Photo by Karley Tenburg.
Do you ever get jealous of those people that can ride down centerline and halt squarely and effortlessly? You’re probably thinking dang … they just got an eight on their first movement … and now you have to ride perfectly and get a nine … but hey, no pressure!
Getting a square halt is one of those movements that you have to practice at home, but there are also a few tips and techniques that can help you finesse it in the dressage ring. First, you need to make your horse leg specific. That means if you touch your horse with a whip they should be able to pick up the leg that you touch. You should be able to do this and your horse squares up.
Second, when you’re under saddle your horse should be able to square up by you distinctly telling your horse which leg to move. That means if you position your leg forward, the horse moves the front leg, and if you position your leg backwards, your horse steps up with his hind leg. If that is a cluster or there is miscommunication, you need to go back to the ground work and make your horse leg specific.
The BIGGEST secret to getting a square halt is to half halt on your DOWN part of your posting trot with your outside shoulder and outside hand. If you do this in the down phase of your posting trot (meaning, you apply the half-halt when you’re sitting) you will very likely have a pretty square halt.
A few other tips from experience:
- If your horse takes a step backwards you’re screwed and that’s a four. Don’t hit the brakes too hard to make that happen. If you mess up, take the uneven step before risking going backwards.
- Second, check your submission. Your horse needs to stay round and submissive during the halt. If his head pops up, inverts, or looks around, just imagine your points going down.
- Lastly, make sure you trot up and out of that halt with effortlessness and impulsion. It’s halt-trot, no walk steps included. Good luck!
