A true half-halt

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Sprat

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I have had a rather slow day at work and have found myself pouring over youtube watching various different riding videos, and it has made me ponder, what would you class as a true half-halt?

The reason I ask is that I have seen a couple of different videos (from GP riders) defining it as 2 different things.

In one video, Emile Faurie has said that the half-halt is to come totally from the seat, and that a 'pull' on the rein will cause the neck to shorten and therefore would not be a balancing aid.

In another video Natasha Althoff (had never heard of her until I stumbled across her video series, apparently a GP rider in AUS) has said that the half-halt comes from a definite pull from the outside rein which then causes the horse to sit back and re-balance.

Opinions?

My take on a half-halt is from the seat, with slight rein resistance if required, I would be very interested to hear others opinions.
 
Like almost everything with horses it depends on where the horse is in it's training and what you are trying to achieve at the given time, a GP horse will probably half halt and rebalance from the seat alone, a greener younger horse more on it's forehand will require more help to achieve far less until it has developed more fully, so in my view both are correct, and so are you, as all the horses are different.
 
be positive said:
Like almost everything with horses it depends on where the horse is in it's training and what you are trying to achieve at the given time, a GP horse will probably half halt and rebalance from the seat alone, a greener younger horse more on it's forehand will require more help to achieve far less until it has developed more fully, so in my view both are correct, and so are you, as all the horses are different.
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^^ like! :D
Therefore I'd say a 'true' half halt is not about the aids used, but the effect produced by them.
 
I found the Mary Wanless description of it as "walk, don't walk" (when in trot) was very helpful - it produces a tiny pause in my pony's forward momentum that helps him rebalance. I try not to vary the rein contact and simply think "walk, don't walk", so I guess i am using my seat to get the desired effect.
 
tatty_v said:
I found the Mary Wanless description of it as "walk, don't walk" (when in trot) was very helpful - it produces a tiny pause in my pony's forward momentum that helps him rebalance. I try not to vary the rein contact and simply think "walk, don't walk", so I guess i am using my seat to get the desired effect.
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Yes I have found that is helping me with my young mare. Though the more I think about doing it, the more I tend to over ride it and it all goes a bit squiffy.

I'm glad to see I'm roughly along the right lines!
 
Depends on the horse entirely; some will come up and under from the bracing of the back alone, some will nead a gurt big stop on the rein. I prefer the first sort...
 
Sprat said:
I'm currently in between the two Cortez, and hoping to be able to lose the rein aid altogether
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Well, the reins are there for a purpose (to shape and direct the power), so don't be thinking it's all about "no reins". A horse which is behind or afraid of the contact is by far the hardest to ride - I know; I've got one.
 
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