I use the half halt regularly through every ride, but can also attest to the fact that descriptions of the half halt are less-than-helpful.
The half-halt is a specific riding aid given by an equestrian to his horse, in which the driving aids and restraining aids are applied in quick succession. It is sometimes thought of as an “almost halt,” asking the horse to prepare to halt in balance, before pushing it onward to continue in its gait.
Exactly. If you were to take this definition literally you'd be yanking and spanking your horse at the same time. Not exactly the point of the half halt.
A great video to see the physical change a half halt can inspire is an excerpt from Part II of Kalaman de Jurenak's “Classical Dressage Training” video series.
So.. do you, have you, or would you half halt if you knew how?
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Lovely video. It’s rare that I can watch one through without cringing, but this was done with such a light, empathic touch. I do half-halt. It’s all about setting my horse up for success for the next movement. I think of it as a balancer for both of us. Done right, it can be as subtle as a deep breath and a slight slowing of my body so that it’s off of my horse’s rhythm by a fraction. He slows and collects to get back into sync with me. There might be closed fingers, which lighten as soon as we’re in balance and ready to move on. If my half-halt has to be more dramatic than that, then it means that we’re not yet ready to do whatever I’m asking. No yanking and spanking!