Flawless equitation?

This is a question involving diagonals. I know my diagonals but I want to succeed this show year in eq, and I can't figure out how to pick up the correct diagonal right away. Like straight from the transition. I don't want to have to look down in the middle of my patterns anymore. Does anyone know the trick like every 3rd stride is the left diagonal I forget what my worlds trainer taught me.

This took me a while to understand, but I picked it up on my own.
Left Diagonal- Every ODD numbered stride
Right Diagonal- Every EVEN numbered stride

Example: if you were to picked up the right diagonal, sit down on stride and post the second

Hope this helps!!

Thank you so much! This sounds perfect!

Wait, I don't understand. Would love to know more :)
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Diagonal = lead?
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The diagonal is the leg you post to while trotting in English. You "rise and fall with the leg on the wall" - when the leg against the tail is forward, you should be up. If you are following that leg then you are on the correct diagonal. If you're not then you are on the wrong diagonal.

Now if there's no wall (like if you're on the trail) you pick a leg and go with it. If you're going for extended periods you want to swap. I usually hear diagonals referred to left diagonal and right diagonal in cases like that.

The counting method only works if you know which leg you're starting the count on. If you start counting when the right leg is forward the those numbers are backwards.

To swap diagonals, you stay down for 2 beats then resume the normal up-down.

You have to develop the feel for it. You will learn how to feel when your horses shoulders are moving and this when to post.
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I tech my riders to think inside and outside - If you are in an arena then the outside is against the fence line/wall and the inside is towards the middle. The ride always sits as the outside shoulder comes back.

In a competition you will always have the ring ropes there to define the 'outside' try to use just your eyes to see if you ar correct.

Also work on developing the feel for a diagonal - start all your trots sitting and then rise - feel which hind leg pushed you up. Check and then try again.

Agree with tnavas, and for me, it helps to feel where MY hip tends to move with the correct diagonal. So for instance I feel my hips move out and forward when the outside shoulder/foreleg is moving forward. At least, it feels that way to me.

Diagonals were the hardest thing for me to pick up when I was riding english. My trainer still has me using them on my barrel horses although most barrel racers won't think about it.

For me it was just constant repetition. Having my trainer on the ground telling me before I looked down until I could feel the difference.

Always sit the first few steps of the trot. It is all learning to feel it rather than looking for it, just like your leads at the canter. Practice sitting and feeling for the movement. It just takes practice. It took me forever to feel my diagonals but now its second nature. I don't have to look anymore. At shows I will glance down to double check...because nothing is more embarrassing than loosing the flat portion of your medal because you picked up the wrong diagonal.