*Helpers* at Riding schools...

[xloopylozzax]

What is the fascination with bloody clicking at horses.
No walk on, trot on, back, over, pick your foot up or whatever.

What are they training, effing dolphins?!

Words please!!! It is driving me insane!!!

 

[Mrs C]

Well I am not a riding school helper but I do click at my horse. It's my way of saying I want her to do something. If I click and tap her foot, she knows to pick up, or click then tap her chest, back up. Most people I know click!

 

[Tilo]

I think it's a helpful tool.

People have different tones to their voices, the click is a pretty generic sound and horses certainly respond to it, I believe.

 

[rachyblue]

I click at my youngster, he knows it means he should move off, and at the same time I prod the part I want him to move away from me. Makes it easier for other people handling him as he knows exactly what you want (he may have his faults but his stable manners are excellent).

 

[Lolo]

Drives my sister nuts when I click at hers. Mostly because she never does and they don't get what I'm doing so it's a useless practice!

But if the horses are trained (albeit on purpose or by happenstance) to respond to it, then surely that's a-ok!?

 

[Cinnamontoast]

I trained mine to respond to clicks, just lunged him and he listens for the click or the instruction. Does it matter as long as the horse does as required?

 

[Spot_On]

Mine are trained to respond to the click, usually followed by an instruction (back, over, hoof mainly). I don't tend to repeatedly click, nor click loudly.

 

[xloopylozzax]

These are repeated clicks with no body language instruction.

The horses ignore them or look blankly. It doesn't work with them!!!

Yes, you can probably tell it is driving me insane!!

 

[rabatsa]

You can get an interesting, and unwanted, reaction when carriage driving when some idiot clicks and several turnouts suddenly take off.

I was also really annoyed at the great Yorkshire show with a spectator in the grandstand clicking at the showjumpers approaching fences. Not only was their timing off but it echoed loudly each time.

 

[pennyturner]

I would never teach a driving horses to move off to a click alone for that reason. I do click, as a 'move it up a gear' instruction, but move-off is initiated by 'ready Dobbin' (verbal half-halt, so he knows something's coming), then 'Dobbin, walk/trot on'. I was taught always to use the pony's name, as one day you might have a pair/team.

 

[Honey08]

From what I remember of working in riding schools, riding school ponies ignore their helpers whatever they say or do given a chance!

 

[lara b]

i am guessing the riding schools are just happy to have some helpers, even if they 'click'!

 

[Dry Rot]

Fascinating! Do they learn morse code?

But, seriously, surely having clear verbal commands is one of the foundations of training so that "Walk On" when leading means the same as "Walk On' on the lunge, then the same when long reining, then again when ridden? A clear progression that is quite clear and understandable to the horse.

 

[PonyIAmNotFood]

Fascinating! Do they learn morse code?

But, seriously, surely having clear verbal commands is one of the foundations of training so that "Walk On" when leading means the same as "Walk On' on the lunge, then the same when long reining, then again when ridden? A clear progression that is quite clear and understandable to the horse.

See, there's another way to look at that, if the horse knows the verbal commands how will anyone riding them learn seat and leg aids properly when they all walk/trot/canter whenever the instructor utters the command? With regards to the helpers clicking, our lot don't click at the ponies they just incessantly chatter about what they are doing. Sweet, but it does get annoying!

 

[Ella19]

I have a couple of girls in my "advanced" group that also help out and have started clicking all of a sudden. I have no idea where they have got it from! I teach with voice commands, mainly because the rs ponies respond to them so its not off me!

My favourite is teaching the little children whose legs don't even pass the saddle flaps on the smallest ponies. They kick like a feather so I get them to use their voice as well. One little girl I taught for two weeks on Charlie, this was going well. The next week she had Leo. When I asked her to make Leo walk on she proudly said in a big voice "walk on Charlie!". Bless her no matter how hard I explained that it was Leo not Charlie she couldn't get it, she thought that was part of the phrase you use. Now I teach with a simple "walk on" for fear of every riding school pony being called Charlie soon otherwise!

 

[Toz]

I tend to talk, rather than click, when on the ground, though I don't have a pony so RS ponies tend to be used to every thinkable way of handling, but I stick to talk, then tap the part I want (eg. Shoulder to move away) then if I am being ignored, a bit of a more direct and firm hand on the shoulder until they move away. I don't click, partly because I sound like a choking walrus if I try, and get a confused look from both ponies and people within a ten mile radius.
So yeh, I prefer the talking method

 

[LynH]

There was a lady at a previous yard I was on who clicked and then growled loudly at her horse constantly. I couldn't ride in the arena at the same time as her as it freaked one of my horses out completely but I found both of mine were distracted by her constant noises rather than paying attention to what I was asking. It became such a habit for her she was often penalised at dressage for doing it.

Although I noticed on the Natasha Baker Masterclass on Horse and Country TV that she uses clicks a lot. Her horse is trained to square up his halt by clicks which could be useful in training if not in competition.

 

[Montyforever]

My old pony got clicked at so much he just ignored the sound in the end! The only time i click at Mysti is if i want her to push forward a bit more on the lunge if shes going round like a donkey and it works!

 

[Deleted member 104317]

I've seen a person click when they're trying to make a horse stand still to get on! Horse kept shuffling and then she'd pull it up and try again, clicking away happily...

 

[Wizzkid]

My horse hates clicking! Makes him instantly angry

 

[JillA]

I understand all of the points you make above, but I click and it is a really hard habit to lose. I didn't realise until I caught up with someone I used to know years ago but apparently it is a legacy from one very good instructor we both new back in the dark ages. It has stayed with me and I can't get rid - and it is very very audible on videos. Which must mean it is very audible to horses and can cut through inattention - at least that is how I have found it to be useful. If you have their attention anyway, words work fine if they are trained to them, it is getting their attention in the first place that can need a little more.

 

[ArtyLinz]

So agree with you, clicking is my pet hate!!

 

[Goldenstar]

Never get irritated by what others do ( unless it's to your horses ) stay calm enjoy life .
A click is my attention please command .

 

[trottingon]

I only click when the horse is essentially doing what I want but I'm asking/encouraging for a bit more effort (I think I've explained that right), but my real bugbear is the people you see lunging/longreining who never utter a word apart from Whoa. Click to walk on, click to trot on, click to canter on, click to make more effort, click to keep going, AARRGGHHH! How's the bloomin horse expected to know what you want when every command is the same??? I know people with oodles of years of experience more than me have happily trained thousands of horses like this very successfully since time began, but I still hate it!😝

 

[slumdog]

Slumdog goes faster to clicks, but I've done so much lunge work with him he's also pretty good at voice commands. Now I'm riding him and he's getting fitter, sometimes asking for canter looks a little bit like we're heading to the start line, I only have to say "trot on" and he'll break back down into trot, although the first time he did it I was so surprised that it worked I nearly ended up over his head!

 

[AengusOg]

Clicking is the international language of horses, don't you know. All horses know immediately what they should do when their person clicks.

It drives me nuts as well. People just click incessantly.

I remember seeing a young girl in a junior handling class at a show, and she was having difficulty getting a good trot out of her pony. As she passed the judge, the judge clicked at the pony and it jumped forward , clipped the girl's heel and sent her to the ground, minus one of her boots. The pony nearly ran over her and she had to let it go.

I don't do it on the basis that even non-horsey folk do, and I wouldn't like to be sitting on or driving a horse when some idiot clicks it.