.jpg) This is an unpublished book by Libby Anderson and is copyright
Chapter 5
This book is copyright to Libby Anderson
Working Towards Introductory Level Dressage Tests
Introduction to the Half Halt
All dressage enthusiasts have heard of the magical and elusive word called the “half halt”. Such mystique and hype is associated with this word that mere beginner riders can feel that it is way past their comprehension. Mentally you need to understand and assimilate the meaning of the half halt. It is a word thrown around by many so-called experts without de-mystifying the term and making it simple to understand. That said we need to make the concept clear. If the description given in this text is not clear and succinct, then you need to “pick” the minds of your barn buddies and trainer. Hopefully you will have enough questions to ask that you may get some clarifying answers.
The half halt is our secret aid to the horse to alert him to a change. Any change! It may be a change of gait, change between variations of rhythm within the one gait, preparation for a transition, preparation for a circle or turn coming up. Often we give a half halt to remind the horse that you are there in the saddle and want his complete attention. As you’re riding progresses the half halt will become part of you and part of your horse. Both of you will communicate much better with each other once the half halt is established. Over time the half halt becomes more subtle and more from your instinct, in preparation for anything that happens on the back of a horse. The half halt is a direct line to your horse’s central nervous system and the hind legs. The horse receives the half halt and knows that something new is about to happen.
To give the half halt the rider first uses a light seat, lower back as the rider actually compress’s their body from the rib cage down to the core at the lower spine. Use your body like an accordion. Compress of the upper body to slow down and grow the upper body and open the thigh to speed up. This will push the horse into the connection and drive the horse momentarily forward onto the bit. You need to have a steady, consistent connection in front in order for the influence of your seat, lower back and legs to be effective. Immediately after you apply the half halt you need to release it. The rider aims to use the ‘half halt’ aids when a particular leg of the horse is leaving the ground. For example in the trot, it will be when the inside hind leg is lifting upwards. Remember discussing the beats of the trot and how to post on the diagonals? Your body will soon realize, almost without thinking, just when the leg will leave the ground.
 In the canter the half halt is applied as the opposite hind leg to the leading front leg of the canter leaves the ground. This is because this hind leg initiates the first beat of the canter stride. The canter is a gait in a rolling three beat rhythm. Say you are cantering right on the right lead, then the sequence of the three beat movement is as follows, the first step is taken by the right hind leg, this initiates the first canter stride. The next beat is the diagonal pair of legs, the left hind leg and the near fore leg, this is the second beat of the canter stride. The third beat in the canter is the leading (the right foreleg) leg and after this is a moment of suspension at the canter. This is the only “air-time” in the canter and it is only in this instant that the horse is able to change the lead at the canter.
 One of the great benefits of learning to ride correctly is to be aware of the regularity of the horse’s gaits and to feel with the light seat and lower back just where the horse’s legs are at any one time. Only then can appreciate how your horse moves and just when is the right time to apply the aids for the ‘half halt’. Regular and consistent lunging will help to give you a good feel for just where the horse’s legs are at any given time. Only repetition will give you the correct feeling as to where your horse’s inside hind leg is at any moment in time with in a gait. . This knowledge will give you the confidence and feel to actually know when to apply and release the half halt. Remember each and every ‘half halt’ is followed by giving the reins to allow the horse to carry himself. Even when you give several ‘half halts’ every ‘half halt’ is followed by giving.
Many of the Spanish Riding School trainers, including Franz Maringer, Hubert Eichenger and Karl Mikolka were most technical in their approach to the half halt and the feel of where the horse’s legs are at any instant.
Picture shows Hubert Eichenger and the summer base of the Spanish Riding school
Like learning your times tables they would drill you by questioning just what you were feeling with the seat and how you are interpreting the information in your brain. Always release the half halt instantly, if you keep hanging on both reins, the horse being much stronger than you, will become numb to the half halt and try to run through it. Sometimes you may apply many short, effective half halts to achieve the transition that you require.
