Are all horses taught essentially the same commands...

[Kungfoo-hamster]

I was just mulling this over and wondered what people think - are all horses taught essentially the same commands for walk, trot, canter, half-pass etc - and its just that some are more refined than others or are there horses out there which have a completely different trigger to ask for a gait.....?

It may be just me being thick, and I do understand that there is a world of difference between the highly schooled dressage horse and the riding school hack - but its still an interesting question.

 

[NZJenny]

Essentially yes, but given that everyone rides differently and horses are sensitive to change, you would expect that everyone is the same but different.

If you get what I mean ....

 

[GinaGeo]

I backed my horse myself. He does everything I ask of him. It wasn't until my trainer got on him last year and couldn't fid the canter button I realised I was asking inside leg not outside leg. I've since had to re- train it, so my poor horse is speaking the same language as everyone else!

 

[GreyCoast]

Now that I'm riding American hunter horses... No, they are definitely not!

 

[NZJenny]

Delete that. Try again.

 

[NZJenny]

Now that I'm riding American hunter horses... No, they are definitely not!

They just don't get your accent!

 

[Enfys]

They just don't get your accent!

LMAO. too right.

The first time I said "whoa" to my (western) mare, meaning in BHS speak , slow down, she slammed the brakes on and did a fab sliding stop, I went out the side door! I have learned western speak now because my horses didn't have a clue what BHS speak meant

Whoa here (Ho actually) means Stop! Now! Do NOT move the feet! Not the silly, namby pamby slow down when you feel like it that so many British horses do.

 

[Mince Pie]

I guess it also depends on the riders 'hindrances' for want of a better word. For example I have a weak left leg due to prolonged sciatica, therefore my horse is now more sensitive to leg aids as he has to respond to light cues.

 

[Tnavas]

I backed my horse myself. He does everything I ask of him. It wasn't until my trainer got on him last year and couldn't fid the canter button I realised I was asking inside leg not outside leg. I've since had to re- train it, so my poor horse is speaking the same language as everyone else!

Canter using inside leg as dominant is quite OK. Your instructor should have asked what aids you use for canter

 

[old hand]

Agree have always used inside leg to canter, outside is just to stop quarters swinging out. I find it keeps the horse straighter, never had a problem with dressage and showjumping riders but did have one that wouldn't canter for a hunter judge. in fact when I told my showjumping trainer that's what I did he said good as it keeps the transition quieter.

 

[Red-1]

LMAO. too right.

The first time I said "whoa" to my (western) mare, meaning in BHS speak , slow down, she slammed the brakes on and did a fab sliding stop, I went out the side door! I have learned western speak now because my horses didn't have a clue what BHS speak meant

Whoa here (Ho actually) means Stop! Now! Do NOT move the feet! Not the silly, namby pamby slow down when you feel like it that so many British horses do.

Ha Ha, I did this the first time I "rode Western". It was the fault of the dratted split reins, I dropped one loping across the pasture, and I thought "oh c**p, this could be interesting" as the rein trailed in the dirt. I shouted "Whoa", and quickly impaled myself on the saddle horn! Horse needed no reins to stop though. Good safety feature.

 

[Pigeon]

I always sort of assumed this, but I was reading the other day how different people use different aids. For example, some people use inside leg to ask for canter, some people use outside. Both have their reasons!

 

[Polos Mum]

racehorses - pull on reins = go faster, that is taking so re-learning for both of us with my new little purchase!!

My event horse took a year to 'find his buttons' so no I think they all pick up on different signels

 

[Penumbra]

Some horses aren't taught certain commands at all. I recently got on a lovely pony purchased from a trekking center where she had lived since she was a yearling. She'd never been worked in a school, and while she was a pleasure to ride out, in the school it was clear that she had simply never learned (or possibly forgotten) to respond to rider signals. Even doing something like a nice shaped circle was a challenge for her, as she simply had no clue how to respond to aids that weren't stop or go faster. She's a sweet pony, and at 9 has plenty of time to learn about being ridden in the school, and is lovely to hack out, but there are lots of very basic commands she simply hasn't been taught. She also hasn't really been taught the aids for canter. She can do a lovely canter in the school if following a lead, but it took a while to get her to produce this on her own, with no other ponies/horses to copy.

