I haven’t gone to a show in some time and have one coming up, and am watching videos trying to use some Sunday night down time. Will ask my trainer at my next lesson, but for now…
If the test specifies halt through the walk you should d that. You can post or sit unless the test specifically says to post. Most people are better off posting most of the test.
The tests say you MAY halt through the walk, so you can’t be penalized for halting through the walk. But if you can halt without walking, it does demonstrate a higher level of difficulty and would probably be rewarded – if you can do it well.
There have been discussions here regarding changing between posting and sitting within the test. My scribing experience indicates that the judge doesn’t care, as long as you don’t disrupt the rhythm or balance when you change.
I always try to halt through the walk ar training level. I find my horses have all quickly learned the concept of halt, but they learn the concept of stop movement faster than they learn the concept of balance - and going through the walk helps prevent a braced, throw themselves on the forehand, overeager creation of bad habits.
My last show I scored 8s on final centerlines with that philosophy of focus on balance through walk.
Question 1: If you do a gorgeous transition through walk, you will get an excellent score. If you do a gorgeous transition without walk, you will get an excellent score. For almost all training level horses, you are more likely to nail it t through the walk, so you should do that. There aren’t really any bonus points for doing more than requested, but they will not hesitate to give you a low score if you try for the harder transition and do it poorly.
Question 2: The judge won’t care. Unless a specific movement says you must post (the stretchy circle used to?), you can do as you please. That said, most riders at training level will score better if they post because they are more likely to ride the horse freely forward, as required in the directives of the level. That translates to an increased gaits score, and a bump in every trot movement.
In the UK if the test says the transition is progressive, then it absolutely has to be progressive, judges are told to deduct 1 mark for non-progressive transitions regardless of the quality of a direct transition.
In the tests that the OP is asking about, the movement is “Enter working trot. Halt, salute.” The top of the test states, “Halts may be through the walk.”
So it is very different from what you describe. You can do either.
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