The effect of the half halt is to put the horse on his hind legs and allow the influence of your seat, weight and balance to flow through the horse’s body and back onto the connection with the bridle. This way you can achieve seamless transitions, which are performed fluently, with the horse in self-carriage and balance right into the actual transition. Often you will see, say with a novice horse and rider, the horse falling onto the forehand for the transition. The result looks as if the horse has fallen on his face, the front legs planted heavily on the ground, the neck lowered significantly and the hind end raised not lowered. In addition to this messy scene the horse often bores into both reins and the rider is forced to actively support the horse with the reins. The opposite reaction occurs when the rider gives too strong a half halt with a ‘heavy’ seat, the horse reacts by hollowing the back and comes to a the transition, say a halt, with the head raised, back hollow and the hind legs screech to an abrupt halt. It looks rough and uncomfortable and it generally is! A successful half halt is when the horse responds, almost instantly to the aids, engaging the hind legs and giving to the restraining hand. The horse tells you that he understands the aid and is ready for “whatever”. The rider then directs the horse to a turn, a transition a lengthening or to lateral work. The half halt is the most essential tool for any dressage rider. It is the way that the rider can communicate clearly to the horse. The horse, in accepting the aid, is prepared and ready to execute any demand that the rider is about to ask. “This is what dressage is all about”. Franz Maringer told his students, “in the exhibitions and training sessions at the Spanish Riding School, the rider would execute hundreds half halts at each and every individual performance or training session”.dressage performance performance where rider and horse seem to work as one, the aids are absolutely invisible and horse and rider appear to be in total harmony. You can be sure that the half halt has been an effective tool.
 Remember not to dwell on what is wrong but to concentrate on what is right. You need to be aware of the incorrectly applied half halt and you will see it often out there in the real world. However, we are concentrating on you and how to ride correctly. Continue working, on the lunge, with your trainer, out in the fields and over small cavalletti. The half halt will come completely under your control as you gain control over your body and your relationship with your horse becomes more secure. The horse is such a willing teacher and he will always be the first to tell you when the half halt is correct and when it is not.
Tips
- How to demystify the half halt
- The half halt is our secret aid to the horse to alert him to a change, any change!
- When the horse receives the half halt he knows that something is about to happen
- Always release the half halt instantly
- The half halt is the most essential aid for the dressage rider
- Hundreds of half halts are given in each riding session or competition
The Halt
It may seem a strange to introduce the “half halt” before the “full halt”. The full halt occurs when forward motion has ceased completely. The full halt is a result of correctly placed half halts, which engage the hind legs and push the horse forward into the bridle. From a half halt the horse is prepared for nearly anything from an extension to a full halt. As the half halt is the precursor to the halt then it seems appropriate to include the halt after the half halt!
 The FEI and USEF Rule books definition of the halt is as follows: “At the halt, the horse should stand attentive, engaged, motionless and straight, with the weight evenly distributed over all four legs, being by pairs abreast of each other. The neck should be raised, the poll high and the head slightly in front of the vertical. While remaining “on the bit” and maintaining a light and soft contact with the rider’s hand, the horse may quietly champ the bit and should be ready to move off at the slightest indication of the rider. The halt is obtained by the displacement of the horse’s weight to the hindquarters by a properly increased action of the seat and legs of the rider, driving the horse towards a more restraining, but allowing hand causing an almost instantaneous but not abrupt halt at a previously fixed place.” It is truly hard to better the FEI and USEF dressage rules and the correct definitions of the movements. They provide an accurate description of all the required movements for dressage. It is up to this book to explain them in more detail and to make you, the beginning dressage rider, comfortable and confident in all the basic dressage movements required of the horse. Even if you have been riding in other disciplines this is new jargon and a more exacting precision is now expected of you for the correct riding of the lower level dressage horse.
At first you may think that the halt must be the easiest movement a dressage horse can carry out. Not so! The halt, that is, standing completely still at the request of the rider, is a lot to ask of the horse. The young horse finds standing still very hard. They want to look around and fidget and then move off as quickly as possible, just like a small child. In this instance it is best to accept that the horse remains still for about 4 seconds and then allow him to move on with much praise. If the young horse is very anxious about the halt than it is a good idea to lead the horse in hand and practice walk on to halt while the horse is walking beside you. This will make the horse less anxious about the actual transition to the halt. They also appreciate the praise either verbal or petting when they halt calmly. The older horse still maintains the “flight not fight” instinct that makes halting more complicated in the younger horse. However, you still need to obtain a halt by using the half halt, to come smoothly to the complete halt. Once the horse has halted and stands still, quiet and relaxed, then praise and pet him. Let him know that this is important and that the very act of coming to a complete stop is pleasing to you. The horse will really appreciate this praise and will puff up a little with the pride. Then, like the half halt, immediately release the halt and allow the horse to move freely forward again.
