Handy thing about having trainer on site is she can glance over at our general 'work' and make the odd comment, but also help us with things as they crop up...when people ask what we want to work on I always (perhaps a bit glibly) reply: pick something...we need to work on it all!! ;)
This week it is the halt....something everyone does at least once in every test, twice or more higher up the levels, but how many people really take their halts apart and put them back together...do you really RIDE them or half halt and hope for the best?
Guilty....
So..the FEI definition:
122. THE HALT
a) At the halt, the horse should stand attentive, engaged, motionless and straight, with the weight evenly distributed over all four legs, being by pairs abreast with each other. The neck should be raised, the poll high and the head slightly in front of the vertical. While remaining "on the bit" and maintaining a light and soft contact with the rider’s hand, the horse may quietly champ the bit and should be ready to move off at the slightest indication of the rider.
b ) The halt is obtained by the displacement of the horse’s weight to the quarters by a properly increased action of the seat and legs of the rider, driving the horse towards a more and more restraining but allowing hand, causing an almost instantaneous but not abrupt halt at a previously fixed place.
Our main issues: engagement and collection....
Firstly then, the preparation: Being mindful of the quality of the walk is so important, really riding the rhythm...not taking the opportunity for a breather!!! Collecting the walk through the seat by really thinking of a long leg lifting his core, my engaged core raising up through the torso, thinking of lifting of the shoulders and poll and therefore rolling the 'ball'back towards the hind leg, whilst maintaining a soft, even contact...NO PULLING BACK, soft giving hands at all times.
Little monkey is so good at having a little shuffle off balance as he finds it hard to truly halt with his hinds engaged and under him...he is pretty good at square halts....engaged and square a true challenge!!!
Trying to get him to step under without shuffling forward is an interesting challenge...great exercise is to halt, take a step forward, legs on girth, halt and repeat...
Trainer wanted to try some work from the ground with him....schooling whip introduced, I worked on giving an aid for left hind while she gently touched his left hind, and repeated for right hind...wow! The collection and feeling of 'sit'was incredible....once he had it we jogged a couple of steps maintaining the uphill outline....felt AMAZING!!!!
The challenge for me is not to block the front, holding on for grim death does not a harmonious picture make!!!
Then we tried it by ourselves...he is such a quick learner....I am under no illusions that this is a work in progress, but my goodness the halts are unrecognisable....to the point the feeling of being able to move into any pace from it is definitely there!
After each bit of hard work....off into a stretchy and forward trot so that he doesn't get 'stuck' in the collection....but so utterly chuffed with the progress already!!
Progressed from halt to rein back, then a direct transition to canter....such an improvement here too....super transition and no diving on the forehand...even our left canter is improved, has definitely helped thinking of keeping the hands slightly wider this way, and 'allowing' the outside of the neck so the inside flexion is possible....to the point that in terms of relaxation it is actually better than the right at the moment, however it is not as adjustable as the right, so we worked on the transitions to medium,working and collected without the little monkey grabbing the reins and poking his nose.
Great mental picture which really helped me was brushing the saddle with seat bones in bigger, longer (not faster) movements without throwing the reins away....again the lifting 'up' from long, engaged, supportive legs(mine) keeping the outside leg there to engage the outside hind, thinking tall from the torso and bigger not faster REALLY made the world of difference....less motorbike, more dressage pony!!
Long stretchy trot on both reins to finish with and big pats for my clever SmallBrown
Next step, some hind shoes to support his heels now the work is getting a lot harder.....onwards!! xx
No comments:
Post a Comment