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THE HALF HALT

In the texts where you talk about the rider's hands and the tension and usage of the reins, you do not mention half halts. Do you actually advise against them?


Half halts are given a lot of virtues, and everybody has their own way to execute them. There are those riders who abruptly put their mounts in line and on their haunches with a violent, strong upward action of one or both hands because they are off balance while approaching an obstacle.

But this should only be a "last chance" action for a bad situation. It's very far from the Equestrian Art.


When executed well, half halts can allow one to more finely tune the horse's balance.

A half halt is a clear, fast, light and upward action of the hands, on well adjusted reins and firmly closed fingers, immediately followed by the fingers releasing and the hands giving in.

This action lightens the horse's forehand and sends weight toward the haunches. It allows the rider to "sit" the horse (lowers the haunches).

Around obstacles:

 

When tactfully executed, the half halt can be very useful, especially in show jumping.

There is another accepted definition of the half halt. The half halt is a halt that is not carried to its completion.

For example, on a combination of obstacle in a jumping course:
After jumping the first bar, the rider starts a "halting" procedure, sits back in the saddle, straightens chest, puts heels further down and moves hands upward. The horse hind legs move further under the horse's body, the horse slows down, shortens his strides, engages the hind end, travels more on his haunches and lifts up his forehand… in short, he prepares to halt in balance.
As soon as the balance of the horse is reestablished, he can continue his canter without halting, keeping the acquired balance. The horse is then ready to jump the next obstacle in good conditions
. They have just executed another type of half halt.

In Dressage

Half halts allow the horse to keep his balance.

Baucher saw them as a way to resolve the resistance due to weight on the forehand, by elevating the neck to move some of the weight to the hind end.

Not so much a strong action, a half halt is rather an upward vibration of the fingers, sometimes of the wrists and hands.
During a half halt, the rider's upper body becomes taller, the belly button is pushed forward and the seat becomes deeper.

It is preferable to use the fingers rather than the hands.
Always stay relaxed and light without contracting your hand, arm, shoulder or upper body.
Half halts are only valuable when done correctly and above all, timely - at the right moment or the balance is going to be lost. To half halt too late forces one to use more strength.

If executed clumsily, forced, at the wrong time or systematically, the half halt bothers and stiffens the horse. It often causes the horse to resist and shake its head. It becomes a nuisance.

If executed with discretion, lightness and at the opportune moment by a relaxed rider, the half halt is an efficient action that is well accepted by the horse.
The half halt enables the rider to reestablish and sustain balance, while preserving a relaxed and confident horse. The horse is "in the rider's hands" - see definitions.

next themes

Posture-position / Walk / Trot / Canter / Shoulder-in / half-pass / Flying change of lead / Pirouette /

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