 On the lunge you have established the halt with your trainer controlling the lunge line. Now you are completely in control and in the saddle. Practice the halt at every opportunity. The first goal in the halt is that the halt is actually still. Once the horse is relaxed, calm and still the halt, praise him and then walk on again. For the second goal in the training of a good halt you need to establish the halt “on the bit”. This means that the half halt is effective and the horse not only stands absolutely still but also remains “on the bit” while the rider keeps the lower leg quietly on the horse, lightly and not pressing. The third goal is to stand straight, this means that the forehand and the hindquarters are in a straight line. The fourth goal is to halt square on all four legs. That is all four legs are more or less parallel and the hind legs are under the horse, not camped out behind. Camped out behind means that the back legs of the horse (can be together) but our stuck out behind the horse. If you draw a straight line from the hips of the horse to the ground then the back legs are way out behind. If a horse halts in this way it is apparent that the horse has not accepted the half halt and has come to a stop on the forehand. To correct this, apply the half halt again and request that the horse move up the hind legs to a position under the body. You must have a restraining rein so that the horse does not move the front legs forward. If the horse moves the hind legs up but moves the front legs forward, obviously the half halt was not completely through. You need to ride forward and come to a halt by using the half halt again to establish the halt with the hind legs under the horse.
 There is no one at fault at this stage. Both you and your horse will make mistakes. Mistakes are fine. Just repeat the exercise and try again. Keep rewarding successful halts and fixing poor halts. In the end you want to achieve a halt that is as close to the FEI definition of the halt as possible. This does not happen in a day, a week or a month but progress will happen slowly over time with regular and correct training. Most important, do not harasses the horse for not completing the perfect halt. This will only upset him and remember he is only a horse and does not think like a human. Every halt exercise is a learning experience for both of you. At the beginning always perform the halt on the wall, with the support of a straight side to help you attain straightness. Mirrors are a great help, a trainer is also helpful and if you have no assistance use a barn buddy for your “eyes on the ground”. They can tell you how the horse is standing so you do not look down and thus disturb the horse. One of the major halt problems is when the rider leans forward and looks downwards and disturbs the horse’s balance. Naturally the horse moves and often is rewarded by a rough pull on the mouth or a harsh word from the rider. This is negative training. Do not resort to this tactic! Practice the halt many times but try to avoid the above pitfalls. Later, once you can execute the halt promptly and with the horse nicely under himself, you can then try the halt on the centerline and quarter line. Again you need a mirror, a trainer or a barn buddy to let you know how the horse is executing the halt. Sooner or later, you will begin to feel with your seat and without looking down, to know just how the horse is coming into the halt and how he stands in the halt. Again this will be a light bulb moment and you have grown another inch up the rider scale. Congratulations. Well done.
Tips
- Need to introduce the half halt before the full halt
- Hard to beat the FEI and USEF definition of the halt
- The halt is not easy for the horse to execute
- First goal is to stand still
- Second goal is to halt on the bit
- Third goal is to halt straight
- Fourth goal is to halt square
- To feel, with your seat, just how the horse is coming into the halt
- Remember making mistakes in executing the halt are fine. Do not punish the horse for a mistake
The Transitions
Franz Maringer always said, “The proof of the pudding is in the transitions.” No truer words have ever been said. We have already discussed the importance and principals of riding the half halt and the full halt. To execute these movements a transition is always accomplished, even it is not done well! Well-done transitions are seamless and the horse appears to float effortlessly into the new gait. A horse and rider can look beautiful, trotting on a straight line, the horse is moving freely forward, through the back and from behind. The rider is sitting correctly and inconspicuously, enjoying this lovely trot. Next we require a transition to the walk. Boom! The image can be lost in an instant! Rough or incomplete half halts, too much hand or obvious resistance from the horse all reflect a poor transition. Gone is this pretty picture and in its place is an unhappy horse and frustrated rider. Transitions always include the execution a half halt which has been dealt with in detail earlier this chapter. Without a good understanding of the half halt a seamless transition is impossible. The art of executing a seamless transition is not only the mental understanding of the half halt. It is also the physical dimension of applying the aids for the half halt in a timely fashion and in harmony with the horse. The horse too, must understand the meaning of the half halt. You have been busy practicing the basics of the half halt and transitions for some time now. Riding cross-country, trails, lunging and arena work. This will have given you a great start to good transitions. Even without realizing it, your earlier training in the halt, half halt and work on the lunge line will have made your mind and body more comfortable with the transitions. You and your horse will have developed a better understanding each other’s requirements. This experience comes only with time and teaches you more about the physiology and personality of your horse.
