The Half Halt - How to get your horse on the bit

Hi Guys,

No matter where I travel, the most frequently asked questions I get are, "How do I put my horse on the bit...and how do I keep him there consistently?" This concept baffles many riders. My hope here is to simplify the process for you with the following information.

First, you need to know that there is a SPECIFIC AID to put your horse on the bit just like there is a specific aid to ask for canter or for a leg yield. That aid is a half halt. (Don't groan...I can hear you!)

Now for some information on the half halt:

1. The reason we give a half halt is to bring the horse to a more perfect state of balance.

2. The half halt is the most important yet most misunderstood concept in riding. It is important not only because it is the aid to put your horse on the bit, but also because it is the doorway through which you do every change of gait, balance, movement, or exercise.

3. There is no "stopping" in a half halt. Think of it as a "half-go". That is, every half halt contains the power, the surge, or the thrust from behind that you'd have if you asked for a medium gait.

4. There is one generic, "over-the-counter" half halt. It consists of the momentary closure of seat, legs, and hands.

5. The confusion about half halts stems from the fact that there are many possible variations of that generic half halt because you can use your seat, legs, and hands in different ways. To add to the many options available, you can also vary the duration and the intensity of the half halt.

6. Different variations of the generic half halt create different results such as connection, collection, or preparation for something new.

7. To put your horse on the bit, use the version of the half halt that "connects" your horse's back end to his front end. For the sake of clarity, I will call this version of the generic half halt, the "connecting half halt".

8. The "connecting half halt" consists of the marriage of 3 sets of aids.

A. Driving aids (seat and two legs)

B. Bending aids (inside rein and both legs)

C. The rein of opposition (outside rein)

9. These 3 sets of aids are applied for about 3 seconds. (Not a MOMENTARY closure of seat, legs, and hands!)

10. To the naked eye, the aids are given at the same time.

11. However, if you had freeze frame photography, you would see:

A. First, close both calves as if you're squeezing toothpaste out of a tube to create that surge of power from behind. (You'll only be using your legs as your driving aids at this point. I'm purposely leaving the seat out for now to keep things simple.)

B. Next, close your outside hand (rein of opposition) in a fist to capture, contain, and recycle the energy back to the hind legs.

C. Finally, give 3 little squeezes and releases on the inside rein to keep the neck straight. (If you don't use your inside hand, your horse will bend his neck to the outside because your outside hand is closed in a fist for so long.)

D. After 3 seconds, soften everything. Go back to the light, maintenance pressure of legs and hands you had in the beginning before you gave the half halt.

12. Putting your horse on the bit is as simple as giving any other aid. Don't make it complicated by searching for exercises to connect your horse. (Don't get me wrong. Exercises like leg yields are helpful. They give the novice horse or rider the "feel" of connection. But at the end of the day, you need to train your horse to come on the bit from an invisible aid that you can use anytime...like in the show ring!)

A Happy Horse

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Comment by Jane Savoie on May 6, 2009 at 6:28pm: My pleasure! Have fun!!

Comment by Nicole Jackman on May 6, 2009 at 6:20pm: All your blog entries are helping so much in my riding and teaching Jane. Thank you so much for sharing!

Comment by Jane Savoie on May 6, 2009 at 5:36pm: That's one version of the half halt. It's the version you use to CONNECT your horse. There are other variations that only last for a moment.

Comment by Jan Jollymour on May 5, 2009 at 6:02pm: Wow - re-reading that I can tell I was in a rush - most of it's not even English! I agree with Jane. Having ridden Arabians in mainstream dressage at a national level, and having judged just about everything (with the exception of a Knapstrupper) I have to say that breed bias is much more prevalent among riders than judges. While I have run into it among judges it's been very rare, and I cannot say that I have ever encountered it in FEI level competition.

It is difficult enough to find good Para horses, and I don't know any Para coaches (including national and international coaches) who would turn down a solid Para horse on the basis of breed. I was at the World Para Dressage Championships in the UK two years ago, and horses of every size, shape and colour were competing. Training matters most, and is what's evaluated, so if the horse is suitable for Joan's needs please proceed with it.

Comment by Jane Savoie on May 5, 2009 at 9:32am: Hi William, Sorry that I couldn't get back to you right away. I've been traveling from Fl back to VT.

I haven't run into any bias either. When we do well, our scores reflect that. When I (!) mess something up, the scores reflect that too!! Tell Joan to go for it. What an inspiration she is for others!!
Best,
Jane

Comment by Jan Jollymour on May 4, 2009 at 5:41pm: Hi, William:

I'm on my way to an appointment and haven't much time. We (Canada) has had a Friesian stallion on our Para team (Hong Kong) and have not come up against any bias, certainly not internationally, against this breed. If the horse suits, and Joan has the desire, please tell her to go for it. I currently teach a 68 Canadian Para rider who competes internationally, and we have not run into any breed bias at all so far. I hope Joan keeps the faith (it sounds like she has an iron will) and tries for the Irish Team!

Comment by William Micklem on May 4, 2009 at 4:58am: Jane...hi this is William Micklem...I need to contact you fairly urgently regarding a friend of mine Joan Salmon. Joan is hoping to ride in the 2012 Paralympics and we are trying to give her this spark of possibility as she awaits a third transplant operation. She has also been totally blind for the last 25 years as a result of her diabetes and pancreas failing. She is an extraordinary person and has even come through cancer on top of everything else. At one time she was riding at a high level on a retired event horse that my wife and I gave her but then he died of cancer! Now we have found a Friesan horse for her that has some training and may be suitable. However as you can imagine they are not well known in Ireland and there has been some negativity towards such a horse. Knowing that we need to seize the moment and that you have had experience of Freisans in Dressage I wanted to put the two of you together so you could talk and Joan could be reassured. In addition if anyone out there knows of another suitable horse or sponsorship please get in touch. Thank you Jane. I know you will understand why I have contacted you and how important this is to Joan. William