| For many riders the half-halt is elusive even though | | | | How do you as a rider prepare for the re-balancing |
| they understand that if done correctly it will | | | | and burst of energy, whether it's for lengthening or |
| re-balance the horse, increasing engagement of his | | | | collecting or some other change? |
| hind end and readying him for the next move. Your | | | | First: Your spine and pelvis must oscillate around a |
| seat during the half-halt must be ready to receive | | | | neutral position--neither flexed or extended |
| the engagement of the hindquarters and increase of | | | | excessively. The horse moves your the sides of your |
| energy created by your legs, otherwise you'll lose | | | | pelvis alternately which impacts your spine and |
| your balance and be tempted to hold onto the reins | | | | through this movement of your pelvis your lumbar |
| or grab with your legs because the change in balance | | | | spine will alternately flex and extend around the |
| and energy has left you behind the motion of the | | | | middle or neutral place. By remaining centered around |
| horse. | | | | a neutral spine you never go to the end range of |
| There are many ways to ride a half-halt and many | | | | motion and risk damage to soft tissues and disks |
| definitions for it. The FEI says: | | | | under the stresses of riding. |
| "The half-halt is a hardly visible, almost simultaneous | | | | Second: You must "catch" the first bounce of the |
| coordinated action of the seat, the legs and the hand | | | | surge or the nervous system will react to it with |
| of the rider, with the object of increasing the the | | | | stiffening up and blocking the surge your horse has |
| attention and balance of the horse before the | | | | so graciously given you. It's like slipping on ice, if you |
| execution of several movements or transitions to | | | | are ready and your spine is stabilized and legs springy |
| lesser or higher paces. In shifting slightly more weight | | | | you can slide across it with glee--if it catches you off |
| onto the horse's quarters, the engagement of the | | | | guard you're likely to slip, stiffen up, and perhaps fall. |
| hind legs and the balance on the haunches are | | | | Correct spinal stabilization by bracing the layers of |
| facilitated, for the benefit of the lightness of the | | | | muscles encircling the lower torso will allow you to |
| forehand and the horse's balance as a whole." | | | | catch the surge without being caught off guard. This |
| This of course says something about the effect but | | | | is abdominal bracing--or tummy out! -- not zipping-up |
| not how to accomplish it and especially not the | | | | or hollowing the abdomen which actually destabilizes |
| particulars of that coordinated action of seat, legs | | | | the rider. Tummy-out with engaged abs and extensor |
| and hand. | | | | muscles protects your spine while allowing it to move. |
| When asking the horse to re-balance and increase | | | | Abdominal bracing also allows you to breathe in your |
| engagement your legs go on to get more | | | | lower abdomen, further increasing the |
| engagement and more activity from the hind legs. | | | | well-coordinated and powerful use of your lower |
| The half-halt re-balances the horse onto his hind end | | | | torso. |
| so you should feel the same amount of power from | | | | Third: Your hip joints will stay loose and your legs like |
| the hind legs as you would feel from a lengthening | | | | wet towels when you move with and support your |
| but you contain it, both with your seat and with your | | | | horse's change of balance. After giving the leg aid |
| receiving hands. This energy comes over the horse's | | | | you let go again and let your hips remain mobile so |
| back and your seat must be ready to | | | | your legs are springy and ready to absorb the loftier |
| receive--buttocks soft, hip joints ready, pelvis | | | | stride you've been given. |
| movable and lumbar spine supple and supported by | | | | Fourth: Your hands are the last part of the half halt |
| bracing the muscles of the lower torso to receive | | | | and their independence is dependent on your |
| the energy. This is why the seat is listed first in the | | | | shoulders remaining relaxed. In the momentary closing |
| definition--prepare with your seat first (and the well | | | | of seat, legs, and hands your hands close and then |
| trained horse will need little more than this to change | | | | soften and give so the horse's front-end isn't blocked. |
| his posture and energy). | | | | For this your well-coordinated lower torso will support |
| As your legs close, and your horse responds he can | | | | the freedom of movement in your shoulders so your |
| lengthen his stride or become more compact and | | | | independently acting outside hand can close and then |
| collected. Either way your seat must be ready and | | | | give to receive the horse's power. Your hands should |
| your shoulders elastic so the outside hand, acting | | | | feel like you could juggle a ball as you ride. Stiffened |
| independently of what the pelvis or chest are doing, | | | | shoulders from a protective response to the horse's |
| can close to contain and steady the horse, helping to | | | | surge means the joints of the elbows will lose their |
| re-balance--and then soften or release to complete | | | | elasticity and the hands will lose connection or clunk |
| the circle of energy. The inside rein retains the flexion | | | | the horse in the mouth. Your stabilized but mobile |
| and bend to the inside with softness. | | | | pelvis and tummy-out posture will allow your back |
| Your seat during the half-halt must be ready to | | | | muscles to remain long, your head to remain balanced |
| receive the engagement of the hindquarters and | | | | on your spine and your shoulders to hang. |
| resulting surge of energy created by your legs, | | | | Fifth: You'll enjoy the harmony you feel as your |
| otherwise you'll lose your balance and be tempted to | | | | horse re-balances and gives you more power, happy |
| hold onto the reins or grab with your legs because | | | | to let you--with your receiving seat and giving |
| the change in balance and energy has left you behind | | | | hands--direct the dance. |
| the motion of the horse. The stiff seat stops the | | | | I love to help riders move in harmony with the |
| surge at horse's back, and the horse either rushes | | | | motion of their horse and I love the response of the |
| forward onto the forehand or slows--feeling the clunk | | | | horse as he is more comfortable and better able to |
| in his back as the rider loses balance and stiffens in | | | | give the rider the best performance. Contact me for |
| the back or chest or both. When the rider stiffens | | | | clinics or video lessons utilizing the Feldenkrais work, |
| and comes behind the motion it's as if the horse hit a | | | | Centered Riding, and total fitness training to teach all |
| brick wall with the energy from his back legs and the | | | | riders to ride in harmony. Video lessons are a great |
| circle of aids is interrupted. Your hands, if pulling, will | | | | alternative to a clinic--you'll receive a program of |
| rob you and your horse of the surge from the hind | | | | awareness lessons and movement/fitness exercises |
| legs. The horse learns to ignore your punishing | | | | to empower you to improve your riding. Visit |
| half-halts. | | | | Cheers! |