86 Manual of Equitation and Horse Training 



rear or are thrown to one side to avoid an engagement, 

 which is always painful at first, the legs intervene to push 

 the haunches gently under the mass. The hand remains 

 passive. 



The results of halting are to gather the horse's forces, 

 educate his mouth, fix his head and haunches, and to make 

 him lighter. 



The halt must be practiced gradually and very gently 

 at first. One should be very careful with horses whose 

 necks are "upside down," who are long coupled, tucked up, 

 or too nervous. These kinds of horses are generally weak 

 in the loin, they accept the halt with difficulty, and the 

 remedy becomes worse than the evil. 



With horses which are lacking in impulsion the halt 

 must be absolutely avoided. 



Summing up, halting is only suitable for horses having 

 good loins and sufficient vigor in the haunches and backs 

 to stop cleanly on the hindquarters. 



It is not the same with half halt. The half halt is pro- 

 duced by the action of the hand acting from below upward 

 and slightly from front to rear, without stopping the horse, 

 but raising the forehand when the horse bears on the bit. 



The half halt, which was defined in the chapter on aids, 

 irritates the horse less than the halt; one may, therefore, 

 employ it without fear on all, save again those that hold 

 back. 



The result sought is to support the forehand and con- 

 sequently to lower the croup, without producing a slowing 

 of the gait. 



The broken line, circle, and serpentine, when demand- 

 ed by the reins alone acting on the forehead, not only have 

 the effect of supphng the shoulders but also favor the en- 

 gagement of the haunches. 



The same movements, when the leg pushes the haun- 

 ches to the outside, give great mobility to the hindquar- 

 ters. One should know, in using them, the end to be ob- 

 tained, and employ them accordingly. 



The search for mobility of the hindquarters is limited 

 to necessity, which is strict obedience to the leg. Its only 

 object is to permit the horse to be kept straight in all cir- 

 cumstances. 



The demivolte, when the radius is decreased, leads to 

 more marked engagement of the haunches. The half turn 



