Instructors that click your horse on - not always welcome?

Gingerwitch

Gingerwitch

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Ok - picture the scene - young horse, on the verge of either an explosion or the most fantastic piece of work to-date.

Rider (me) not feeling 100% that this is going to go the right way. The next thing you hear is the "click, click, click" of your instructor just as you feel you are just about to loose control, which makes you then bring the horse back to walk, as all your confidence has just dripped out of your boots.

How do you ask them not too "click" your horse on, as you already feel on a knife edge, or do you just stop having lessons with them?
 
Agreed. Just say to your instructor :). Sometimes it's an involuntary reaction. I've done it before and had to stop myself.
 
Why would you not just tell them, you are the client, they are there to give a service defined by you.

It amazes me that anyone would not treat any service giver this way, goes from vets to farriers to instructors to livery owners, your money you call the shots.
 
Oops! I don't normally mind, sometimes it just gives the horse a bit of a boost. I have also done it when teaching, particularly when the horse comes passed you - I wouldn't be offended if asked not to, though.

However, my instructor did once say "Boo" at us as we got level with her - both the horse and I were "in the zone" and it didn't half give us a jump! She didn't know why she did it - just being playful! There were a few choice words - but as we have been friends for 20-odd years, it didn't spoil the relationship.
 
PollyP99 said:
Why would you not just tell them, you are the client, they are there to give a service defined by you.

It amazes me that anyone would not treat any service giver this way, goes from vets to farriers to instructors to livery owners, your money you call the shots.
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But why on earth do instructors do it in the first place ? no one on the ground knows what you are feeling in the saddle. And to be honest I was too busy concentrating on keeping at least 2 feet on the ground at the time, and by the time i was back in control I just wanted to get out of the lesson. I have not booked again though
 
Did you mention to the instructor how nervous you were? And the the clicking unsettled you?

I have been known to click on riders and it's involuntary more often than not, if someone wasn't happy with it, I'd really hope they'd say something to me so I could chat it through with them.
 
sarahann1 said:
Did you mention to the instructor how nervous you were? And the the clicking unsettled you?

I have been known to click on riders and it's involuntary more often than not, if someone wasn't happy with it, I'd really hope they'd say something to me so I could chat it through with them.
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It was the horses first time off the yard - I explained that she is very noise sensative and that I had finally got her to a position where she was working well at home and was looking for a "baby step" to get us out competing - so I went to someone that is supposed to be good with green horses. It should have been pretty obvious that the horse was very sensative seeing that we had spent the first 5 mins walking her around the arena before I even got on, we then had several leaping deer moments when the tractor or another horse came past, - the instructor described her as a duracel bunny on speed. We finally finally settled down, and she started to give a very powerful ground covering rhythmical trot, and I am thinking oh this is good, but lets stop soon as I dont know how this is going to end ! as we circled the instructor, she clicked us on. The horse then went sideways in canter, and got herself upset, which completly ruined the session - so I would say it unsettled the horse wouldn;t you ?
 
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I've done this... Particularly when it's jumping and I know the specific horse might consider stopping, I'll click just before the fence. I've ridden the horse(s) so I know full well what the rider is experiencing and still can't help myself because it looks very much like that's what's needed.

On the other hand, I've had instructors do this to me when I'm preparing to go up a gear (you know they'll say, pick up canter and do x) and I'll be making sure the horse is calm before asking for the transition and "click-click-click". I don't ride any lazy horses - they are all ready to GO off a click. So this does get to me!

You have to remember that they deal with many different horses and riders. Perhaps some of the horses they are used to are ploddy and the clicks are useful. I have been tempted to get click-happy instructors to ride the horse I'm on so that they understand what they are doing to me (and the poor horse)...
 
Barnacle said:
I've done this... Particularly when it's jumping and I know the specific horse might consider stopping, I'll click just before the fence. I've ridden the horse(s) so I know full well what the rider is experiencing and still can't help myself because it looks very much like that's what's needed.

