What Is A Half Halt and Why Is It So Important With Gaited Horses?
By Gaye DeRusso
Once you have learned to steer, stop, backup and how to use your arms and hands with riding it is time to learn what a half halt is and when to use it. It is one of the best tools to use with any breed of horse, but it makes a huge difference with gaited horses staying in gait.
A half halt is a very important tool when riding your horse. It helps to slow down your horse and balance your horse by putting more of your horse's weight on his backend. It also helps your horse to know something is coming and to pay attention, such as when you're transitioning from one gait to another or walking and going to a canter.
It tells your horse, hey wake up I am going to ask for something. It is also very helpful to keep your horse's weight on his backend and to slow him down in order to go downhills. It even helps them pay attention more when going over obstacles and therefore they become less trippy. You see a rock or a log coming, and you give a half halt, and it tells your horse, hey wake up and pick your feet up. It really has so many helpful uses.
It confuses people because of the name. It is not a halt, it is just a momentary tapping of the brakes similar to driving your car and it starts going too fast down a hill, so you tap the brakes here and there to slow it down but not to stop.
This is very helpful with the gaited horse when you are gaiting, and your horse begins to change speed, or you feel him changing gait toward a pace or a trot. It tells the horse hey don't do that, stay the same speed and the same gait we are doing. But you have to do it as soon as you feel them starting to change, if you do not, once they have changed the gait it is much harder to get them back in the gait.
So maybe your horse pacing or trotting is not just his fault but yours also by not communicating with him. Remember they have no idea what gait you want or why, they just do what is easiest for them if you do not communicate otherwise.
The half halt is not just using your hands, but it is using your hands, seat, and legs in order for you to execute it correctly. To practice your half halt, it is best to start at a walk. To prepare for the half halt, squeeze lightly with your calves, tip your pelvis back toward the back of your saddle so you have a slightly heavier seat (chair seat) while keeping your upper body straight and balanced.
Right after you tip your seat back, slightly tighten your thighs against the horse to help hold you in place and to help push him underneath you. At the same time breath out and squeeze the reins making a fist, then release everything, but keep a light leg contact on your horse so he knows to keep going.
This motion will put contact on the bit shifting your horses balance to the rear.
How long do you hold the half halt? Just for a stride or two at the most. It is just a quick tap on your brakes.
Here is the order and as you get better it will all happen within seconds.
1. Squeeze lightly with your calves
2. Tip your pelvis back (chair seat)
3. Tighten your thighs
4. Squeeze with your fingers
5. Release all aids but squeeze lightly with your calves to keep going
Sound easy? Of course not, nothing with riding is easy but once you practice it over and over it will become like second nature, and you will just do it when feeling anything changing in your horses' gait. You will do it while chatting with your friends and you will do it when you are gaiting or cantering. No matter how hard it seems now, you need to practice it and make yourself learn how to do it correctly.
Now what makes it even harder, is each horse is different and each person is different. So, you have to figure out, how much pressure do you use with your legs, seat, and hands.
How do you do that? You just practice. When you do it right you will feel the horse shift slightly back but keep going. If you use too much hand and not enough leg the horse will slow down too much. If you use too much leg and not enough hand the horse will go faster and not slower. So, you just have to practice till you get it right.
Your horse will appreciate the lighter contact on his mouth when asking him to do something and in time when you start to do the half halt he will immediately start balancing back on his hind end, because he now understands what you want.
The horse does not like constant pressure on his mouth, so by being lighter with your hands and not just pulling to slow down, the horse will become lighter and not pull on the reins, but this takes time and being consistent.
So here is an example how to use your half halt. You are gaiting down the trail, the terrain changes and you feel he is starting to get trotty, so you begin your half halts before he ever starts trotting. That way you check him back and say hey don't do that and he goes, ugh ok I'll stay in this gait. The terrain changes their gait but by half halting you helped him stay in the same gait by balancing him.
Another example you are walking on the trail, you decide you want to canter, so you half halt, then shift your weight the opposite of the lead you want and then ask with the leg on that side to canter. Your horse feels the half halt and the weight shift and goes ok you want to canter? And you say yes by putting the one leg on his side and he departs into a nice, relaxed canter.
Compare this to your walking, you decide you want to canter. Your horse is relaxed and spacing out, you just kick him which shocks him. He scrambles and gets pacey or trotty and crossing his legs all over and you kick him again and he finally shoots forward into an unbalanced cross canter. You think why is his canter so horrible? Because he had no preparation, and you just scared the heck out of him, and he just reacted.
Last example, you are going downhill. Your horse is trying to go fast to get it over with and you feel all his weight on his front end. You think he is surely going to trip, and you are going to flip over his head. So, you begin your half halts, and you give him a half halt every step to keep him slow and on his backend. In time if you do this every downhill, he will learn to go downhills slow and rock back on his backend. Now you feel safe, and he understands how to get downhills safely.
So, remember a half halt can keep you in gait, balance your horse, help down hills, prepare for obstacles and prepare your horse for transitions in gait to another gait or to a canter. It is a very important tool with gaited horses and something you need to learn if you want your horse to gait well and be a happy horse.
Gaited Books
Easy Gaited Horses By Lee Ziegler https://amzn.to/3vFuk8w
The Gaited Horse Bible by Brenda Imus https://amzn.to/3It0Imf
Gaits of Gold by Brenda Imus https://amzn.to/3jGXam0
Heavenly Gaits By Brenda Imus https://amzn.to/3ieKGBP
Training the Gaited Horse By Gary Lane https://amzn.to/3jPcAVq
DISCLAIMER: This description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission if you buy something. This helps support the website. Thank you for the support!
