Damian Hallam On The Walk-Halt-Walk

The grand prix dressage rider and trainer shares a simple exercise that is fundamental to creating a responsive horse

- Helen Triggs

AIM

THIS exercise is deliberately simple — does the horse understand that “go” means “go” and “stop” means “stop”? You can’t make a horse active unless he is reactive to your aids.

Many riders never stop twittering with the hand or leg so the horse learns to ignore them by “trancing out”, or can never understand exactly what is required. Working on the principle of pressure and release, the horse learns that the reward (release) follows his correct response to the signal and so becomes obedient to the aids.