Exercises to improve halt

S

soloequestrian

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 January 2009
Messages
3,140
Visit site
Mare is starting to get a bit stronger and able to work from behind - her trot particularly is coming on really well. She is fairly responsive to the halt aid but tends to halt with her back legs very slightly camped out behind her so that when I ask her to walk it's not that easy for her so not a neat transition - she can't push up easily from the position of her hind leg. I really don't think there is anything wrong, she is just big, coping with a less than perfect jockey and hasn't quite got her balance all the time yet. I'm wondering about exercises that might help us collect into the halt if anyone has ideas?
TIA
 
Back up a couple of steps?

I remember spending one schooling session practicing halts, although my horse was older and more experienced than yours.

She had a tendency to swing to one side, instead of halting square. So I tried lots of different things. Turned out that it was me (wonder!). If I only squeezed with one hand instead of two she would remain square, so she was simply obeying my not very good aids when she stepped to one side.
 
I too once spent a whole lesson halting. It is sometimes easier to halt square from trot,so one can trot up the centre line and halt at X just for fun
 
I'm a bit worried about backing up because I did used to do that and she got in the habit of stepping backwards to square up every time we stopped.
I have been working on trot halt but it's not instant yet so she just tends to do the same thing - almost like she squares herself up beautifully at the front by shuffling her front feet forwards which leaves the back ones a bit too far back. She's doing a great rectangular halt...
 
I think you get marked down more if you square up by going backwards so might not be good for her to get used to doing it that way.. do you do any sideways movements as that can help to strengthen them. Or wonder if a pole on the ground might help, lay it across the centre line and try and halt so her hinds step over into halt , will take a few goes till you get your eye in but might help. Have never done that myself just thinking outside of the box
 
I have terrible halts and have worked on them with my trainer this weekend. It turns out we don't actually have terrible halts, we have a problem with backing off the contact before the halt.

The exercise we used was to bring the trot back to as small a trot as possible before halting, but push the trot forward again if he drops the bridle at all. You must come forward into the halt. Take your time and don't halt unless they are taking you forward even in the little trot.

Do not ever correct the halt by going backwards!
 
Strength, balance, straightness - the usual malarkey!
Plenty of half halts and transitions within a paces, keeping the shoulders up and the hind leg coming.
 
Good point - perhaps I just don't worry about it and work on being generally better! She has come on a lot recently, balance is feeling better especially in trot. My instructor always says that as you get one thing you lose another for a bit so that's maybe what's happening!
 
ihatework said:
Strength, balance, straightness - the usual malarkey!
Plenty of half halts and transitions within a paces, keeping the shoulders up and the hind leg coming.
Click to expand...
Basically this play around with half halts one of mine likes to be ridden with lots of half halts it really helps him with balance and focus, my other horse can be ridden without any half halts at all.

Get your instructor or someone to help you from the ground so they can see what's happening.
 
Counting down from 3 into every halt can really help to make sure you are preparing well and not using just rein aids to halt.
1) Round up
2) Balance up (both basically a half halt but making sure that when the frame rounds the weight doesn't drop onto the forehand which leaves the hind legs out behind)
3) And halt (using breathe out legs on rather than rein to stop)
You can practice from walk first. Never accept a halt that just happens without balance, and never ask for one without the process, and they do learn. It helps a lot to have someone watching to tell you quickly that its a good one, so you can do a big reward straight away
I find with mares especially as they are more likely to over think that if you do back up too often you can get in a rut of scooting backwards too easily.
 
soloequestrian said:
Mare is starting to get a bit stronger and able to work from behind - her trot particularly is coming on really well. She is fairly responsive to the halt aid but tends to halt with her back legs very slightly camped out behind her so that when I ask her to walk it's not that easy for her so not a neat transition - she can't push up easily from the position of her hind leg. I really don't think there is anything wrong, she is just big, coping with a less than perfect jockey and hasn't quite got her balance all the time yet. I'm wondering about exercises that might help us collect into the halt if anyone has ideas?
TIA
Click to expand...
 
A lot of pros will have someone on the floor to encourage the horse to square up once halted, if they leave a leg out by habit.
And be consistent. Every halt square, out hacking, at the mounting block, when you're at clinics etc

If both backlegs are camped out, but together, then yes I would say 'just' more work on strength, balance and having a shorter base but with a long neck.
 
i do a lot of trot to halt, and only expect good halts later in the session, and ask for sharp halts, which are the ones that bring the hinds under the horse

i make sure everything is going well before asking and only ask with my seat and legs, the best ones bring up the horses shoulders and neck into a good position for the depart to trot with lots of impulsion
 
For me the key is FORWARD into halt. Too many people just woah and put the breaks on. You almost need to think half steps (but not quite), so the body kind of comes to a stand still but the legs keep moving for a few more steps to allow the hind end to come under into the halt. Also being able to ride downward transitions from the seat so that as the seat says woah, the leg can quietly say forward.
 
  • Like
Reactions: tda
Matafleur said:
It turns out we don't actually have terrible halts, we have a problem with backing off the contact before the halt.
Click to expand...

soloequestrian said:
Good point - perhaps I just don't worry about it and work on being generally better!
Click to expand...

Yep - balance, balance, balance. Work her to stabilise her behind, help her brake better behind (never talked about, but hind legs need to do the braking), she'll lighten in front (pushing up through the front legs) and be able to halt more easily.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top