How to Teach Your Horse the Half-Pass

The half-pass is a fundamental movement tested in standardized dressage competition beginning at the medium levels. While it is demonstrated in competition at the trot and canter it can be schooled in all three gaits-walk, trot and canter. It is also a movement of considerable gymnastic value in the physical development of the horse. Mastery of the half-pass also demonstrates the control of the rider and willingness of the horse to relate the forehand and the haunches precise way while keeping forward motion.

By definition, the half-pass is a travers performed on a diagonal line rather than on the straight line of a wall or center line. The horse moves into the direction of his bend while continuing to step with good impulsion and balance maintaining a position nearly parallel to the wall with the shoulders slightly leading.

Pre-requisites:

Half-passes should be introduced only after the shoulder-in and travers are confirmed. As with all dressage movements, the schooling value is limited to the quality of balance and purity of gait maintained during its performance. Therefore, if the horse is losing engagement, comes away from the bit, or cannot keep correct bend in a corner it is not ready to begin to school the half-pass. A good pre-requisite exercise is to begin with a ten meter circle at the first letter marker following a corner. From that circle proceed in travers down the long side of the arena. When this exercise is able to be performed in both directions in good rhythm and balance, the rider can begin to attempt the half-pass.

A Beginning Exercise:

Tracking left at the trot, turn down the center line at A in shoulder-in left. This will establish the bend around the rider's inside leg and begin the shoulders in the correct leading position. At L proceed with the horse's chest pointed towards H. The rider can imagine the ears of the horse as creating a sight line to keep the letter marker centered between. The shoulders will then be kept correctly on their line. From this set up, the rider then by a half-halt on the outside rein and slight outside leg pressure can take the haunches into a travers on this diagonal line towards H. On the final approach to H, the rider can take one to two strides in a leg-yield to bring the haunches to the rail and straighten the horse before the new flexion and bend are established for the right handed corner. After the short side, turn at M on a short diagonal of medium trot to E to refresh the impulsion using half-halts to collect and land at E in travers and school it on a straight line again until K. A mirror image of the pattern will develop the half-pass off the other direction.

If the horse or rider is having difficulty with the navigation, the trainer can set poles on the ground along the diagonal to serve as a false rail. As the rider masters the ability to create a rail with the outside aids, the poles can be removed.

Further Tips:

Be aware of your aids. It is easy to overly focus on the outside aids when it is still the inside leg which creates the bend and the forward movement. Riders should feel their weight stays on the inside seat bone as the horse will step under and towards the center of gravity. The rider's shoulders and chest should be turned with the horse. When rider's start to push overly strongly with the outside aids not only do they lean to the outside, they often twist away from the direction they are guiding the horse.

Use your inside rein with tact and feel. Pulling on the inside hand does not create bend and will block the horse from bringing the inside hind leg further under its body.

At the beginning, focus on riding well forward and less sideways. The forehand must keep leading.

If you do not have an excellent corner to set up your half-pass fix the corner. This is true for all exercises in dressage, but it is easy to get in a rush to ride the half-pass. Let's face it, they are fun! However, every time you ride you train and each poorly ridden corner breaks down all your hard work.

Troubleshooting:

If your horse is rushing or his steps become short or uneven, go back to shoulder-in and travers. If needed, ask for less degree of angle or less distance. You may also notice your horse loses his bend. When this happens, check that you are still positioned with your weight to the inside and that your inside leg remains active. If so, and your horse is not responding, push the horse on in shoulder-in for a few strides. For example, if you reach the quarter line and the horse has lost bend continue down the quarter line in shoulder-in until the bend is re-established. If there is room, add a few more steps of half-pass. If there is no room, straighten and try the pattern again. Another common issue is that the horse begins to tilt his head such that one ear becomes lower. First check the use of your hands. Is one hand becoming higher and usually tighter? Lower and softening the rein on the higher side as a first option. Then, go back and improve the lateral suppleness by riding voltes, figure eights and check that this issue is not present at all in your shoulder-in and travers.

Progressing to the Canter:

Take your time to master the exercise in the trot before asking for half-passes in the canter. Again keep in mind that the quality of balance, bend, engagement and relaxation are more important that how far or steeply your horse can go sideways!

Since horses are already predisposed to carrying their haunches to the inside in the canter, riding haunches-in at the canter is usually ill advised. Therefore, the rider has to pay strict attention in the canter half-pass to the use of and reaction to the riders inside leg. The moment for it to be active is the moment the inside hind leg leaves the ground. By having developed the habit of starting for a stride in shoulder-in out of the corner so that the horse's forehand is properly aligned and the bend created in the trot, the same exercises of interchanging shoulder-in apply and be understood by the horse.

The half-pass is an incredible exercise in its ability to both develop lightness of the forehand by loosening the shoulders and liberating the elbows at the same time it encourages greater articulation of the lumbar region and makes the hips more supple through the deeply crossing hind leg. From these qualities a rider can ultimately magnify the horse's ability to extend its gait. As a gymnastic element, it is advantageous to couple half-passes performed in trot with subsequent transitions to extended trot. When the half-pass is mastered, it can be performed in subsequent directions or zig-zags giving the ultimate feel of dancing with your horse. Just remember that this dance will be elegant and beautiful with careful preparation and a keen attention to balance and basics as you train your horse.