How do I get a square halt?

[Snowy Celandine]

Or indeed any halt? I am having huge problems getting my mare to halt square at the end of a dressage test. We are only working at Prelim. She always manages to get her quarters to the right, no matter how I sit

I suspect that it's rider error as usual but I can't seem to sort it out. I've been practising today and we can do it alongside the walls but not at "G". She seems to tense up (so I guess I am tensing up myself) right at the end of a test and we fly down the centre line like maniacs with me wondering if we'll actually halt at all or if we'll come to an abrupt stop on the judge's car

Any advice please, other than give up riding tomorrow

*Added by admin*: See how Michael Eilberg teaches his horses to halt square every time at http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/features/michael-eilberg-how-to-achieve-a-square-halt-video-509813

 

[competitiondiva]

Ask for trot and immediately (before she breaks) sit deep and ask for halt, she'll engage behind ready to move forward and then on going into halt she'll be level behind, keep your leg contact throughout, use your seat and reins for the halt aid. This is from a walk, practise this first to teach her how to halt correctly. Then when trying it from trot, do lots of half halts inbetween and make sure the trot is fluid, rhythmic and relaxed, make sure she's engaged properly and try to relax your seat and sit deep, if your confident enough try doing some no stirrup work to deepen your seat. Make sure you keep her engaged when asking for halt. Good luck!

Also try lots of trot to halt and immediately back into trot, so that when she does a halt she'll be engaged ready for the strike off again. Don't do it every time or she'll pre-empt you and not halt for long, but enough that she'll keep her engagement through the halt!

And if she's prone to stepping sideways out of it, initially do it down the straight sides (along fence line), then do it through an alley of trotting poles down the centre then move the poles further and further out as she learns not to side step.

 

[Snowy Celandine]

Thanks compdiva! Will try your advice out tomorrow. It seems so silly to throw away all my marks for the halt every time we go out

 

[naid pollyanna]

well a square halt comes from the back end(hind legs engaging) i usually can achieve it by asking the horse to step back(rein back) as this also engages the back end then ask for a halt but with a slight forward motion so they dont just stop with the legs still planning on going backwards
once in the halt do not just instantly throw the rein at it and release the leg all the way from the movement before the halt and the halt itself should be performed while holding the horse with your legs.
you can then move on to a halt from walk or trot even to do this try to get the steps nice and rhythmical then as your approaching your halt perform a movement called bear down(push your seat bones right down into the saddle) and hold the horse with your leg then simply ask for halt it may take a few times at first xx