Transitions: HALT to BACKUP / REVERSE

[Elaine]

Before you work on this transitions, you need to have a soft halt (i.e. horse accepts the bit while he or she is standing still, and has a soft jaw).

This explains how to have a soft halt.

irishnhsociety.proboards41.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=usefulinformation&thread=442&page=1

If you have not done this already, please work on this now before you work on the halt - backup.

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• As you sit on your horse at a halt, he is balanced and accepts the bit, and is showing a soft/relaxed jaw.
  
  (Seriously, if you haven't done this already, don't read any more, click on the soft halt link above and do that first as its the foundation for what I'm about to talk about next, - its pretty easy to do with a few short 5 mins practise sessions)
  
  
• Put a light contact down the reins, and think backwards (imagine your whole body going backwards, and what it would feel like - it'll probably subtly shift your weigth back a little in your saddle, which will help your horse to pick up on what you are asking him to do).
  
  
• Do not squeeze with your legs on the girth area to ask horse to reverse.
  
  2 legs on = go forward.
  1 leg on = go sideways.
  
  
• If your horse starts to pull against you, etc, I'd suggest to go back to your soft halt and practise that more. If you've done that and your horse isn't moving back, I'd suggest you ask a kind friend to stand in front of your horse, and after you ask for backup, they touch your horse on its chest as a secondary cue.
  
  
• You can ask for one step and reward that, or you can ask for a few steps together, whatever you want.
  
  
• When you get what you want and the horse has stopped again, wait for a SOFT HALT (i.e. horse relaxes, not pulling against you).
  
  
• Often times, the second a horse stops moving his feet, is not the same time when he stops pulling on the reins,. Do NOT release the reins until THERE IS NO PULL IN THE REINS. A good saying applicable to nearly everything in horses is - do not release on a brace.
  
  
• When you get what you want and the manouvre is over, reward your horse with a rest. A proper rest. Let him stretch his head out if he wants.