34/ AUGUST 2018 THE RIDER


The (Simple?) Halt to Walk Transition


By Kathy Farrokhzad Just a simple halt to walk transi-


tion. We do it all the time! So what’s the fuss? In my experience, horses often


do something other than walk straight forward out of the halt. Try the transi- tion a few times and pay close atten- tion to what happens after you ask for the walk. Let’s break it down.


The Halt First, develop a strong, marching


walk that shows “activity.” In other words, the walk should be brisk and fairly up-tempo. Not so fast that it feels like your horse will break stride into trot any second; but develop a forward, reaching, free-flowing walk. You’ll know it’s a good walk


when the foot-falls are evenly spaced apart - 1..2..3..4. If it’s more like 1..2.3.....4, then you know that it’s still not a “pure” walk, or one that is rhyth- mical, balanced and strong. You can prepare to halt after you


get that walk! The aid for the halt is mainly in


your seat. While in the walk, you’re walking with your seat bones, in rhythm with the horse’s movement. Prepare to halt with a half-halt. When you halt, you stop the seat. If the horse continues to walk, don’t be as free- flowing with the seat bones. Follow up with half-halts on the reins (not a steady pull) until you get the legs to stop.


Stay in halt for five seconds to


really establish immobility. Work on keeping your horse’s attention during that time. Consider the halt as a movement rather than a “stop everything.” Stay


“giraffe neck” - the head goes high, the horse flings the nose up in the air. If you try it yourself, you’ll feel the discomfort through the back of your neck and shoulder blades almost immediately. When the head goes up like that, the base of the neck actually drops. The back hollows and the horse’s underline lengthens. This puts him on the forehand immediately and he has to carry your weight with a compromised balance. In this case, make sure you are not letting your reins out through your fingers, or doing the Jelly Elbows routine as you transition to walk. Find a comfort- able rein length for the horse, and keep that rein length right through the transition. Keep your el- bows on your body and expect the horse to walk even while he stays round and on the bit. Intersperse the halt to walk transition through


your ride as a breathing break. Just after you’ve done some canter and trot work, go to the walk, halt (five seconds) and walk again. It might take some practice to get the immobility and then the energy and regular footfalls of the walk after the halt.


Use it also as a cool down at the end of the


ride. Before you get off, do a few halt to walk tran- sitions.


toned, “connected,” tuned into each other, and just wait. But don’t wait too long! If you


managed the five seconds, and your horse is still with you, walk out of the halt. It takes practice to stay immobile while ready to go at a moment’s no- tice.


The Walk What happens during the very


first step out of the halt? • Does your horse lift his head and stick the nose to the sky? • Does he take a large step left or right? • Does he take a few tiny, slow steps before establishing his normal pace? • Does he go to take a few steps back-


ward before he realizes you wanted forward steps?


Practice While it seems too simple,


achieving a bold, powerful but con- tained, smooth walk out of the halt is something that must be learned by both the horse and rider. It doesn’t al- ways come naturally. Here are a few things to keep in


mind as your horse takes that first walk step. • Is he ready to step out with an active hind end? One of the first things to notice is whether the horse pulls him- self forward from the front end or pushes from the hind end. Make sure you are asking his hind end to move


forward first. The horse should ideally step forward promptly and energeti- cally from your two light leg aids. • Is he straight? You can notice straightness by observing his front shoulders. Do they aim straight for- ward, or do they step slightly side- ways? Does the hind end swing to one side or the other? Be sure to keep your reins even, your legs even, and your seat and upper body pointed forward. When the horse takes the first step, make sure you are not leaning or weighting one seat bone over another. Urge him to go straight from your straight body and aids. Use leg aids to counter any hind end swings. • Does the horse throw the head up in those first few steps? We call this a


Your horse has given you a lifetime of love and it is hard to walk away when the time has come to say goodbye


Honouring the life of your horse.


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Bio: Kathy Farrokhzad is an EC coach and author of the Horse Listening book collection, and Goal Setting For The Equestrian: A Personal Work- book. If you liked what you read here, check out her blog at www.HorseListening.com for many more articles about horses, riding and life in gen- eral.


Tomas Yofre & Fantasy give an exemplary performance in the


Modified Grand Prix at the International Bromont


Bromont, July 28, 2018 – Argentinian rider Tomas Yofre and Fantasy prevail as winners today in the Modified Grand Prix at the International Bromont.


signed by FEI4* Anthony d’Ambrosio (USA) comprised of 13 obstacles for 16 efforts, including three double combinations. The broken lines also gave riders many options and flexibility with plan- ning their strides. Only five pairs will make it to the jump-off:


Strong start 32 rider-horse pairs competed on a course de-


Maria Victoria Perez (PUR) & Sweet Tricia, Jor- dan Coyle (IRL) & Mojo TSP, Samantha Ka- sowitz (USA) & Charlie, Nicholas Dello Joio (USA) & Dubai as well as Tomas Yofre (ARG) & Fantasy. Yofre and Fantasy were the fastest in the first


round, and were first out in the jump-off, and pre- vail right from the start: with a double clear in 33.38 seconds, they are the pair to beat.


week of competition with the presentation of the Quebec Original Grand Prix at 2:30 p.m. tomor- row. The always popular Canine-Equine Chal- lenge will also be presented before noon.


in the picturesque setting of the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park, at the heart of the beautiful re- gion of the Eastern Townships. For more informa- tion on the


www.internationalbromont.org. schedule, visit site


About International Bromont International Bromont presents its 43rd edition


at


End of the first week of competition The International Bromont will end its first


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