On the other hand, I've had instructors do this to me when I'm preparing to go up a gear (you know they'll say, pick up canter and do x) and I'll be making sure the horse is calm before asking for the transition and "click-click-click". I don't ride any lazy horses - they are all ready to GO off a click. So this does get to me!

You have to remember that they deal with many different horses and riders. Perhaps some of the horses they are used to are ploddy and the clicks are useful. I have been tempted to get click-happy instructors to ride the horse I'm on so that they understand what they are doing to me (and the poor horse)...
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But you would not tell someone elses dog off if the owner was there - so why on earth do instructors do this?
What else could I have done ? I explained what she is like, she saw what she is like, she finally saw her settle, and thatw as not enough for her first session?
 
Presumably you are riding with an instructor in order to improve both your horse and yourself. If the instructor feels that your horse should be going more forward at any given point then it would be natural to give external encouragement to make that happen if you are not providing the forward impetus required. Far from "no one on the ground knowing what you are feeling in the saddle", a good, experienced instructor will know better than you what should be happening - that's why you are taking the lesson and they are giving it, surely?
 
Echo Cortez. I click my pupils on, as a reminder for them to keep on using their legs (if that horse needs it) or to remind them to keep riding forward on the sensitive horses. No matter how sharp, or 'fast' a horse is, you still have to have them riding forward. Perhaps this instructor thought you were starting to get a little backwards? It's the instructors job to know what the rider is feeling, and give the rider instruction as to what they should be doing at that point. Sounds like your horse needs a lot of work with noise, if a click sets her off :)
 
I think that you should just talk to her if you like everything else she did, crikey. First lesson she did one thing you don't like and you seem a bit cross for something so simple that could have been fixed by a simple 'I'd rather you didn't click thanks'.
Though if you have gone to her for her experience, why not trust her. Often just keeping going forward and not 'escaping work' buy being sharp is just what a green horse needs, not to learn that every time it gets het up it gets to stop.
However, long and the short is, you like her instruction or you don't. Of you do and you would rather she didn't click, tell her. Of you are using it as an excuse not to go back, tell her you didn't feel and move on.
 
Lyle said:
Echo Cortez. I click my pupils on, as a reminder for them to keep on using their legs (if that horse needs it) or to remind them to keep riding forward on the sensitive horses. No matter how sharp, or 'fast' a horse is, you still have to have them riding forward. Perhaps this instructor thought you were starting to get a little backwards? It's the instructors job to know what the rider is feeling, and give the rider instruction as to what they should be doing at that point. Sounds like your horse needs a lot of work with noise, if a click sets her off :)
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So why does the instructor not say "needs to be more forward" and allow the rider to learn and implement?
And yes she needs a lot of work - that is why we were having a lesson.
And yes a click set her off, but as I had already posted we had spent most of the session leaping around the school as she was experiancing a different world to her.
 
Just ask her or tell her. Or don't have lessons with her. Arguing with what are sensible suggestions just tells me that you didn't like the lesson. Move on and make sure to tell your next instructor not to click. You've established that clicking is fairly normal, but you don't like it. Simple really.
 
Some of the replies give me the impression that they have a certain scenario in mind where perhaps you are schooling a specific movement and the horse gets behind the leg. In this sort of case, I'd agree that the instructor probably knows best and can see that something's off.

My experience of instructors clicking isn't that at all - it's them clicking because they think I'm being slow to ask for a transition (or whatever), when in fact I'm deliberately waiting for the horse to settle before I do so.

I would be inclined to just explain what you are doing. Become open about what you are doing at every moment and what your horse is doing. TELL your instructor if the horse is trying to take off or feels like it's about to explode. Say "he feels very tense, I'm trying to keep him back" "he's calmed down now" "I will now ask for trot".

I don't think it's the same as telling off someone else's dog as you've asked for the instruction... I do some dog behavioural work and if I'm instructing someone on how to deal with a specific thing a dog is doing, I absolutely will intervene and address the dog...
 
