When was the last time that you practiced a centerline and halt?? Halts are something that we all forget to practice but they are so important in Dressage. Not only is the centerline and halt the first impression that you give to the judge, the halt is also a great way to work on submission, engagement, acceptance of the aids and more! So let’s make practicing halts part of the daily training! The cool thing about halts is that it really doesn’t matter how fancy or normal your horse is – if you perfect your halt, you will make a good first impression to the judge and start off with a good score!
Here are some things to consider…..
- Straightness – the first thing the judge notices when you come down the centerline is if you are straight. If you feel that your horse wants to wiggle around on the centerline, fix it by riding more forward down the centerline. The more that you attempt to manage and correct the straightness the more wiggly it will get! So look up at the judge and ride your horse forward from the leg into the judge’s box!!
- Square – it is nearly impossible to feel if the horse is square behind. You can tell from up top if the horse is standing square in front but it’s hard to tell about the hind legs. Your chances of halting square greatly increase if you can get into the halt without pulling and if your horse stays on the bit and connected in the halt. If you don’t have mirrors or eyes on the ground to tell you if your halt is square, then just focus on getting the horse to halt without pulling and with keeping the horse on the bit and round in the halt.
- Immobility – make sure that your horse stands still for 3 seconds. I like to halt and take a deep breath – this helps me (and my horse) to relax before continuing with our ride!
- The Rein Back – a square halt with the haunches under is key to a good rein back. When the horse halts correctly with the hind end under and engaged they are already set up for a correct rein back. So if you are having trouble with your rein back, work on those halts!!
- “Less is more” – like anything in dressage training, it takes time to teach the horse to halt correctly. Don’t expect the horse to halt perfectly at first. Too much fixing and picking at the horse in the halt will cause them to get upset and they won’t want to stand still!
The halt is a very important part of Dressage training. Believe it or not, working. On the halt improves, straightness, engagement, and submission!
