Half Pass help

charlie76

charlie76

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My horse has a mental block about half pass, he can leg yeild, traver, shoulder in happily but when I move on the half pass I can't keep the bend and forwardness. Any hints or tips please.
I wonder if I am asking for too much bend?
 
Easiest way i've found to start to teach half pass is to shoulder in down the long side and when you get to the middle marker ask your horse to move toward the center line keeping the shoulder in position. Only do a couple of steps then ride straight to the end of the school and give your pony a pat! Increase the number of steps of half pass when your horse is feeling happy and balanced. Once you've got this do a 10m circle in the corner at the start of the long side then keep the bend and ask your horse to move over in half pass...

I hope this makes sense! I know what I'm trying to discribe but its difficult to write down!
 
I think it is much easier from the centre line towards the wall! It is much easier for horses to go back to the wall rather than away from it. So you could start with a few strides of shoulder-in down the centre line, then do a really nice, long half pass all the way to M or H.

It is possible you ask for too much bend but maybe it's even more likely that the half-pass you ask for is too steep? Where/to where do you ask normally?

Down the centre line, to the corner at the bottom of the arena (so, from A to M or from A to H) is what you should be asking for.

In a 20x60 arena, a half-pass from corner to corner is already very steep.

If travers is established there is no reason why he shouldn't also find half-passes easy, as they're virtually the same thing!
 
if you think you are asking for too much end...you probably are! ride a 10m circle in the corner, ask for a few steps then ride forward out of it in to an active trot on a 15m circle then pick up the HP agin for a few stride, then circle away etc etc,far better to get 3 nice steps then circle than try for the whole diagonal and end up crabby sideways at snail speed.

remember that each movement should improve the basic way of going so you arent just riding the Hp for the sake of it, it should improve the suppleness and enagagement and swing of his *normal* paces.

if its the forward and sideways you lose then alternate the Hp with leg yield to get him forward and stepping under again then change the flexion.
 
If you are already having problems I wouldn't go from SI as there you are asking for for forwards and sideways away from your inside leg and as you now want forwards and sideways towards your inside leg for HP it could confuse your horse even more - you could try using travers on a 10m circle around a corner (so in effect a very large pirouette) and then keep the same aids as you come on to the centre line and ask for half pass back to the track in a teardrop, to start with you will have the quarters leading as you really exaggerate the bend, but it will give you the idea and the right feeling, then as your horse gets the idea of moving into the bend you can straighten it to a correct half pass.

Are you able to change from SI to travers to renvers to counter SI at any time you choose along the long side? Getting your horse obedient to this will help
 
Twirly said:
Are you able to change from SI to travers to renvers to counter SI at any time you choose along the long side? Getting your horse obedient to this will help
Click to expand...

Sorry to jump in but isn't travers and renvers the same thing when going in a straight line on the same rein? Travers you move the quarters in, renvers you move the shoulder in, but ultimately they are in the same position?

C76 i'd try coming into the HP from travers rather than SI as said above it's more similar in asking so horse doesn't get too confused at the change of aids. I would also ask for a few strides and then ride straight or circle rather than keep going. Try changing the bend and do a few strides of LY and then change back, to stop the horse getting 'stuck'.
 
I am not exactly the h-p expert (having recently exited the school when attempting h-p right), but here's my two penies worth in case it helps. R seemed to be dyslexic about the h-p as well and I thought more 'leg yield with a straight neck' and 'leg yield with a tiny bit of wrong bend'. He then seemed to get it!

Might be totally wrong though in terms of proper training as I made this up myself!! (and might explain why we can't go straight after h-p right!!).
 
My horse found HP difficult, so i started with by asking for a couple of steps of Traver across the diagnol.
Then when he'd got the hang of that he would still start to become stiff through the movement & hop & bring his head up getting really stuck in the process, so i found SI out of the corner into a couple of steps of good HP then Leg yeild back to the track very useful. It also helps place the rider in the right spot for the HP as well which is very important.

However my revelation was that my horse still wasnt supple enough through the back & especially his neck. Now ive worked on both issues & can really place his head & neck where i want his HP is coming on a real treat.
However he will still hop & try to set his neck & bring his head up on me if he's not really working through his back. So it makes me have to make sure he's really through & swinging.

You should be able to ride HP in all frames when a horse is soft & really swinging through.

Also get you instructor to watch how your riding the HP it may be that it's you imparing the HP. No offence meant by that at all btw but many forget about the rider.
 
