Dressage People - How do you teach that fabulous halt?

[Anyplace Farm]

Western people and dressage people seem to have the best damn schooled horses on the flat and their horses always can do the halt from simply a shift in weight and a close of the leg.

How do you teach this?

[EqTrainer]

Tee hee, I have often been referred to as the Queen of Whoa.

I start in-hand and teach them to stop the minute I begin to breathe the word Whoa. Then I transfer it to on the longe line. Then when I begin riding them, I combine the word with the body aid. I sit clearly on both seatbones, STOP my seat from following and push my stomach at my hand while saying WHOA. They stop. Usually really well. If they don't, I apply one rein upward and repeat. But really, they usually do it right away very well.

Retraining is different and usually requires my whip to teach them to come under and stop. But if I get to do them first it's really quite easy.

Last year I had someone start a horse for me and I had done all of the groundwork first. He told me later that I should have warned him, because the very first time he said WHOA and lifted his hands the horse (first ride) almost flipped him over his head.

It helps, IMO, to think about the halt being a suspended motion. The way I ride it, they step into it... hold it.. and then step out of it. The transfer to the half halt is so simple. I don't halt and then lollygag around :lol: which is not to say I won't sit on a young horse and teach a lesson.. I do .. but then I let them stand around on a loose rein. Not halt at attention!

[MassageLady]

What she said:yes:
And many people think of the halt as 'pulling back' on the reins-you must think forward!! Push the horse into the bit...never pull back, use your seat to push the horse, but at the same time you stop your motion-sort of a 'sit and drag':lol: (think of sitting deep in the saddle...then dragging your butt on the arena floor).

[Dalfan]

The old man I used to lease required just sitting a little bit deeper and a slight lowering of my heels. Same with the other schoolmasters I took lessons on, just a slight,slight shift of weight/pelvis. They were cool.

[BaroquePony]

After you have begun teaching the horse to listen to each leg as an individual aid ... ride them up into a square halt using both seat bones and both legs into hands that offer slight resistance. If they halt with one hind leg slightly back, rather than under as both legs should be, then you only have to ask with your leg for them to bring the straggling back leg under further to match the other leg, and voila, a square halt, ready to explode into a forward movement when asked, or walk out calmly when the reins are dropped and you ask for a walk.

[jme]

I tighten my core muscles, sit deeper and ever so lightly close my fingers on the reins- so lightly that I barely notice it myself. I also make sure my horse is already in front of my leg. That helps in a good halt. If they're lagging around, their halts tend to be dull too.

To teach it... As the training itself comes, the good halts come along too. I don't believe it is something you can just train. You can teach "whoa", but a good, square halt comes from good, basic training.

[Sancudo]

What they said:

Think forward, active, sitting etc. I half-halt about a stride out to get them thinking sitting, then sit deep, leg on, exhale, close hands.

one of the proudest moments of my life: http://s20.photobucket.com/albums/b249/DaylightComes/?action=view&current=lexingtonva004.jpg

My 10.

[kashmere]

one of my big "aha!" moments occurred when i realized that the halt was a forward movement that required impulsion and leg, just like any other movement. it's embarrassing to say how excited and surprised i was. i'm a nice girl; not too bright. :lol: a nice, square, correct halt happens for me when my mare is marching actively forward (in whatever gait, but let's say a walk) hind end engaged and motoring; i keep my leg on, shouldersback/halfhalt, breathe deep, drop my weight into my seat and heels, tighten my core muscles and brace myself against the mare's movements. she steps into the halt and actually follows through with her hind end :) when a halt is asked for by removing the leg and bracing the hand, the horse generally stops, but is probably more prone to "creeping" and instead of stopping squarely, will kind of peter out mid stride with his or her feet all over the place.

[Equa]

I read somewhere recently a top trainer (think it might have been Heath Ryan) who said that the way he trained good halts was to make a nice a halt, and wait until the horse took a nice big deep breath before saying "Good!" and moving off to something else. That way, you train the relaxation in the halt rather than just the halt, plus the anticipation that something (good? bad? indifferent?) will follow. I've been waiting for the nice big deep breath, and my horse's halts have really improved.

[San Miranda]

Try this exercise;

place your legs over the front of your saddle and wriggle your bum down into the saddle, without moving your seat or your pelvis slowly lift and move your legs back and place your feet back into the striups. Important not to move your seat. The lift the knee slightly away from the saddle and rotate your thigh back. Important not to move your seat.

Walk and do a small 8 meter circle right around your inside leg. Look right back towards your horses tail and when you come back to the long side breath out and down while at the same time moving your outside shoulder back. and your horse will halt, even if it is the first time he has been ridden.

Let me know how you go.

