Clicking tongues - why?

[Overread]

Ok so this is something that has bugged me for a while; but what is it with horses and the tongue clicking sound people make around them?

Not all horsey people, but a good number, appear to communicate in a series of clicks of the tongue that one never hears used with any other animal. Now this isn't abnormal to my mind; just a result of commonality and copy-cat behaviour - indeed mentioning cats lots of people make squeak/kissy sounds to cats as a form of attention grabbing communication as opposed to clicks; whilst dogs get whistles. (you kiss for a cat - whistle for a dog - click for a horse and lord knows what you do for a fish?).



However I've often seen people clicking at events which is where it really confuses me. Like said I totally understand the whole "other horsey people do it" and "getting the animals attention" however I really don't get it when people do it whilst someone is doing their jumps in the arena. More so because its either strangers or even the people associated with that horse; it seems daft to dangerous to be making a sound that is surely designed to attract or at least draw attention to yourself from the horse when the horse is supposed to be focused upon the rider on their back and the jump before them.

And yet people do it and it does not seem to be considered rude nor dangerous; although I suspect some might consider it improper.

But I'm still left confused as to why its done in the first place; unless I've missunderstood something.

 

[stormox]

I train my horses to move forward (only when riding, never from the ground) to a click- it is easier for them to hear, sharper, than a voice command.

 

[Regandal]

Possibly comes from driving.

 

[Palindrome]

I was always taught that clicking means forward, through 10+ years of riding school (on the continent though).

 

[FlyingCircus]

One of my old instructors used to shout at me if I ever clicked to try and shimmy on the horse if it was being abit slow!
It's something I've done as long as I can remember tho. To me, it's just another forward aid, usually for if they're not listening to my other aids!

 

[caras mum]

It's just a trained cue to move on. Also sure its come from driving. As a universally used cue it's very handy, as a groom u handle many many horses, being able to give a click when leading and knowing almost every horse will understand it is very useful.
I also use it with my dogs as a recall signal.
It's a good sharp noise that can travel quite a distance and doesn't seem to get muffled by windy conditions. Think that's why it's handy with the horses.

 

[Greylegs]

I'm afraid i'm a life long "clicker" ... I have no idea why I do it other than it feels like it's helping in some way to encourage my horse to move forward. It's just something I've always done over a lifetime of riding, and am trying very hard to cure myself of the habit. I have never had an instructor tell me not to do it, although I did once get it "mentioned" in the notes on a dressage score sheet as being something I shouldn't do whilst riding a test (wasn't even aware I was doing it!!... am still won the test!). Also, I have a friend whose horse is very sensitive to it and she asks me not to do it when I'm hacking with her because it winds her lad up, so clearly it does effect some horses.

I'm trying very hard to stop myself.

 

[Dunlin]

I clicked since I was little, I was always told it was verbal encouragement to keep going forwards so use it ridden and not, I could lunge one horse just by clicking the entire time and never use anything else. One of my instructors hated it but another of my instructors used to click at my horse from the ground so it's a very split opinion! I still 'click' to this day and often catch myself waiting at a roundabout in my car clicking at the car infront because there is room to go and it's not moving

 

[Sarah W]

I remember Monty Roberts explaining this one. His theory is that if a predator steps on a dry twig as they approach a horse it makes a noise as it snaps, thus alerting the horse. We have replicated this with the click....makes sense!

 

[Imogen Rose]

I click and kiss to my horse. On the ground, kiss means move away from me. Basically get out of my space/ area. When ridden, one click is walk, double quick click is trot, kiss is canter. Most horses pick it up quickly if you are consistent.
I do have a bad habit of clicking at the wheelbarrow as I move off to make sure it comes with me!

 

[rowan666]

I'm another life long clicker, terrible habbit but I can't help myself and for the most part my lot do respond to it

 

[Dry Rot]

I asked someone this the other day and they said it sounds like the click of hooves on a hard surface, so encourages horses that hear it to also speed up or move on. Makes sense to me.

But why do people pat horses? Pat dogs, by all means, as it simulates a wagging tail hitting the body. Horses don't wag tails. Whenever someone pats my ponies, they look shocked and sometimes even jump with surprise!

 

[Floofball]

I clicked at my hubby as I needed him to move out of the way �� lifelong habit as others have said. Horses just seem to respond to the sound, as with any animal you spend time with they learn how to interact/communicate with you.

 

[Princess16]

I asked someone this the other day and they said it sounds like the click of hooves on a hard surface, so encourages horses that hear it to also speed up or move on. Makes sense to me.

