In the world of horses, questions abound. One of the questions that abounds most is this: “How can I keep a pony on the bit?”

I have a reply to this question for you.

You use a particular aid to get your horse on the bit, the same sort of aid utilised for canters or for leg yields. The aid we are talking about here is the half halt.

The half halt is perhaps one of the least understood ideas in the world of horses. Just to do an appraisal of what a half halt is all about, these are some significant points.

1. It helps your pony achieve just about perfect balance;

2. It has a very important role to play; it helps put your animal on the bit, it is also the fulcrum that allows you to effect changes in gait, movement, balance and exercise.

3. In actual fact half halt does not really signify ‘halting’ it could well be called ‘half-proceed’ half halts actually are based on the same thrust from the rear that is used for medium gaits.

4. Half halts are executed in one specific way: they involve the transient closing of seat, hands and legs.

5. Confusion about the half halt often arises due to the number of variations that are possible because of the number of ways the seat, hands and legs can be employed. Variations also arise from the duration and strength factors.

6. Each variation of the half halt ends up in a different end result to do with connection and collection, or with preparing for something new.

7. You can put a pony on the bit by using the change that ‘links’ the animal’s rear end to the front end. Only for convenience, I’m going to refer to this difference as the ‘linking half halt’

8. The ‘linking half halt’ comprises the union of 3 aid sets:

a. Driving aids (the seat and both legs)

b. Bending aids (the inside rein and the two legs)

c. The outside rein.

9. The 3 aid sets mentioned above must be applied over 3 seconds

10. The casual viewer would think these 3 aids are given at the same time.

11. But with slo-mo video replay or freeze frame shots, it can be seen that:

a. The 2 calves of the rider are tightly closed to cause a power surge from the rear (at about that point, I’m intentionally keeping the seat out of it, so things can be kept simple).

b. The rider then closes a fist on the outside rein so he can capture the energy from the rear, contain it and recycle it back to the horse’s hind legs.

c. The rider ultimately gives 3 small squeezes. She releases the rein on the inside so the neck is kept straight (this is mandatory because the pony will otherwise turn his neck outwards because of the outside hand fist).

d. The riders lets things go soft after the passage of 3 seconds. She or he goes back to a lighter, maintenance hand and leg pressure, such as he or she had before the half halt.

12. Like any aid, getting a horse on the bit is really very straightforward. Sadly, riders make it complicated by attempting to find exercises so that they can connect the pony (I don’t mean to be contrary, but leg yield type of exercises are beneficial. They are useful in giving newbie riders and horses the connection ‘feel’ but what you really want is to be able to get your pony on the bit using an invisible aid at any time of your choosing, like when you’re showing).

Horses are Heather Tomspassion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers go here