Kylie

[EqTrainer]

I read somewhere recently a top trainer (think it might have been Heath Ryan) who said that the way he trained good halts was to make a nice a halt, and wait until the horse took a nice big deep breath before saying "Good!" and moving off to something else. That way, you train the relaxation in the halt rather than just the halt, plus the anticipation that something (good? bad? indifferent?) will follow. I've been waiting for the nice big deep breath, and my horse's halts have really improved.

I do this when I mount any horse and before I get off. Can't say I want them that relaxed in the halt during, for example, a test. I want them ready to step off into the next gait with impulsion. But I do ALWAYS wait for this when I first get on, and always before I get off (unless it was unplanned ;)

[LookinSouth]

I can't give advice on how to train for a nice square halt cause that's what is already installed :winkgrin:. I can explain how to get it from him though.
I only compete BN so right now I mostly post my tests (hope to sit this coming season :D) but I ALWAYS sit those last few strides before turning onto the centerline to halt.

This is probably very elementary but I've found that sitting the last few strides before turning onto centerline makes for a better halt. The times I've sat the trot down centerline I've scored 7's or better on my halt. Drive foward with active lower legs down the centerline; about two strides before halt I just squeeze my outside rein to let my horse know that yes we are going to be halting. Then I sit deep, clsoe my thighs, close my hands softly. If I do this too abruptly my horse does more of a "sliding halt" :lol: It has taken some practice to get it smooth and elastic.

[Ginger]

Congratulations, Sancudo. That's beautiful!

[BaroquePony]

LOL

"...and always before I get off (unless it was unplanned ;)"

[Anyplace Farm]

I sit clearly on both seatbones, STOP my seat from following and push my stomach at my hand while saying WHOA. They stop. Usually really well. If they don't, I apply one rein upward and repeat. But really, they usually do it right away very well.


Guess what, Queen of Whoa? THIS worked!!! Honestly, I only remembered the 'push my stomach at my hand' part and it worked!! Granted, I already knew and practiced closing my leg and holding my body but I held my body solidly to the bitter end before. This time, I did everything the same but from canter, went to the sitting, then, those last few steps of the sitting, I just relaxed my lower back and did a push-push towards my hand and voila!!!! in two or three steps, the halt!! Wasn't perfect but a HUGE improvement!! He even stayed very balanced and flexed nicely for this and stayed flexed as I moved back up into the trot.

I did it probably three more times to make sure it wasn't a fluke. Nope. Perfect! He got lots of praise and pats. But once, he looked back at me over his shoulder like, "Idiot. Give yourself a pat for finally figuring it out."

Great tip that really worked for me!!! Thanks!!!!:D

[Mrsmph]

I am curious though...Use of voice in a test is -2. Once the halt is trained with the voice as the catslyst, how do you eliminate it? My gelding has no idea of what the word "whoa" means, but he stops dead in his tracks when I ask him to halt while I am riding him...Lunging him, it is still without my voice, it is my body language that stops him... Thanks!

[talkofthetown]

I figured I would reopen this instead of starting a new thread...several of you mentioned that a square halt comes with lots of practice, but HOW do you practice halting square? I know the principles; the horse can't halt square if he's unbalanced, on a circle, etc, but even on my gelding's best "straight" days, I've only managed a couple really nice, square halts. How do you encourage this? I'm talking about your average, middle-of-the-road horse; not the greenies, and not the schoolmasters that you just *think* about one of their legs and they'll move it for you.

[MyReality]

Square halt comes from a horse that is in balance and relatively straight. Because dressage is about promoting the horse's balance and straightness, there is really no need to practice a square halt, except to using it to test the level of engagement and connection.

It comes naturally when you practice dressage and not just the halt. The horse's response will be sharper (because he is more balanced, more connected and engaged, etc. not necessarily because he finally understand what you're asking). He is also more square (again, because of balance and straightness, and without rider disturbing him, he could halt square). Therefore it is a concept of enabling the horse.

When you practice a square halt, mostly you're practicing how to enhance the purity of your aids, how to prepare the horse and how to not disturb the horse or even promote his balance. When a horse is not square, it is because the rider is crooked or the horse is crooked, it is NOT a concrete concept of this 'square halt' that the horse doesn't get.

When a horse is not straight, a skilled rider can correct the crookedness, moments leading to the halt, and right at the moment of halt. Consistent correction will result in that 'schoolmaster' behavior, as the horse anticipates the expectation and will correct himself (as long as the rider enables him). When a rider is not skilled, she needs to learn first how to not disturb the horse, then learn how to add clarity to the aid and increase the connection with the horse, lastly learn how to influence his balance in preparation of the halt and as the halt is happening.