What do you say to your horse, that maybe you didn't say to another one?

[newforest]

Bear with me
Okay initially up until she was maybe six we had horsemanship lessons and I was taught not to use voice cues of any sort, it's all about the body language.
Thew that out the window when I went back to lunging because that is what she prefers and she will canter off the voice cue.

Now I chat a lot so that was real flipping hard to keep quiet!!

But anyway.

I use the following with the cob and no idea where it came from.
Good girl - because she's a mare
Sweetie pie - absolutely no idea on that one
A whistle - which means come it's worth it, ie just moved the fencing, I have your bucket, again no idea on the why.
A smooch sound to try and encourage her to go forwards. I don't click.
I also give her a good girl itch on the neck.

As an aside I see that BD are allowing you to use your voice in tests. I always saw it as an aid.
It's horse dependant.
I hack alone most of the time, of course I am going to be giving her some sound from above, it's not all about feel.

 

[chunky monkey]

I'm dont think there's anything wrong with voice commands. I was taught to use voice commands on the horse when driving. Bare in mind when you drive you have no legs or body aids to use. Therefore ask yourself to be kind to your horse would you pull on the reins to move the horse left or right or much better teach and use voice cues/sounds to ask for movement.

 

[Jessey]

I chatter a lot, Monkey is very responsive to voice.

I use a cluck for more energy, a kiss to canter, I avoid good boy as I inadvertently taught him that meant a treat and he will stop everything to get it I can just say good though, or well done.

I use yes and no when I’m asking him to do specific things so he knows when he finds the right answer.

I also often tell him ‘don’t worry I checked, it’s not going to eat you’ (whatever perceived monster he’s staring at), ‘congratulations you survived’, ‘you do your job and I’ll do mine’, ‘let’s go’ (means a speedy trot/canter), ‘step-step’ (to be extra careful with his feet), ‘hup’ (to jump something that he could otherwise just step over), and ‘in my hand’ (I want more contact), there’s also several things I say quite regularly that contain expletives because he can be a ****

 

[Sparky Lily]

I talk to mine constantly when working around them - when mucking out, filling hay nets etc. All know basic voice commands but none are ridden.

 

[newforest]

One I did say the other day was "you are a big girl you can go on your own"
She does tag on to pedestrians and if they've given her a fuss.
If you hack solo, not talking at all to me misses the connection with them. And it's a lot of silence if we are the species that makes sound.

 

[Trewsers]

I talk to mine constantly when working around them - when mucking out, filling hay nets etc. All know basic voice commands but none are ridden.

Me too, I chatter away to all ours, I spend a good part of the day with them. I think they are used to me burbling away lol

 

[Trewsers]

With Storm I had to be very careful about what I said because she learned quickly to associate words with different paces. Even if you said canter quietly so that just the two of you could hear it she would GO! Same with trot. Jumping - hup and that was it, she was up and over lol. Mr T used to tease me when I was schooling her and threaten to use the C word if she was being lazy or I was - I would be like "no, no not yet" hahahaa.
I usually spend my rides on Fuzzy telling her what a good girl she is. If she plants (which she does from time to time) I make a clicky noise to move her on which usually works.