Halt Whilst Remaining on the Bit - Help???

[domane]

Anyone got any advice? Cherry is starting to work very well on the bit at walk and trot. However, when she is asked to halt, she immediately thinks work is over and pokes her head up to see what's going on around her. If she gets any pressure on her nose at all, she will immediately start backing up as she thinks she has to rein-back. So Rose will apply her leg to drive her forwards back onto the bit and we get this funny little half-shunt forwards and half-shunt backwards... but no real standing still. Do you think it's just a case of persevering or does anyone have any radical ideas that we just haven't thought of yet?

[purrrfect]

i have exactly the same problem with my horse! so wouldnt mind some advice on this myself lol

[holiday]

Do lots of trot, halt or walk halt transitions dont allow her to stand for more than a split second and gradually lengthen the time, rather than trying to force her to stand, make her think about listening to you and waiting for the next instruction.

Do loads of transitions throughout the paces and eventually she will stand ready to work again. If you force it, it will become an issue you struggle to get out of, by her not realising whats happening and being totally focussed on what you are asking she will get better.

Hope you understand that im getting a bit tired now and ready for bed!!!!!

[Marmite]

Do you keep your leg on going into the halt? if you take it off, you are releasing all the energy it took to get her head down, making her think its ok to poke it up again......I think anyways!!! Id recommend keeping your leg on if you arent allready, and maybe training her to halt off your weight rather than reins, just stops the pressure on her mouth, possibly another reason why she wont do it. This is assuming you dont do this anyway.........:o

[domane]

The lady who is working with me (and also riding Cherry) tells me not to pull on her reins but to use my seat and that works fine, it's just that she then sticks her nose in the air to have a good look around - I think she sees halting as a rest period and time out!!! If either of us apply our legs she shoots forwards and if we apply any pressure to her nose (to keep her on the bit) she steps backwards so it's a see-saw back/forth movement rather than a halt.

Today I tried holiday's suggestion of momentary halts, which kind of took her by surprise as she wasn't expecting to walk on again quite so swiftly!! Hehe... catching her off guard ... :D At least she will have to concentrate and pay attention.

Thanks for suggestions though...

[*Sparkle]

As Marmite mentioned, leg through your halt is very important. My trainer tells me to think of bringing my horse onto the bit not as working with his mouth, but rather driving him foward onto the contact. This works especially well with horses who have soft mouths and are sensitive to aids. The thing you have to do is, when sitting to ask for the halt, drive her forward with your leg and seat while asking her to halt with your reins and hips. This will result in a cleaner, more together halt. Also, when she does halt squarely and holds her frame, allow her to walk forwards as a reward- holding her in a frame will only cause her to back up and pull against the bit. Best of luck =)

-Jess

[Wally]

The lady who is working with me (and also riding Cherry) tells me not to pull on her reins but to use my seat and that works fine, it's just that she then sticks her nose in the air to have a good look around

Then you are halting too long at this stage. Make the halt longer and longer, she'll be waiting for the next command rather than looking around.

[hackedoff]

try lifting your hands and come up into the halt, also resist through your back, and breathe out!

[Rips]

I found trot-halt-trot transitions really good for getting a correct halt, instead of slumping into the halt, they are pushed into it and then if they expecting that they might be asked to trot out of halt they stand proper, collected ready to move off with impulsion.
To get this working though I did a whole lesson of halt-to-trot transitions, and I would halt slightly differently. Now we have two degrees of halt if you like, one which is held and generally walked out of and one which is halt ready to work on.
I don't know how "correct" that is but its helped work through a lot of things.