Square Halts

[Jade2007]

I was wondering how to get your horse to stand square.

In dressage tests I always get a 5 for halt. salute. because he doesnt seem to stand square. The front end is correct, but the back end always seems to be slightly out. However, he has a dodgy leg so he's always slightly stiff (he had an acciddent about two years ago and was on 10 months box rest) could this be why? Any tips on how to solve this problem would be appreciated

*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

 

[eventergirl87]

halt inbetween poles each time have someone on the ground to move the back pole up (my horse used to stand with his hind like in the next county!) they soon get the idea!

 

[Partoow]

The development of the halt is about balance and preparation.
All transitions, especially the halt should be first in the hindlegs and then in the front. The fact that your boy is halting square in front suggests he is slightly on the forehand. This would be consistent with being a little weak in his hind legs but this is where dressage and the use of exercises like walk trot/trot walk transitions. These transitions encourage the hind leg to become stronger in a gentle way as well as training the response to you from your aids.
Work on a square rather than a circle and use the facing of the fence to give you a stop point. As you come to the halt draw up in your spine, keep your elbows heavey and the hand light so that you have a good angle in your elbow. Keep the hips open so that the leg 'surrounds' the horse and as you come to the halt make 'feels' in the rein like the wrist to the elbow shortens resist the forward by pushing down in the diaphram [ this is the same feeling you get when you cough] and also close in the thigh. This will make the halt more about stepping under and less about falling onto your hand. The halt will then be more on the hind and more often than not square. also make sure you sit evenly on both seat bones as this will also effect how he stands behind. Be aware due to his weakness he will not support you on that side and you will have the tendancy to sit on his 'strong side' so the balance can be supported in the seat too.
Repetition repetition, repetition is also the key so that he becomes stonger little by little.

 

[kerilli]

if he always leaves the same hindleg, then have a few sessions with a helper on the ground to tell you when it's left behind, and when he's stepped up with it. give light taps with the whip on that haunch, and then slight squeezes with the leg on that side, until he gets the idea.
i did some bandage work in hand the other day (tail bandage around base of neck, and then 2 more linked, around quarters and back to link through first behind wither. it's a tellington jones thing. my new mare halted perfectly square every single time with the bandage round her quarters, as if she finally knew where her bum was! only takes 5 mins, might help to give him the idea of what a square halt feels like.

 

[crabbymare]

As the others have said, and you may also find it useful to sometimes do a very slight leg yield, more a feel than an actual yield, into the halts at home (not all the time though) to get that leg to step under more.