Advice on getting a good halt!

[Jojoba]

Bob halts very square and perfectly when asked.
For approximately half a second.
Then we have backing up, fidgeting, walking sideways or doing un-requested turns on the forehand .

We have a dressage test in 9 days... one of the requirements is 'halt, immobility 5 seconds'. I don't think Bob has ever stood still for this long in his life!
Any tips for getting him to halt better?

xxx

[ParisDiamond]

Having just got a 9 in my last test I feel slightly qualified to answer    To stop the shifting business, once the halt is established, give slightly with the hand, it helps them balance once they're stationary.

[Jojoba]

Okay will try that thanks .
I do usually try and do the sack-of-potatoes thing when we halt (give rein, relax seat, give no signals [because he can even read mental ones!]) but it doesn't seem to make much difference :(. He's not good at relaxing....

One thing though - I just went through a video of one of our schooling sessions to see if I could find a halt to show you... and there weren't any! So either I didnt include them, or I don't halt very often at all when schooling. Maybe I should try and halt more too!

xxx

[winnieandben]

Was just going to say the same , I have to do that with Jinx as soon as she has halted I give with the reins and she will stand for a good long period, she does chomp on the bit a little but that is better than her shuffling about.

Good luck with your test  

[Naiad]

Yes, I sponge with the reins a bit to get a nice relaxed head (if it is not already relaxed) and then relax the contact completely. If I hold the rein more than a few seconds, Amigo thinks reinback and starts to fiddle around getting ready to do that.

Also, make sure there is no hint of other driving aids telling him to move on.

p.s. I have been practising halt more during our rides (vs. just at the end of our ride), and Amigo is a tad trickier to get to stand still, but these things work perfectly.