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In horse riding, halting is a complex movement in which a horse moves forward into a standing position before blocking a horse's front end movement. Get a horse to move forward into a downward transition with help from a riding instructor in this video on halting in horse riding.
Hello, my name is Chelsey Sawtell, Primary Riding Instructor at Black Friar Farm in Kingston, Tennessee. And today, we are going to be discussing how to perfect your halt. Halting is not just a matter of pulling back on the reins and saying, "Woo pony." It's actually a complex movement in which the horse moves forward into a standing position. Begin in forward motion, ask the horse to go forward and then begin to block the front end movement. The series of soft half halts through your lower back and hands, ask the horse to come back and begin to squat from behind. If at any point during the halt, the horse becomes resistant, locking its jaw or becoming crooked with its body, push it forward two or three steps and re-ask. Eventually, get the horse to slow the gate while continuing to move forward with its hind end. As contradictory as this sounds, the horse is able to move forward into a downward transition. The end result of a halt is a horse that moves forward willingly and supple in the jaw, squatting behind, planting its high end feet and then its front feet with body square and legs square. If the end result of your halt is a crooked horse or one with legs that are skew, it is not square or straight and needs more forward and squatting into the halt. Many transitions from trot to walk, walk one step, back to trot two steps will begin to strengthen the straightness and balance of your horse. Once you have obtain a straight trot to walk transition, you can then begin your walk to halt transitions. If at anytime, you begin to get crooked or stuck, always go forward. At the end of the day forward is first. In conclusion, the halt is a forward motion into stillness. If at anytime you become stuck, go back to forward and re-ask the question. This is not pulling your horse's teeth out to get a stop. This is a soft and supple willing horse that is allowing you to engage its hind end and block its forward motion at the same time.
Specialty: Young Stock and Horsemanship
