Unable to achieve a 'soft halt'

[Twigletz7]

I'm having real problems with Misti achieving a soft halt. She either tenses her neck and jaw or starts to try and evade the bit by either dropping her shoulder and attemting to move to the side or reining back.

Sometimes she will start to chomp on the bit but will never completely soften and accept the contact. I have stood with her chomping and salivating on the bit for over 5 mins still without her relaxing into the contact. She tosses her head up in evasion to the contact.

I am currently thinking about changing her bit to one with no tongue pressure (poss myler or kimblewick) as she has a fat tongue and I think this may be what she is resisting against.

She has had her back checked and I think its a schooling issue

 

[~*sugarlump*~]

as well as maybe bit changes (i wont comment on that as i am rubbish at bitting) does she respond well to your seat aids?
a halt should come from the whole body and not just from the head, by this i really mean that reins should be used at the final aid to halt, if it is even needed!
get her used to listening to your seat and weight aids, and as she starts to listen to them you could find that she will halt from just a squeeze of your bum. i also find that you get a softer more square halt this way

 

[xloopylozzax]

the horse im riding struggles with halt sometimes (improving though now touch wood )

he was ok on the centre line (A-C) because thats where we stopped when we finished.
he still dislikes stopping on the track if hes not in the right frame of mind or wants to argue but we are getting there

started by riding petals (circles on 3, 6, 9, 12 then add in between ones) and stopping or half halting when we reache the outside track, making a point that we 'have' to stop at helped because he started to anticipate it. started doing same in trot-halt.

made his transitions snappier which was good.

as for him softening, he still sometimes grinds his teeth (when hes feeling argumentative) but hes quite happy most of the time, and doesnt hollow or nod when we stop/start again.
have you tried stroking her neck/shoulder?

agree with above with use of seat over hands, but for a young horse they do tend to need the reins aswell, prepare with voice (get them listening and concentrating) think stand, ask with seat then add reins
not a fan of this but perhaps treat when she stands so its nice for her and she relaxes?

 

[Twigletz7]

Sorry, probs didn't explain well enough - she is now very good at the stopping part of the halt and will halt with a shift of weight. If you keep a consistent contact once halted however (not pulling), she starts to evade it.

She used to be v.bad at stopping, it would take half side of the school, but now will go from trot to halt with a shift of the weight so we're getting there slowly

 

[inhs]

You're in devon... there's a great trainer down in devon who does this kind of stuff I'd recommend.. Tom Widdicombe www.bewithyourhorse.com Worth a visit or an email