Halting at X

[EllenMCM]

I am a seriously noob eventer, mainly hoping to have a good time and avoid shaming my ancestors. Because of the serious noon factor, I’m currently working at the elementary level, where I am (deservedly) getting my butt kicked by tiny children - they are so cute! Cross country is so fun!

The problem I’m looking for help with is dressage. The pony I’m riding does not want to halt at x. Or anywhere else. He’s not a fan of the downward transition at all, really. He would prefer to ramble around on the forehand until he spots some likely looking grass. I feel like our dressage scores would improve if we could execute a halt at x. Any tips?

[Scribbler]

First train him to halt period from a walk. Then trot halt trot. Then you can start experimenting with how soon you have to pick him up and start halting to get him stopped at a specific point.

Honestly if you can’t halt your horse fairly coherently from a trot in a matter of say 5 steps he really is green broke and could use some more basic training before you take him off property.

[Groom_amp_Taxi]

Be thankful that in eventing dressage you only have to halt at the end of the test!

[EllenMCM]

@Groom&Taxi

Be thankful that in eventing dressage you only have to halt at the end of the test!

That’s true in rated levels, and generally he’s fine at the end of the test (because he knows we’re done now), but at the super, super low level, the test is Intro C. So there’s a halt at the beginning.

I suppose saying “screw it!” And heading straight for Beginner Novice is one solution, but those jumps look big.

[EllenMCM]

@Scribbler

First train him to halt period from a walk. Then trot halt trot. Then you can start experimenting with how soon you have to pick him up and start halting to get him stopped at a specific point.

Honestly if you can’t halt your horse fairly coherently from a trot in a matter of say 5 steps he really is green broke and could use some more basic training before you take him off property.

He has gone to a lot of shows and competed this level and others both above and below. And I’ve ridden greener horses through more advanced tests. I can get him to stop, just not straight or nicely. I think the problem might be me.

[Scribbler]

@EllenMCM

He has gone to a lot of shows and competed this level and others both above and below. And I’ve ridden greener horses through more advanced tests. I can get him to stop, just not straight or nicely. I think the problem might be me.

The halt in dressage tests the balance and self carriage of the horse. The horse should stop not on the forehand and four square if he is straight and the rider is straight. The dressage school master I was riding this past year would halt square from trot if I engaged my core and sat up. Otherwise she would flop over a bit.

I realize eventers only do dressage in order to be allowed to race cross country which I fully understand. But the prompt balanced halt is a good market of basic training. He may be well schooled in other ways but have a hole here.

[EllenMCM]

Straightness and a strong core are great fundamentals. I bet I need to rock him back a little in the trot and engage my core better.

[L00kAtMeN0w]

I think it might be worth noting that the instructions are intro C are a halt through medium walk. Every judge that I have come across are happy with a smooth transition from trot to walk, a 2-3 steps, then a smooth transition from walk to halt. Make sure you are’t just slamming on the breaks at that level.

[merrygoround]

Make sure you are sitting up. Make sure your body stops. (core) Keep your legs on while your hips and seat say"no go". When doing a downward from trot to walk to halt, make sure you keep riding, all the way through to the halt. Too many riders stop riding as soon as the downward begins.

[OverandOnward]

Does he halt on the longe line?

Start working on the halt from the ground (realizing this isn’t a quick fix). The pony first has to learn to be able to pull himself together to halt, and to stand. The halt won’t count if you don’t get him to stand for at least a few seconds afterwards, and in the mind of a horse, that is two different things, not one thing (halt and stand).

He will need to learn WHAT and also HOW. We tend to think that halting is the easiest thing, because for us it is. But a horse has to develop the balance and the musculature to pull himself together and hold himself in halt position. It isn’t easy for them.

The equine default seems to be to lean forward, or even over their shoulders to the side, forcing themselves to either move or topple over. It seems to get them to the next patch of grass.

In all honesty if you are this at sea about teaching a halt and haven’t yet done so, you probably need an instructor. This is a matter of small increments and timing, and is best done in person, rather than over the internet. Sorry - no quick easy fix to offer!

I am always amazed when riders complain that their horse doesn’t halt, and doesn’t stand, when they don’t teach either one. It’s a process, not a word dropped in the horse’s ear.

