Can someone explain half halt?

[bex1984]

As title really...please can someone explain how you do it, and why you do it, and what it should achieve?

Thanksies

 

[jumpthemoon]

It's like asking for a downward transition, but as soon as you get a response from the horse you let it carry on. Basically the idea is to get the horse's attention and make sure it is listening before asking for something else - so you would half halt then ask for an upward/downward transition etc.

Can also be used if horse is playing up or a bit fresh - tanking off. It just gets their attention and encourages them to sit back on the hocks a little more.

Hope that helps

 

[firstOverture]

A half halt is basically the slowing down of the front end until the back end engages and then the immediate resumation of the front end. You do this to balance the horse and it also increases the horse's attention.

There are a million different opinions on how to best achieve this and it sometimes ends up a very complex and hard to define process; talking about keeping one's pelvis straight but moving one's seat backwards and pushing out one's tummy etc. etc. All of which is correct, but has made it harder for me, personally, to understand and put into practice when learning.

I 'feel' the rein that is on the same side as the hindleg that is touching down whilst giving a leg aid to that hindleg to encourage more of a step under until it actually lands. Keep the feel on the rein and have an unyielding seat throughout.

 

[Pasha]

I like to think of it as slowing the front-end to let the back-end catch up, step under a little more and re-balance.

I use them before transitions to let my boy know something is going to happen, before corners and turns to take them in balance and during the pace to re-balance and establish the rythum and speed I want

 

[jumpthemoon]

Here you go Bex, have a look at this....

Half halts

 

[bex1984]

thanks, gosh...looks very complicated for the likes of me!!!

When I did a jumping clinic recently, instructor said Murphy was really listening to my half halts....I didn't even know I was doing any!!

 

[jumpthemoon]

PMSL!!

 

[bex1984]

well.....at least something was slowing him down (he was in turbo charged mode that day - he didn't want to trot over trotting poles so he jumped two at once...) I was just sitting deep and squeezing the outside rein to get him to slow down...so does that count as a half halt?!

 

[jumpthemoon]

Yes, that's basically a half halt

Normally, though you would put keep your leg on to keep the activity in the hind leg, so he would come back to you, but not necessarily slow down.

 

[kerilli]

It's basically asking the horse to wait and listen, and a rebalancing/engaging moment.
If you're doing them without realising, I take my hat off to you!

 

[lizzylulu]

In one of my first lessons I apparently did a lovely half halt! I was like what! Never ever been able to did it when actually trying to do it!

Well done you

 

[gummybear]

I have recently started training with a new instructor, and she has advised me to half halt through my inner thighs!

By using your seat you should be able to sit deep, squeeze with your inner thighs momentarily and this should engage the horse more. I have to say, once I got to grips with it I was amazed at how easy it was - suits my horse much better as he has a tendancy to lean on the hand. It has also done wonders for my muscle tone!

 

[bex1984]

I think I am maybe just used to trying every possible combination of sitting tight and hanging on to try to get the little monster to stop/slow down!