Transitions: WALK to HALT

[Elaine]

Ok, you've got to do some preliminary work first before you stand the best chances of getting a lovely walk to halt transition without the pulling / leaning / delayed slow down, 5 extra steps before you actually stop, or whatever is currently happening at the minute.

Here is the preliminary work - it won't take too long and I promise it will make a big difference if you can get it good:

1. Soft halt

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2. Halt to backup / reverse

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3. Active walk

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WALK TO HALT

If your horse is rushing in the walk, then stopping is difficult. (horse can 'run away' in the walk) Make sure you've got an active and balanced walk first, as it makes stopping easier.

• Walk around. Exhale a deep breathe.
  
  
• Pick up a light contact to ask for a stop. I want you to stop moving your body. (You can also doing this by first figuring out how the saddle is moving your seat bones, then actively make the movement of your seat bones a little behind / slower than the movement of the saddle, which will cause your horses hind legs to slow down - the muscles in his hind legs are all connected to the muslces that run along the top of his back, which make your saddle move).
  
  
• Wait. Your horse might pull against you, ignore you - but not too much, because you've done the previous three exercises at the top of this page. So now this walk to halt is actually very easy to do nicely as your horse already understands how to relax his jaw and give to the bit. If you've skipped those three exercises and are diving in here straight away, seriously stop and go back and do them.
  
  
• Your horses feet will stop.
  
  
• Keep holding that light contact. Imagine your hands are like a wooden post. They just dont move or pull, they just stay still.
  
  
• One, two, three seconds later - or maybe 20 seconds later if your horse spots an amazing looking cow in the field next door! he will relax his jaw, and you'll feel the light tension leave the reins and you'll feel softness.
  
  
• You can relax, release the reins a little and just enjoy it.
  
  

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Ok so maybe you've got this far and you want to know a way without doesnt involve doing all the work I listed above first here's another idea.....

1. Walk (or trot, or whatever)
2. Breathe out
3. Cue for halt
4. Horse ignores you or only begins to think about slowing down
5. Stay at the gait you are at (eg trot) and turn your horse in a small circle, but let him keep trotting if he wants to
6. Keep him on this small circle until he himself decides to walk
7. Keep him on this small circle until you feel him about to want to stop
8. Just as he's about to stop, ask him to backup a few steps.
9. Then stand still, keep yoru hands still until he softens his jaw.
10. Then relax.

Repeat. If you horse is improving after a while you can you can skip the turn bit, and go from

1. Walk (or trot, or whatever)
2. Breathe out
3. Cue for halt
4. Horse begins to think about slowing down
5. Slow down
6. Stop and ask him to backup a few steps.
7. Then stand still, keep your hands still until he softens his jaw.
8. Then relax.