But why do people pat horses? Pat dogs, by all means, as it simulates a wagging tail hitting the body. Horses don't wag tails. Whenever someone pats my ponies, they look shocked and sometimes even jump with surprise!

I read somewhere that horses dont actually like a pat they prefer a rub or scratch . Know mine does.

I too click when asking for walk.

 

[Lintel]

I click my family?

It works well grabs there attention the same as the horse!

 

[tiffin]

When I was 14 I used to ride a really sensitive youngster and was daft enough to teach him to respond to clicks. Thought I was really clever till I was warming him up at our 1st show and got pi$$ed off with every time someone else rode up behind clicking to their horse. Had to drop that habit pretty quickly lol

 

[Ceriann]

I use it when I lunge my mare to get her to trot- I don't use a lunge whip as she's like an ever ready battery rabbit if I do (she will trot at high speed). I have taught myself not to use it when I ride (it was a terrible habit)!

 

[Bernster]

I confess! I too am a clicker. I use it to get their attention although I'm really not sure if it works, it's a bit automotic for me and I'd rather I didn't do it. I know it's not allowed for dressage tests. Never bothered me really but if I were more conscious of it, I'd want to stop the habit!

 

[Daughter of the Moor]

Clicking is fine as a schooling/training aid or when out hacking but as a judge I hate to hear it in the show ring. It spoils the whole performance.

 

[Shay]

As long as you are consistent you can train a horse to respond to any voice aid or noise. If you use a click then you might end up with a confused horse in a warm up arena - potentially risky on a hot one! But I will confess to having "clicked" at family - and even on occasion the car moving off after lights!

Following advice from a very good dressage trainer years ago we train the eventers to move forward at a rising "mmm" noise made in the back of the throat and half halt to a descending noise, both of which can be made with the mouth closed. (and ideally not within hearing range of a judge!) My daughter has also trained her hunters to come to a dead stop at a sharp whistle. She calls it her "emergency brake". And we make a kiss type noise rather than a click when lunging. I'm sure all the horses know perfectly well what a click means - but because we don't use it they don't over react to it if someone does it in the warm up.

 

[Irishdan]

Im a life long clicker, esp when lunging. I 'kiss' when riding usually if my mare gets anxious about passing something and to encourage her forward. Works ��

 

[Woolly Hat n Wellies]

I'm another who clicks everything - the horse, the OH, the car, supermarket trolleys...

I don't have much experience of driving, but when I helped out at carriage driving for the disabled, and was occasionally allowed a go (e.g. in the case of last minute cancellations) I was told not to click at Tony the Pony, but to use words instead. I'm not sure if that was a driving rule or just a Tony rule though!

I click with all mine. In my older lad's case, he knows what it means, he was 13 when I began riding him and is used to clicking. It's effective so I keep using it. For baby Graham, I know people are more than likely to click at him in the future, and will expect a response, so I try to teach him to respond to it, rather than have him be punished or labelled 'naughty' in future for not knowing it.

 

[oldie48]

I use a ch,ch sound rather than a click and Mr B knows I mean get moving, and I also use a long slow Phew, to ask for a downward trans which encourages me to sit more as well. Just something I do.

 

[Overread]

When I was 14 I used to ride a really sensitive youngster and was daft enough to teach him to respond to clicks. Thought I was really clever till I was warming him up at our 1st show and got pi$$ed off with every time someone else rode up behind clicking to their horse. Had to drop that habit pretty quickly lol

See I totally understand the use of a verbal command or sound. However this is what confuses me. A sound so commonly used by everyone surely has the high potential of this happening over and over again; esp if the sound is less personal and more general like a click.
It does make me wonder if its a risk with some horses; its kind of a reason I don't like the whole clicker-training theory with dogs. Yes I understand why it works, but I Still get the mental image of using the clicker in the park and getting every dog in range come rushing forwad for their treat.

 

[freckles22uk]

Another clicker here, I even do it to the dogs, though a whistle means to stop for the horses, and for the dogs to come to me

 

[Pedantic]

Who the **** cares, my dad talks to all animals the same, he sucks through lips backward like kissing noise, rather funny really.

 

[Antw23uk]

I click at everyone and everything (drives my husband insane!) I will often click at people if I want them to move and I can make the same clicking noise to the dog ten times and she always seems to know what I am asking her lol!

 

[tankgirl1]

My mare goes up a gait if I click when riding her, she's ride and drive, means I don't have to use my legs.

 

[Orangehorse]

A very successful Private Driving competitor told me that he never uses a click with his horses to move forward. It is a showmanship trick that when the horses are lined up, he used to click which made the next door horses move. Naughty.

 

[NZJenny]

Life long clicker to horses .... also dogs, my bike and the car.