In short, there isn’t one. After spending the past few weeks scouting the Internet for that perfect combination of aids, I have come to realize there is no exact recipe. The rider always needs to start with a horse that is calm, forward, straight(ish), and in rhythm, but after that all bets are off. There is a HH for any given situation and it can involve an infinite variety of combinations of leg, seat, hand and all sorts of other body parts.
There is a energizing HH that feels like the above picture of popping a wheelie. It involves an in breath, a slight scoop with the seat, leg, either shoulders down and/or a bit of rein, and then release of the aids. All in three seconds or so.
There is the balancing HH that feels like the above picture of a fencing stance. It involves an in breath, a feeling like the seat bones go down and the shoulders grow, then an out breath with just enough leg to keep the rhythm the same, and then a release of the aids. A momentary readjustment of balance.
The descriptions, examples, and explanations on YouTube, Pinterest, and Google searches are endless. I really like the Centered Riding explanation as a starting point because the rider starts in balance and the HH is tied to breathing and some basic body positions. I also like Robert Dover’s explanation on YouTube and Jane Savoie’s in her book as seen above.
By opening myself up to the idea that there are a hundred different kinds of HH’s, I’m starting to experiment with different combinations of aids. The HH I need before a transition upwards is different from the HH I need before a downward transition. By thinking my way through the “recipe” for each different kind of HH situation I’ve been starting to get success in 70-80% of my HH’s and Jet feels fantastic in his balance and energy.
Do you think there are different kinds of HH’s or for you is it one standard set of aids?
I think that Half-halts are like the holy grail. People are looking for the one recipe but I, like you, don't think that there's a one-size-fits-all half-halt. There are fundamentals: rebalancing and a slight hesitation but the details depend on the horse, rider, level, discipline, etc
ReplyDeleteTotally agree, it is like the holy grail of riding. Depending on the horse(forward or lacking energy etc.), situation, and rider timing the HH can be quite varied. And that doesn't include HH's for different purposes in the ride. Mind bending!
DeleteOh the HH dilemma.... What to do, when to do, we try to do and somehow, some way we pull it off or we don't.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like half halts are personal. We each have our own understanding of it, how we ask for it, when, what we do for one horse vs. another, in this scenario over that.... Hard to describe and can be difficult to achieve and understand.
Exactly! But you have to have some kind of theoretical framework...
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