Another, less extreme, example, is smaller ponies backed by adults. With the best will in the world, even a short, lightweight woman will still "install the buttons" for a 12-13hh pony in places that a young rider just may not be able to reach. Really, small ponies need to be taught to respond to aids in the places (and with the lack of precision and strength) with which a young rider will apply them- which is very different to the place and ways an experienced adult will apply them.

Also, there are horses which are used for purposes (like vaulting or even driving) where they are trained in very different ways to ridden horses, and of course there are differences across disciplines too.

 

[Kungfoo-hamster]

thanks for all the replies, its interesting to see how different riding styles can produce completely different "requests" for horses. I wonder if a horse can be taught to respond to more than one differing command for the same end result, or if that would be too much for most animals to handle. For example, when Racehorses are retrained, are we completely overwriting their original training or can they listen to a different riding style, depending on the rider....and would revert back to racehorse mode if ridden in that way, after years of pleasure riding....

 

[spookypony]

When I was a teenager, my friend had a pony that was English- (well, German) trained after having been a Western barrel racer. He would respond to either type of aid, with no apparent confusion. It's like being bilingual. In clicker training, we were shown how to transfer cues so that a horse could learn a new cue for the same behaviour.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

I backed my horse myself. He does everything I ask of him. It wasn't until my trainer got on him last year and couldn't fid the canter button I realised I was asking inside leg not outside leg. I've since had to re- train it, so my poor horse is speaking the same language as everyone else!

But I think the inside leg is ideal, when you are riding something that is ready to canter off due to excitement, a touch on the girth will set them off, yes the outside leg is lightly on, but to my mind this is to stop the hindquarters swinging out.
All ponies can be taught tricks, but is not a good idea, as anyone who has ridden an ex circus pony will tell you.

 

[JFTDWS]

There are loads of subtle differences - some due to the desirable endpoints of training, some due to the biomechanics of the rider (and horse, actually). A shorter friend struggles to get the aids on mine because they're used to my long legs around them, friends who are used to swinging their leg back and flapping into canter struggle as the outside leg going that far back is closer to the travers aid than canter!

All ponies can be taught tricks, but is not a good idea, as anyone who has ridden an ex circus pony will tell you.

If they're taught well, to sensible aids and of a suitable temperament, it shouldn't be an issue. One of mine is trick trained and other people struggle to find the trick aids on purpose, let alone by accident

 

[ironhorse]

And don't put your legs forward on a western horse - that means go backwards!

 

[rara007]

Mine is voice activated Ridden does know what seat and leg mean, but he forgets... Every week....

 

[Goldenstar]

My horses often don't canter for strange riders that's because they are never ever allowed to strike off from the outside leg which means prepare to canter the inside leg means canter , J is funny he looks confused and then offers medium trot , mainly because that's his favourite party piece.

 

[BBP]

Just like for my horse, taking the leg off means go forwards, putting the leg on means slow or collect. Others I know will only go forwards when you apply the leg aid, rather than when you take it off (which for me leads to the bad habit of nagging).

 

[BBP]

And I have to admit I have no idea what aid I use for canter, I think it and it happens, which is perfect until I want to change the game and do counter canter and realise my horse isn't listening to an aid but to an intention!

 

[JFTDWS]

Just like for my horse, taking the leg off means go forwards, putting the leg on means slow or collect. Others I know will only go forwards when you apply the leg aid, rather than when you take it off (which for me leads to the bad habit of nagging).

I do this with thighs - on for collection, off for forrrrrwaaaaards