The half-halt rebalances the horse, asking him to shift more weight onto his hind end and recycling forward energy to his hind legs. In this video, Ashley Donadt offers simple exercises to help you feel and understand the mechanics of the half-halt, explains why and how it’s used, and teaches you how to implement half-halts for better balance. Donadt is an FEI dressage rider and USDF bronze and silver medalist with distinction. Along with husband/head groom Evan Donadt, she is based out of Donadt Dressage in San Diego, California. Before starting her own business in 2017, she previously worked for David Blake and his wife, Rebecca Rigdon, as well as Elizabeth Ball. Since 2019, she has been training with three-time Olympic medalist Guenter Seidel. She also has trained with FEI Dressage World Cup rider AnnA Buffini and debuted at Grand Prix on Buffini’s schoolmaster Sundayboy.