leg yields, and lengthenings. 🤔 It’s a great question, because knowing when to change and when to stay put is part of developing an independent seat. Your rising and sitting should work with your horse’s balance, not against it. ⚖️
💡 First, a quick refresher on why it matters. The rule to remember is simple: rise and fall with the shoulder on the wall. Posting on the correct diagonal helps your horse turn a little more easily, and it puts your balance over your horse’s inside hind leg. Interestingly, a judge won’t mark you down for being on the wrong posting diagonal. But being on the correct one helps your horse balance and turn effectively, which is why it’s worth paying attention to. 🎯
Here’s how I approach the posting diagonal in some of the most common movements you’ll ride: 👇
🔄 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰-𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐩 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬: 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥
The shallow-loop serpentine, where you ride from K out to X and back to H, shows up in Training Level Test 3. As a general rule of thumb, I do not change my posting diagonal here. Yes, the bend changes, but you’re not traveling much of a distance. When you’re only changing the bend slightly, changing your diagonal can actually throw your horse off balance. 😬 If you did want to change, the place to do it is at the quarterline, where the bend changes direction, and then again as you bend back toward the track.
↔️𝐋𝐞𝐠 𝐲𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐬: 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥
In a leg yield at the posting trot, I usually change my posting diagonal because it’s much easier to put your leg on as your seat comes into the saddle. 🦵 When you’re out of the saddle, it’s really difficult to use your leg effectively...𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒑𝒔! 𝑰 𝒎𝒂𝒙𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕! 🗣 Read all my tips and watch the video: https://amelianewcombdressage.com/dressage-training/when-to-change-your-posting-diagonal/?utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=Weekly+Education
Happy Riding! 🐴
Amelia
📌 P.S. If you want to feel more balanced and effective in the saddle, my free Independent Seat webinar is a resource my students love. 🎓 It’s the perfect next step for building a secure, confident posting trot and beyond. Join the free webinar here: https://amelianewcombdressage.com/free-rider-position-training-wf/?utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=EGRPBWeb