By Gaye DeRusso
Once you have learned to steer, stop, backup and how to use your arms and hands with riding it is time to learn what a half halt is and when to use it. It is one of the best tools to use with any breed of horse, but it makes a huge difference with gaited horses staying in gait.
A half halt is a very important tool when riding your horse. It helps to slow down your horse and balance your horse by putting more of your horse's weight on his backend. It also helps your horse to know something is coming and to pay attention, such as when you're transitioning from one gait to another or walking and going to a canter.
It tells your horse, hey wake up I am going to ask for something. It is also very helpful to keep your horse's weight on his backend and to slow him down in order to go downhills. It even helps them pay attention more when going over obstacles and therefore they become less trippy. You see a rock or a log coming, and you give a half halt, and it tells your horse, hey wake up and pick your feet up. It really has so many helpful uses.
It confuses people because of the name. It is not a halt, it is just a momentary tapping of the brakes similar to driving your car and it starts going too fast down a hill, so you tap the brakes here and there to slow it down but not to stop.
This is very helpful with the gaited horse when you are gaiting, and your horse begins to change speed, or you feel him changing gait toward a pace or a trot. It tells the horse hey don't do that, stay the same speed and the same gait we are doing. But you have to do it as soon as you feel them starting to change, if you do not, once they have changed the gait it is much harder to get them back in the gait.
So maybe your horse pacing or trotting is not just his fault but yours also by not communicating with him. Remember they have no idea what gait you want or why, they just do what is easiest for them if you do not communicate otherwise.
The half halt is not just using your hands, but it is using your hands, seat, and legs in order for you to execute it correctly. To practice your half halt, it is best to start at a walk. To prepare for the half halt, squeeze lightly with your calves, tip your pelvis back toward the back of your saddle so you have a slightly heavier seat (chair seat) while keeping your upper body straight and balanced.
Right after you tip your seat back, slightly tighten your thighs against the horse to help hold you in place and to help push him underneath you. At the same time breath out and squeeze the reins making a fist, then release everything, but keep a light leg contact on your horse so he knows to keep going.
This motion will put contact on the bit shifting your horses balance to the rear.
How long do you hold the half halt? Just for a stride or two at the most. It is just a quick tap on your brakes.
Here is the order and as you get better it will all happen within seconds.
1. Squeeze lightly with your calves
2. Tip your pelvis back (chair seat)
3. Tighten your thighs
4. Squeeze with your fingers
5. Release all aids but squeeze lightly with your calves to keep going
Sound easy? Of course not, nothing with riding is easy but once you practice it over and over it will become like second nature, and you will just do it when feeling anything changing in your horses' gait. You will do it while chatting with your friends and you will do it when you are gaiting or cantering. No matter how hard it seems now, you need to practice it and make yourself learn how to do it correctly.
Now what makes it even harder, is each horse is different and each person is different. So, you have to figure out, how much pressure do you use with your legs, seat, and hands.
How do you do that? You just practice. When you do it right you will feel the horse shift slightly back but keep going. If you use too much hand and not enough leg the horse will slow down too much. If you use too much leg and not enough hand the horse will go faster and not slower. So, you just have to practice till you get it right.
Your horse will appreciate the lighter contact on his mouth when asking him to do something and in time when you start to do the half halt he will immediately start balancing back on his hind end, because he now understands what you want.
The horse does not like constant pressure on his mouth, so by being lighter with your hands and not just pulling to slow down, the horse will become lighter and not pull on the reins, but this takes time and being consistent.
So here is an example how to use your half halt. You are gaiting down the trail, the terrain changes and you feel he is starting to get trotty, so you begin your half halts before he ever starts trotting. That way you check him back and say hey don't do that and he goes, ugh ok I'll stay in this gait. The terrain changes their gait but by half halting you helped him stay in the same gait by balancing him.
Another example you are walking on the trail, you decide you want to canter, so you half halt, then shift your weight the opposite of the lead you want and then ask with the leg on that side to canter. Your horse feels the half halt and the weight shift and goes ok you want to canter? And you say yes by putting the one leg on his side and he departs into a nice, relaxed canter.
Compare this to your walking, you decide you want to canter. Your horse is relaxed and spacing out, you just kick him which shocks him. He scrambles and gets pacey or trotty and crossing his legs all over and you kick him again and he finally shoots forward into an unbalanced cross canter. You think why is his canter so horrible? Because he had no preparation, and you just scared the heck out of him, and he just reacted.
Last example, you are going downhill. Your horse is trying to go fast to get it over with and you feel all his weight on his front end. You think he is surely going to trip, and you are going to flip over his head. So, you begin your half halts, and you give him a half halt every step to keep him slow and on his backend. In time if you do this every downhill, he will learn to go downhills slow and rock back on his backend. Now you feel safe, and he understands how to get downhills safely.
So, remember a half halt can keep you in gait, balance your horse, help down hills, prepare for obstacles and prepare your horse for transitions in gait to another gait or to a canter. It is a very important tool with gaited horses and something you need to learn if you want your horse to gait well and be a happy horse.
Gaited Books
Easy Gaited Horses By Lee Ziegler https://amzn.to/3vFuk8w
The Gaited Horse Bible by Brenda Imus https://amzn.to/3It0Imf
Gaits of Gold by Brenda Imus https://amzn.to/3jGXam0
Heavenly Gaits By Brenda Imus https://amzn.to/3ieKGBP
Training the Gaited Horse By Gary Lane https://amzn.to/3jPcAVq
DISCLAIMER: This description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small commission if you buy something. This helps support the website. Thank you for the support!