Square Halt?

[Torny]

I was wondering,

How do you go about teaching a horse to stand square like they do when finishing a Dressage test.
You see riders coming down the centre line at a nice pace, then 'POOF' the horse stops and stands perfectly Square, not a toe out of line.

[ros]

Not as easy as it sounds, is it?  :(  

Paul Belasik says that a good way to get the horse halting squarely is to keep him on his toes - lots of transitions from various paces to halt, in fairly quick succession.  That way he never quite knows what he's going to have to do next, and you find he begins to prepare himself because it's easier for him to be ready for the next manoeuvre (whatever it happens to be) if he's reasonably square.

Suck it and see?

[Maz]

Sit square yourself!
Although this on its own won't cause the horse to halt square, if you sit to one side your horse won't halt square. You'll also need to apply your aids evenly on both sides.... unless you know your horse has a particular weakness on one side and you have to compensate for it eg. If your horse always halts with his right hind lagging behind you may need to use more right leg in the halt to encourage him to step under more with that leg.

[Heather]

A lot of dressage horses are trained to halt square in the way that a show horse is also taught- ie, being tapped lightly with a whip to make him place his leg where required. Eventually it becomes habit, but this is not the true squre halt brought about by the horse being truly engaged and stepping under with his hindlegs so that he comes into the halt quare without any shuffling of the legs! As Ros says, lots of transitions, are a great help and the best way to get a horse truly using his back end and lightening the front.

Heather

[cathy reynolds]

You will find (truly!) that as your horse becomes more balanced he/she will halt square. I didn't belive it either, but IT IS TRUE. After a shambolic start a year ago, Henry does it nearly every time now, to my intense delight.