Just wondering how many people use voice commands when riding. So many people don`t and it is frowned upon when doing dressage, but I have always used them when riding. After all a horse gets used to the words of whoa, walk on, trot and canter when being initially schooled on the lunge. It seems sense to me to continue with the voice when ridden. All my horses respond to the voice command for different gaits when being ridden, so the leg command is just a token gesture given with the voice and not really needed, although they do respond to the leg without the voice. I think it makes things so much easier.
Do you use your voice........
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All I really do is say "good boy" when he relaxes/softens and say no or steady or wait if he is thinking ahead of me! That's about it.
If we are hacking round the field I generally talk to him all the time for his and my confidence just general silly talk like "oh Victory I can see that rabbit too. Lovely littler rabbit isn't it"!! "Oh those silly trees moving in the wind"!!
Yes I am slightly mad.
If we are hacking round the field I generally talk to him all the time for his and my confidence just general silly talk like "oh Victory I can see that rabbit too. Lovely littler rabbit isn't it"!! "Oh those silly trees moving in the wind"!!
Yes I am slightly mad.
I have been schooling recently for my horse to respond to voice commands. It does seem much easier for him. I do notice that when we ride he has both ears turned back towards me now.
Clucking means change up gears and whoa means slow down.
Forgot I have noticed I use a long drawn out aaaaaaaaaaaaaand before the command itself. Almost like a half halt to let him know something is about to happen
Clucking means change up gears and whoa means slow down.
Forgot I have noticed I use a long drawn out aaaaaaaaaaaaaand before the command itself. Almost like a half halt to let him know something is about to happen
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I must be mad too then. :dance: I am always talking to my horses when riding them as I feel it does give them confidence. I sometimes think they are wishing I would just shut up!
because my legs can be a bit "wobbly" (I'm prone to sciatica in my left leg) I use my voice [when both legs are functioning within normal parameters] as an addition to my leg aid when I ask for walk, trot and canter, and whoah (very important, that one!), he also knows what "good boy!" means, and associates it with "we're done for the day, stop and turn in" so I have to say "good man" or "good lad" or "atta boy" when I'm schooling (or what passes for schooling!) so he knows he's done well, but doesn't stop in the middle of a circle!! :giggle:
I constantly gossip to my horses when I'm riding. Dolly is so attuned to my voice that if she's got someone else on board and I say something she considers a cue, she'll follow it regardless of whether the rider wants something else - whoops!:redface:
I talk all the time! I even sing (only quite not like whitney houston style!) if im on a nervous horse or i feel nervous. If showing i do still talk quietly even if its just good, walk, trot ect. Abby listens for me and i always encourage people to talk to their horses when riding :happy:
Silver mostly operates on voice aids now... Pig not so much so apart from when he is being told off... he knows that voice cue :giggle:
We have stand, walk on, click for trot, woah for slow a speed, and steady to come in to me
We have stand, walk on, click for trot, woah for slow a speed, and steady to come in to me
I talk to the RS horses - usually along the lines of good boy/girl, come on now, lets get going! etc. My instructor hasn't ever commented so I'll just carry on.
When we're outside I constantly jabber on to the poor creatures about everything under the sun!
When we're outside I constantly jabber on to the poor creatures about everything under the sun!
i always speak to the RS school pony at weekends. Once i am on their back i always ask how they are , and say i hope that we have a good session today. I also speak to them when i want him to go into rising trot. If i am on scooby he is quite responsive and will start trotting straight away. If i am on quiz then i normally have a job on my hands to get him going . He is a lazy so & so
. He is a lazy so & so
Most of the horses at my RS respond to voice commands. We use aaaaaaaaand waaaaalking/trotting/stand when coming down a gear in a steady, relaxed, drawn out command, or aaaaaand steeeeaaaady to ask them to calm down and come back to you. Going up a gear is similar but in a more energetic way. I think they probably just react to the tone of your voice and are so well rehersed they generally know what's coming anyway.
