During the test of the halt, the judge is as concerned with
the downward transition as with the halt itself. When a horse
correctly performs this test, its hocks stay engaged throughout
the downward transition, until the halt is completed with the
horse standing squarely. In order to keep the hocks engaged, you
must maintain pressure with your calves against the horse's sides
and may even have to increase that pressure if the horse begins
to pull on the reins and drop its haunches out behind. The
combination of a supporting leg and multiple half-halts
encourages the horse to stay in the proper frame and not elongate
its body.
When the downward transition is correctly performed, you feel the
horse's hind feet dance beneath your seat. This lilting feeling
is caused by the hocks' circular movement as they remain engaged.
If you do not experience this, but instead feel that the horse's
back is flat and its hind feet are strking behind your seat, then
you know the horse has lost the engagement of its hocks. This
incorrect position of the animal's hind legs compromises your
ability to perform specific movements accurately, since your
control over the horse decreases as the hocks lose their
engagement.
The degree of collection necessary at the halt depends upon the
difficulty of the segment of the test immediately following the
halt. For example, if the end of a test calls for the rider to
halt and then exit the arena at a sitting trot, the horse could
successfully perform the final segment while collected into a
medium frame. However, if a test asks the rider to halt and then
pick up the counter canter, a short frame would be necessary at
the halt, in preparation for the difficult movement that follows.
The main points judged during the test of the halt are: (1)
smoothness and straightness during the downward transition; (2)
accuracy of the halt--that is, halting at a designated place; (3)
a square stance; and (4) immobility for 4 to 6 seconds. Owing to
its usefulness as a test of obedience, the halt is frequently
asked for by judges in gauging all levels of riders.