We need to deviate for a moment to discuss the very nature of the equine. Understanding their physiology and development will help us better to empathize with the horse and help us develop a bond, both physical and mental between our horses and us. As stated earlier the horse is naturally a creature of “flight not fight.” This is due to his evolution and history throughout the years from the “dawn horse” or Eohippus, millions of years ago, to the modern day sport horse. We have bred, over the centuries, “horses for courses”. Through the development of modern genetics we are now able to breed horses for various characteristics, for example, speed, endurance, jumping, combined training, chasing cattle or dressage. This does not mean that the equine has become totally specialized. We can certainly ride dressage on any breed of horse and by the correct training make that horse more beautiful in his movement and more comfortable to ride. Observe the dressage results from the Morgan’s, Mustangs, Quarter horses, Australian Stock horses, Saddlebreds, Arabians and Anglo Arabs, the noble Thoroughbred and the many crosses between these breeds. However, after centuries of breeding in Europe,notably Germany,the warmblood horse is proving more successful and better suited to the discipline of dressage. The breed has been selected for movement, conformation, temperament, trainability and soundness for the job of dressage. This makes the pure warmblood horse or a warmblood cross, that is, a warmblood crossed with any other breed often the Thoroughbred, a suitable choice for dressage.
 The breeding of horses over the centuries, the initial “flight not fight” has not been completely bred out of the horse. The horse does not wake up in the morning and think to himself. “I will be horrible to my rider today” or “I got up on the wrong side of the stable”! The horse does not have the concept of thinking ahead and planning. The horse is not particularly intelligent on the Mammalian scale. However, the horse is blessed with a generous nature and a wonderful memory and will never forget what he has been taught. Whether it is good or bad! We must understand how the horse thinks and reacts to certain stimuli and not get cross at your horse if you accidentally apply negative aids, or he takes fright at a tractor that has been parked in the same spot for years! In his insightful book “Horses are made to be Horses”, Franz Maringer explains how the horse functions mentally and how, we as riders and trainers, can turn this marvelous creature into a willing partner. We are back to the pilot and co-pilot concept again. For example, after being asked to go forward by the rider, the horse will generally go forward as requested. However, once the horse has complied with the request and moves freely forward and now the inexperienced rider feels scared and looses the balance in the saddle. Often the rider’s natural reaction is then to close knees and thighs and grip tightly in order to stay on board. In addition, for security reasons the rider proceeds to hang on the reins for more support. The horse’s simple and willing mind is now confused as to which order to obey. He does not have the complicated mind of human beings to understand that the rider at first wanted him to more forward. Once this was accomplished the rider felt unbalanced and had to hang on to stay firm on the horse’s back. The horse looks upon this situation in a simplistic way, first he is asked to go forward and then he is asked to stop again. When he responds and ceases to move forward the rider may well ask him to move forward again. The poor horse is unable to comprehend what the rider is asking him to do. He is confused and often saddened or angered by his rider’s actions. Bad or inappropriate behavior can follow. This is all due to a misunderstanding and lack of communication between horse and rider. The rider is an intelligent homo sapiens, the clear thinking partner in the horse/rider relationship. The rider too often can be quick to blame the horse, without considering that they themselves are the cause of the horse’s dilemma. The horse can be labeled as stupid, lazy, difficult or fractious. In most cases the horse is not at fault. His logic and thinking are always consistent and requires positive stimuli and reward for the required behavior. The horse is generally willing to obey the rider’s wishes particularly when he understands the commands.
Transitions involve the co-operation and understanding of our friend, the horse. As the horse remembers bad training as well as good training, it is important to gain this firm foundation in the basics of riding, before we advance to the upper levels. The correct timing of the aids for the half halt before executing the transition becomes the next important issue. You understand the aids but will still find the timing difficult. Join the club! Everyone finds timing hard, for this is the magic of dressage. The timing will also vary with the training and development of the horse. Fewer half halts are necessary with a schooled horse than with a green, or unschooled, horse. The preparation for the transition via the half halt, given in a timely fashion, will allow the horse to execute the transition, seemingly of his own accord. Another light bulb moment!
Tips
- Transitions are the “proof of the pudding” in dressage
- Need to understand the history and development of the horse
- Transitions are related to understanding the physiology of the horse
- Bad behavior in the horse can be caused inadvertently by rider
- Transitions involve the co-operation and understanding of the horse
- Correct timing for the half halt is difficult for everyone
- In a good transition the horse appears to execute the movement of his own accord
|
.jpg)