They respond so well that if my instructor asks one horse to do something in a lesson they all tend to respond to her cue. I remember being amazed in my first lesson there when she told me to tell the horse 'just trotting' when we were going round the corner if he got over excited and it totally worked! I could feel him getting ready for canter, told him 'just trotting' and he came right back to me.
They respond so well that if my instructor asks one horse to do something in a lesson they all tend to respond to her cue. I remember being amazed in my first lesson there when she told me to tell the horse 'just trotting' when we were going round the corner if he got over excited and it totally worked! I could feel him getting ready for canter, told him 'just trotting' and he came right back to me.
I use voice aids ALL the time, even in dressage tests! It's such a hard habit to break once you start. But Willow does respond to them very well, so it works for us, so I'm sticking with it!
yes I chatter away all the time like a demented old eejit! But they seem to listen as their ears are always bobbing backwards and forwards as a waffle on!
Had quite a few ride and drives (including JJ) and they always respond very well to the voice commands - Every horse Ive ever owned learnt very quickly what 'steeeeeeeady' means, i.e slow down, please dont tank off with me!:biggrin:
Had quite a few ride and drives (including JJ) and they always respond very well to the voice commands - Every horse Ive ever owned learnt very quickly what 'steeeeeeeady' means, i.e slow down, please dont tank off with me!:biggrin:
we talk to ours all the time putting rugs on, riding, grooming when out riding my daughter is always in front and Betty walks quite a bit faster than Snoopy so after a while when we have dropped back quite a bit I say catch up to Betty and we trot up to her
Our RS horses are intune the the RI voice commands.
You can be trying to get one of the lazier ones to trot and as soon as the RI says 'trot on so and so', off they go............ drives me mad!!
And then as soon as the RI say's 'sitting trot and back to walk', they hear the word walk and go straght to walk, giving you no time to go sitting first!!!!
You can be trying to get one of the lazier ones to trot and as soon as the RI says 'trot on so and so', off they go............ drives me mad!!
And then as soon as the RI say's 'sitting trot and back to walk', they hear the word walk and go straght to walk, giving you no time to go sitting first!!!!
I do a combination of voice commands and chatter for reassurance. I can do most things purely from voice or from aids but mostly choose voice. I 'smooch' to go and move up gaits and would only use leg as a backup if she didnt go, canter is me sitting back and yelling 'go on then' and I occasionally growl if she's messing around. Coming back down is quieter but she knows her gaits by name both up and down! If she's rushing or upset/on her toes we do 'steeaaaddyyyy' to calm her down. I do lots of verbal praise and if (and its very rarely now) she is a bit highly strung or is staring at stuff I will chatter away in a reassuring tone as it helps calm her. If Im worried she'll become worried about something I describe it to her 'oh look rosie theres a quad bike - noisy but none of our business is it?' etc
I think generally people do not praise their horses nearly enough which is a real shame as they are quick enough to tell em off and kick em on. I try and remember lots of 'good girls' every ride and if we've done a long smooth stretch of anything I'll give her a good girl and usually a treat too. i did get a bit carried away with this and had to undo the fact that everytime I said good girl she would screatch to a stop and turn her head for a treat. Treats are few and far between now but i always carry them for a special effort.
I think generally people do not praise their horses nearly enough which is a real shame as they are quick enough to tell em off and kick em on. I try and remember lots of 'good girls' every ride and if we've done a long smooth stretch of anything I'll give her a good girl and usually a treat too. i did get a bit carried away with this and had to undo the fact that everytime I said good girl she would screatch to a stop and turn her head for a treat. Treats are few and far between now but i always carry them for a special effort.
"I think generally people do not praise their horses nearly enough which is a real shame..."
Yes, totally agree Anna. I praise mine all the time, but if they misbehave a sharp "No" usually stops them. I too chatter to them all the time, grooming them, leading them etc. I know they don`t understand all the chatter, but think they appreciate being talked to when you are around them rather than doing everything in silence.
Yes, totally agree Anna. I praise mine all the time, but if they misbehave a sharp "No" usually stops them. I too chatter to them all the time, grooming them, leading them etc. I know they don`t understand all the chatter, but think they appreciate being talked to when you are around them rather than doing everything in silence.
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