Using voice

Styric

Styric

Rawr!!
Jul 15, 2005
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Manitoba, Canada
styric.no-ip.org
Using voice commands in hunter.. good or bad?

Well as you can read in my posts on the General forum I have a new trainer, a Western pleasure/reining coach.

One of the things she has me doing now is using my voice with specific commands for speed, transitions and preparation for a jump. She says that our voice is the gentlest cue we have, followed by leg, followed by spur and that it's only fair to use the softest cue we have.

It's working really well, he gets the transitions spot on, and even shortens and extends his stride depending on what I've said. We're also working on a cue that almost half halts him, it means 'pay attention, we're about to do something I need you to concentrate on' such as bad footing, or a tricky jump.

It's useful yet my hunter coach previously schooled me OUT of using vocal cues.

What do you think? Are vocal cues a drawback or sign of a badly trained horse/rider? Or do you agree that it's the gentlest signal we can give, as it doesn't require even touching the horse and as such should be used as much as possible?

Why the total change of attitude towards it between the two disciplines?
 
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i think that voice commands are the best and kindest way to train your horse however leg aids are also needed when riding!!!
My horse was trained by voice commands and its fantastic, when lunging i just tell him which gait to do and he does it, i never use a lunge whip with him, he also understands steady is to go a lil bit slower, he was taught that hop is to pick feet up, so when on a hack and theres a kirb if i just say hop he picks his feet up more, same with jumping!!! Hop means pick em up a bit more!!!
If uv read my post in general about our recent catching success you will read that i have now after 4 years managed to catch my horse on voice command, all i do now is say stand shadow and he comes to a halt and waits for me to put his head collar on!!!
When i bought him i knew he had done voice command but didnt know how much and it appears to me that he has done loads and really listens to you when you talk to him, my 9 yr old nephew has learnt to ride on him as his legs are small on him with shadow being 16.1hh so voice command to him is important!!!
Of course it doesnt replace the ridden aids but is a great way of communicating with your horse!!!
 
Don't worry, there's no way I'd throw my leg away. We're working on collection, and if anybody can find a way to engage hindquarters without leg, tell me so they stop hurting after a lesson ;)

My main reason for asking is that my old coach had me school without it until I forgot it, and before that I was docked in hunter classes for it.

I'm going back in hunter.. which should be interesting since I ride a trotter in a kimberwick AND I use vocal cues.
 
Well mypony is very responsive to voice aids to the point where i dont need to use my legs to move her forward. I think it is because she was ridden by an 8 yr old little girl and as she is very wide i'd imagine she would stuggle using her legs. The problems i am having are 1. If i use my legs to steer she shoots up a gear (although this is improving :cool: ) 2. because i havent had her long and can be a bit nervous riding she doesnt seem to quite trust me. This has two effect, she would rather be walking along with the person on the ground and also she listens to what they are saying as well as me. So i always warn people at the moment dont say the "t" (trot) word!! Shes getting better though as i am getting braver!

I do think that voice aids are invaluable when they are used in combination with everything else :)
 
hee hee hee, im not alone then, i have full blown conversations with shadow, all my friends think its really funny coz shadow nods and shakes his head like he understands!!!
I say to him, shadow are u beautiful?
and he nods
do u love ** mum?
and he nods
hee hee hee, ask him if he likes one of the boys and he shakes his head!!!
 
I was teaching a group of kids this week and we ended up falling about the place laughing - we figured out all the ponies were responding when I said - "sitting trot ANNND......." and took off into canter before the riders did anything! By the end of the session everyone was reciting "sitting trot ANNND" - they are a great group!
 
I totally have conversations with the horse when I ride them. none of them have really been trained on voice commands or anything but I swear they understand... especialy walk lol. as to if you would get docked in a hunter class, my last hunter class I kept saying like 'good boy' 'uh oh long one' 'opps sorry bout that' and so on and so such, and the judge came up to me afterwords and said that it was proably the best round she had seen me do the whole show! so I dont think she really cared about me talking to him lol. its amusing though, I had my ourse taped and the whole conversation is completly audible every one was laughing when wwe watched it!
 
Oh yes, I definitely think vocal cues are useful and important. As specific aids (trot, walk, whoa, etc), they are great for working from the ground, for transferring ground training to under saddle, and for clarifying aids. More general voice cues can also be used to give confidence, praise, or encouragement to the horse.

However, I don't agree that voice cues are always kinder than touching a horse. Leg and rein cues can and should be kind and even a source of comfort, if they are used and introduced to the horse in a manner that makes them pleasant. If they are used as a source of punishment, this won't be the case.
 
When I'm riding spyder if she starts to pull or be naughty i can you my voice and instead of like using my reind use my voice and say like ouy!! in a stern voice and she listens. I only do this when out hacking though, whens chooling I use my reins. She does respond well to voice comands.
Like others have said we do have full chats though. I was doing it today and jess said asking questions then answering them yourself is the first sign of madness :p
hehe
 
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