I haven't noticed if my instructor does this, but it wouldn't bother me in the slightest if he did anyway, because he knows me and knows my horse well so if he feels it is an appropriate thing to do at that moment then I trust his judgement. I would feel a bit put out however if it was an instructor who didn't know me or my horse well as I would feel like they were disregarding my safety.
 
Haha. I used to do "click click click" and thought I was making progress with the horse...
Some of my old instructors used to do it too. Now I know if I use my legs properly I don't need to click at all...
:)
 
If the instructor is supposed to be teaching the rider, then surely she should be giving instruction to the rider, not the horse? Saying that the rider needs more leg, forward impulsion is surely better than trying to bypass the rider and give the horse instruction.
 
Ceifer said:
Agreed. Just say to your instructor :). Sometimes it's an involuntary reaction. I've done it before and had to stop myself.
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Exactly what I was about to say! You honestly don't realise you're ding it. I even click husband in the supermarket! Oh and the car...
 
When I was at an equestrian college, one of the instructors decided, without giving any warning, to crack the lunge whip whilst a lass was approaching a jump. Horse gave a massive spook, girl fell off and broke her arm. To my knowledge, the incident was not logged...
 
I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill. If you are that nervous that a click was that traumatic for you then I'd definitely tell the instructor because they probably haven't got a clue that it's such a problem for you.
 
Are you more stressed with the instructor's clicking, or with your youngster's inability to cope with it? Your reaction to three clicks seems a bit over the top, which is why I'm saying that. Often in situations where we feel stressed or tense, we focus on little things which are actually only a small party of the bigger picture. Not criticising you - everyone does it, I do it all the time!! Try to take a step back. Yes, your youngster is sensitive to noise, yes she was in a new environment - but three clicks is nothing! What if a door had slammed, or a car backfired etc? Maybe the best thing to do would be to explain all this to your instructor, and work on the noise sensitivity with them in a safe environment, before you bother with more proper schooling type of work? But I would also say, clicking during training should always be appropriate - not just for the sake of it - and a clear instruction to the horse. Years ago when my lad was young, in my first lesson with him, I clicked him for something,can't evening remember what. My instructor (v old school but amazing), asked me why I was clicking, and I couldn't explain, it was just something I did, which really made me think about how horses respond and learn about noise cues.
 
I've never thought of a click being an interference or a problem from an instructor, i do it involuntarily myself! I have noticed my new instructor doesn't click but makes this low/ deep 'Blop' noise, which made me jump the first time.

I think for the time being you need to just mention to the instructor that you find this off putting and would they mind not doing it - and long term work on the horses noise sensitivity, a click from some one on the floor shouldn't cause that sort of reaction if the horse was truely focused on you.

My 4yo is very sensitive and sharp to que's but i've decided i cant control outside influences so i just ride what i'm given - after all when we go out i cant put a ban on such things so just try to de-sensitise her at home as much as possible
 
sounds like maybe the instructor has seen the horse going really well and then starting to pull back because as you mentioned you were worried about how it would end and wanted to stop so she's encouraged you to continue. If you want to improve you will need to push through to the end results rather than shying away from them just in case they don't go the right way. I appreciate your unhappy but I feel like maybe the reason you didn't enjoy the lesson was down to your nerves and the horses behaviour.

You've obviously got the horse going well at points but you mention your nerves and this won't help the horse to relax in new environments. Would it be beneficial to get the instructor or someone else to do some schooling with your mare to help bring her on and get you both to a point where you can relax?
 
i do it involuntarily now i'm forever clicking and my poor 10 month nephew has clearly been the recipient of this behaviour as now whenever he sees me he starts clicking at me (can't talk but the boy can click lol)
 
I did a load of clicking last night in my lesson! I don't normally but my horse is a spooking idiot and likes to banana at the spooky corner so I clicked her for rhythm. Worked a treat.
 
What is it with all this clicking?! I always think riders sound like demented chickens clucking and clicking away.... it drives me potty! So glad I mostly ride on my own now. What's wrong with riding with seat and leg aids?
 
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