Halts - a how to guide please.

[Joss]

My horse's new trick for 2009 is stepping back from his halts. I have a dressage lesson on Saturday but has anybody got any tips? He comes into a fairly good square halt but when I take one hand off to salute starts to back off.

So, do I just kick him forward & keep practising? He is good at rein back & I wont practise rein back at all...............

Is there anything more refined than just kicking him forward?

 

[JessPickle]

May sound mad but what about trying to halt one handed for a bit, so there is no change when your hands come of the reins. I have seen it work in the past.

 

[Joss]

I like your idea Jess - I will try

 

[ajf]

Our dressage trainer always teaches us on the youg horses to halt, then walk forward a step and halt, so they learn halt is forward if that makes sense. But I like Jess's idea!

 

[kerilli]

what aids are you giving to halt? if you do it with your pelvis not with your hands, he won't feel a 'block' in front that makes him think backwards. just a thought.