Saratoga said:
Sorry to jump in but isn't travers and renvers the same thing when going in a straight line on the same rein? Travers you move the quarters in, renvers you move the shoulder in, but ultimately they are in the same position?
Click to expand...

Um..no...on the right rein in Travers you are bending horse around your right leg, shoulders straight and on the outside track / quarters in moving forwards. In Renvers on the right rein you are bending horse around your left leg, shoulders are in off the track and straight, quarters to the wall moving forwards. Both are collecting exercises and both are useful for mobilising the inside hind leg - different leg depending on which you are doing.

Renvers is barely taught these days and not used in tests, mores the pity!

Counter shoulder in and Renvers use the same bend in the same direction, but again with CSI horse is bent around outside leg and moving away from the leg and RV bent around outside leg and moving towards the leg

God it gets more confusing the more you write, far easier to hop on and show someone lol!!
 
Twirly said:
Um..no...on the right rein in Travers you are bending horse around your right leg, shoulders straight and on the outside track / quarters in moving forwards. In Renvers on the right rein you are bending horse around your left leg, shoulders are in off the track and straight, quarters to the wall moving forwards. Both are collecting exercises and both are useful for mobilising the inside hind leg - different leg depending on which you are doing.

Renvers is barely taught these days and not used in tests, mores the pity!

Counter shoulder in and Renvers use the same bend in the same direction, but again with CSI horse is bent around outside leg and moving away from the leg and RV bent around outside leg and moving towards the leg

God it gets more confusing the more you write, far easier to hop on and show someone lol!!
Click to expand...

No totally makes sense, i was confusing myself and thinking about it being on a straight line rather than on a certain rein, so thinking of the different between travers left, and renvers right, which is why i thought it was pretty much the same positioning....but am with you now!!
 
Twirly said:
If you are already having problems I wouldn't go from SI as there you are asking for for forwards and sideways away from your inside leg and as you now want forwards and sideways towards your inside leg for HP it could confuse your horse even more - you could try using travers on a 10m circle around a corner (so in effect a very large pirouette) and then keep the same aids as you come on to the centre line and ask for half pass back to the track in a teardrop, to start with you will have the quarters leading as you really exaggerate the bend, but it will give you the idea and the right feeling, then as your horse gets the idea of moving into the bend you can straighten it to a correct half pass.
Click to expand...

thats how i did it with my older mare :)
 
I am going to print this off and read it and digest!
Could you just confirm how you would be sat and the aids you would use, just in case I have been taught totally wrong!
 
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OK, don't shoot me down if I have this wrong but I was taught that the inside leg on the girth is the most important and your weight should be over the inside hip to make sure the horse is accepting the bend (sounds simple, but I find it quite tough to do). Outside leg behind the girth, inside hand showing the bend and outside hand a bit open.

How close am I????
 
Yes, the inside leg is the most important (same effect on bend as it has in a shoulder-in, which is why it is normally a good idea to start a half-pass from a shoulder in; the other reason is that that way you go with the shoulders leading which is also really important as quarters leading is a big fault).
The inside hand shows the bend, the outside hand maintains the contact but depending on the bend might go slightly forward to allow the inside bend.
 
My tip would be to do some quarters in in walk on a small circle first, almost a walk pirouette, once you are doing this successfully then you will have the right feel of the aids for hp.

For your hp start in walk as this gives you more time to correct your position and that of your horse. Make sure that the shoulders are leading and be careful when doing hp back to the track as it is very easy to lose the bend on the last few strides when the 'magnetic' effect of the wall comes into effect.

You've been given lots of other good tips, good luck!
 
If your horse does leg yielding try riding this with him straight rather than positioning him away from direction of movement. Also improve the bend by riding straight but with the positioning for 1/2 pass, being able to keep the bend without too much inside rein. your outside hand needs to stay close to the neck. Then you can put the 2 together. Also work in travers, then ride travers across the diagonal (if you are in a long arena). 1/2 pass should be ridden in a shoulder in position not travers - the inside leg doesn't block the movement as the forehand should be pointing towards the marker you are going to so the feeling is that the shoulder come out infront of the inside leg. This also means the bend will be correct as it shouldn't be more than to the marker you are going to.
Your inside leg is on the girth to keep the energy and bend, outside leg behind the girth to bring the outside hind leg forward and sideways, inside rein gives the direction but is not strong and outside rein stays close to the neck and controls the outline,balance,speed,etc.
The medium/PSG 1/2 pass is half the diagonal, similar to the line from D to M or H in the short arena.
 
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