Looking through an old notebook I found some notes I once took on how to train horses for lateral movements, and how to properly execute those movements. I thought I’d record them here along with some thoughts on what the rider can do to prepare for these movements from the ground.
Half Halt
Before attempting to execute any lateral movements, the horse should be taught a good half halt. The half halt is a wonderful tool to set the horse up for a new movement, rebalance a gait that is starting to come apart, or gently fix a distance on the way to a fence. To execute a proper half halt, the following steps are necessary:
- Lift your chest
- Straighten your back
- Shift your weight back onto your seat bones (in sensitive horses, this step is often enough)
- gently squeeze the rains while adding leg.
When I was learning to ride, I think I had the most trouble with remembering to add leg while I squeezed with the reins.
Turn on the Forehand
When first training the horse to do a turn on the forehand, ask for 1 or 2 steps before praising and moving on. As the horse begins to understand the movement better, you can ask for more steps. Be patient and train the full movement over a number of days.
- At the halt, establish an even passive contact in both reins.
- Put the leg you want the horse to move away from (left or right) slightly back and apply pressure to the flank.
- Keep the horses head and neck straight in front of him.
As a rider it is important to sit square and upright during this movement. There can be a tendency to collapse or lean over the active leg in an attempt to make the horse move away more strongly, but both of these negatively effect the horses balance, making it difficult for the horse to perform the movement correctly.
Leg Yield
It is easiest to start training this movement in the centre of a ring or field, where the walls/track/fence will not act as a distraction to the uncertain horse.
- Start by having the horse move straight for several strides.
- To leg yield left, keep the left leg at the girth and slide the right leg back slightly.
- Ask the horse to step to the left by rhythmically squeezing with the right leg as the horse lifts his right hind of the ground.
Ask for only a few steps at first, and be sure to finish the movement by traveling in a straight line again before reaching the end of the ring or field. The rider should keep the upper body straight and upright, and the non-active leg at the girth. The horse should travel with a straight neck, head, and body. A proper leg yield does not involve bending.
Unfortunately the most important action in this movement, timing the squeeze with each stride, is impossible to practice from the ground.
Shoulder In/Haunches In
As with the leg yield, this should first be asked for in the centre of a ring or open field. In a shoulder-in to the right, the rider’s active right leg bends the horse, keeps him moving forward, and stops him from falling into a circle. The passive left leg keeps the horses haunches from stepping out.
In a haunches-in t the right, the right leg supports passively at the girth. It still has the role of encouraging forward momentum. The left leg should slide back slightly, and actively push the horse’s haunches over. Moving into the haunches in coming off a circle can be an effective way to easily get the correct movement the first time.
In both of these movements, the horse should be traveling in a straight line while maintaining a bend in the body. The rider should sit upright and straight, avoiding leaning to either side and disrupting the horse’s balance.
Practicing without a Horse
The half halt sequence can be easily practiced in a chair. The chair has the advantage of providing feedback as to where the weight is in your seat, and how evenly you are sitting. I’ve discovered that if I don’t concentrate, I have a tendency to sit with slightly more weight on my right hand side, which if I were on a horse would encourage crooked movement.
Though the legs are not in the correct position, you can at least strengthen them by squeezing an inflatable ball between them. The ball can also be held lightly between the legs in between practice half halts, which can be considered the equivalent to maintaing a steady light contact.
For the movements that require one leg to be passive and one to be active, sit in a chair with an inflatable ball between the legs. Practice applying pressure with one leg at a time. Pay attention to the weight in your seat, and make sure not to lean away from or towards the leg that is applying pressure.
Finally, stand with your legs slightly wider than shoulder width apart, your knees slightly bent, and your toes in line with each other. Slide one leg back slightly. Be sure to maintain square hips, and even weight through both feet. Return to the starting position, and switch legs.