[zelle]

You’ve probably got enough good info here already but in combination with the correct halt aids mentioned already - one thing I like to use us the wall of the arena. If its surrounded by a good fence or something he respects, (wall is better than fence) I aim the horse at it and ask for the halt and keep him straight. I do it from the walk first of course. I continue several times to ask for the halt the same way while approaching the wall. I reward the halt with voice or a light pat. And make sure they halt well beyond the 3 seconds. And reward for that as well.

It’s also useful to ask for halt when they want to halt anyway. Like on a steep uphill. Put your flatwork in the trail ride. Or wherever it is that you generally dismount at the end of a ride. Ask there. Maybe it’s right at the gate. Or maybe you get off on the mounting block. How do you stop him to get off? I bet it’s not difficult. He just knows. Try to replicate that.

The good news is that those downhill horses that don’t like to halt are generally very solid in the contact and can put in a winning lower level test when you get them a bit lighter. I love that Intro test C with the partial canter circles! (Don’t have to canter the freight train down the long side!!) Have fun! Maybe check out Jane Savoie online. She has so many useful tips and videos.

[findeight]

Is it your Pony or do other riders share him? No matter how well trained, consistency is the key. If you halt correctly every time you halt and correct mistakes. As in every time? It gets easier to get a good halt anywhere any time. But if sometimes you do and sometimes you blow it off and don’t enforce or correct the horse when you don’t get or there’s other riders who are not consistent? It’s a crap shoot every time you ask for a halt. Horse really doesn’t know if he really has to or not.

In other words, maybe it’s not all you.

[EllenMCM]

Other riders share him. And also, really, it’s me. We had a great ride yesterday with some very nice halts in it. I think at least part of the problem is my tendency to try to slam on the brakes. Pony’s not a fan. He does better when I’m consistent about gently asking him to lower his poll and we get that halt through the walk. Using my seat and keeping a strong core is also a big help.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

I hated that Intro C test…Its darn harder than the BN tests…well other than the circles/transition at C in the BN tests…my horses seem to like to try and leave the ring with those! Yeah…halt is a useful thing to have. Having a good halt for a dressage test…well, I know Advanced horse that still struggle with it. Especially the standing immobile! I’ve owned more than one that halt and stare off into distance with head straight up like a giraffe…but hey, they were immobile for the second or two!!!

It is just something you have to practice…just like everything else. It will get better. I would just make sure that you not only practice at home…but make sure you do a few halts in your warm up. Good luck!!

[frugalannie]

Everyone here has told you how to halt correctly. That leaves me to tell you how to do it incorrectly!

Try this at home for grins and giggles: Approach your halt using all the correct aids, then sink down into your heels and feel gravity pull you down into the saddle. Just feel your weight melt downward and lighten your leg aids a bit (can’t say how much: when I’m teaching this I start with no leg pressure at all, and then increase it slowly during repetitions until I find the right amount for that horse at this point in its training). Do it a few times and you may find your horse balancing and coming to the halt as you start sinking your weight. In my own experience, I was inadvertently using aids that were too strong and unbalancing the horse rather than making its life easier, and I’ve seen others do the same thing.

If it works, you have a new tool to use. I will now zip on a flame suit and return to my hidey-hole at “The Crude but Effective School of Horsemanship.” Cheers!

[findeight]

That’s not the wrong way at all Annie. DO try this at home. Walk with the reins loose. On the buckle. Halt using just your body. NO HANDS. That will teach you how important using your entire body to halt and later half halt is. I’d bet money you are just pulling with hands, inadvertently giving conflicting cues with your body and failing to release. In other words, you keep pulling and he keeps pulling back.

Try having somebody lunge you with no hands, just walk and halt then walk again. Later trot the excercise. Either cross your arms across your chest, put hands on top of helmet or do airplane arms straight out to the side, but don’t touch those reins. It’s very hard at first but reveals how dependent on leaning on the reins you are when you aren’t using the of your body to communicate with the horse.

These old exercises are very awkward at first but very valuable. They used to be used in almost all programs and by most instructors. Sadly they have almost disappeared, guess nobody wants to do the grunt work.

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