Explaining the Half Halt

The half halt is something that virtually every one of us has been told to do at one time or another during a riding lesson. But from running my Posture Awareness Clinics I now realise just how many riders don’t understand what the term half halt really means, what they are meant to do to achieve a half halt or why they should should be doing it in the first place. Why then, if riders don’t know how to do a half halt or understand the reasons for half halting, do they not ask? Is it because they are frightened to appear less knowledgeable than their peers, or is it that they are just too intimidated to ask. I therefore thought I should set myself the task of trying to explain the half halt in detail by breaking the half halt down into a What, Why, When and How.

The What and Why


So why would we want to help balance or re-balance our horse.  One example might be that I was riding a horse that was leaning on his bit and extremely heavy in my hands, by using a series of half halts, I could help shift some of his weight backwards. Equally I could be trotting around the arena and want to make a 90° turn, by applying 2 half halts before the turn I can warn my horse that I am about to make a change in direction. I can also use half halts to prepare my horse to go from a walk or trot into canter, or from canter or trot into walk or trot. I can use half halts before asking my horse to extend his gait or asking him to collect more. No wonder instructors keep telling us to half halt!

The main job of the half halt is to increase the flexion of the joints of the hind leg that is on the ground by using our weight or the weight of the horse’s head and neck to move more of his weight back. By flexing the hind leg more we prolong the weight bearing phase of that leg by keeping it on the ground slightly longer.

The When



Even when you get your timing right, the half halt may not go through because the horse finds it difficult to comply. For example if your horse is hollow on his right side he may well carry more weight on his left fore and his right hind may step outside his centre of mass. In a case like this you may find it easier to ask for the horse to leg yield or full pass a couple of strides to the left to get the right hind to step further under before stopping into the right hind.

The How




A light rein pressure from either rein take the weight and the leverage of the horse’s head and neck and transfers it to the grounded hind leg. But the rein pressure should only be held from the moment the hind leg touches down to the time the hind leg reaches the vertical. And even more importantly the contact should not be thrown away when the pressure is released.

Half halting using the reins is probably the most common way of doing a half halt. But unfortunately too many people apply too strong a rein pressure for too long, particularly if they draw their hand back and then they inadvertently throw the contact away when they release the half halt. Try instead to think of half-halting through your core as you close the fingers. This will be felt down the length of the rein and if this is not sufficient, you can raise your hand gently, but only an inch or so. As you do so, breathe, draw up and hold—through the small of the back. Let your breath out when the horse obeys and your hand will automatically give again.

Students who have the opportunity to have a session on PI, my electronic horse, can actually see for themselves just how hard it is to just use their hands to apply a correct half halt. If you use your back and core muscles in the way described a slight pressure on the rein on the same side is inadvertently applied, as you release your back muscles the rein contact reverts to parity. Most students find that if they just use their hands they invariably apply too much pressure on the rein and cannot control the release. Another facet of PI’s programme is being able to try and time the half halt to match PI’s virtual footfall which is shown on the screen in front of you and then seeing how well you really did when you look at the half halt/footfall graph.

Depending on your horse’s conformation, temperament, training level, as well as your own weight and height you can use one of these aids, or a combination of two (seat and stirrup, rein and stirrup, seat and rein), or even all three to achieve a half halt. You should feel free to experiment with which aid produces the best result for you and your horse. Some horses are sensitive and have weak backs and don’t like too strong a seat aid and will invert right away if you try to sit deeper or heavier in the saddle. Others prefer a seat aid and yet others respond better to stirrup and rein pressure.