TRANSITIONS AND HALF HALTS

A good definition of a half halt is -"The momentary collection of a horse in motion" - Von Blixen-Finecke

The horse must be obedient to the rider. After initial forward work, making the horse more supple on circles, serpentines etc. the rider should train the horse to understand the restraining aids. It is best to start by practicing halts. A horse should be obedient enough to halt and stand still for a few seconds and the rider should then give with the reins. The rider should prepare for a halt by using half halts ("putting the horse into a lower gear"). Half halts are extremely vital to improve the balance and rhythm of the horse.

The idea of a half halt is to briefly shift more of the horse's weight back onto his hind legs. To do this the horse must be giving at the neck and the poll. By not giving at the neck or poll the movement will not be fluent. During a half halt the whole horse must give. It is also a way of calling the horse's attention before doing something different, preparing the horse for the next command.

Veronica Feigel and Lusty

To ride a half halt, a combination of weight, leg and hand is required. The rider should sit deeper in the saddle and apply pressure with both legs, pushing the horse into steady hands. When the rider feels the moment the horse puts more weight onto his hind legs, he must momentarily release the pressure of the reins before restoring the original contact. A rider's supple wrist is extremely important in the half halt and transition work.

The rider should practice many trot to walk transitions. As soon as the horse goes into walk, the rider should apply forward driving aids and proceed to trot again. The transition to walk puts more weight onto the hind legs and then when the horse is pushed forwards again to trot it helps to develop the "schwung" (impulsion or pushing power).

An extremely good exercise to get a lazy horse to listen to half halts (and also be "in front of the leg") is the transition – trot to walk, counting the walk steps and then immediately into trot again. First count four steps and gradually count less until there is just one walk step before the transition to trot. If the horse is lazy, the rider must enforce his forwards driving aids with the help of a light tap with the dressage whip until the horse reacts to a light aid to go forwards. A horse must be sharp to the aids of the rider, listening at all times and ready to act on the rider's command.