Regional horse commands

[SpeedyPony]

The thread in the Club house set me thinking, how many of our voice aids are regional?
For instance, I know of at least two different left/right commands when driving- come in/get off or gee/haw.
I tend to use Walk up rather than Walk on, Ho instead of Whoa and come in/get off when long reining/driving. I'm in the Southwest- what voice aids to you use and what area are they from?

 

[dreamcometrue]

I use:
Walking on
Terrot
Canter-canter
Whoa
Stand

 

[HopOnTrot]

I use “Go! Go! Go!” When I want to canter solo hacking, but that may just be us

I also growl “get on with it” in a tone reminiscent of the elderly lady that taught me to ride in the 1980s!

 

[Boughtabay]

My horses are bilingual tri-lingual if we count wenglish we’ve got stand, back up, walk on, trot on, aaaaand caaaanter, aaaand woah/walk/trot… steady if someone is feeling funky with their head in the air “paid” (don’t) for something particularly silly, “ ‘na ti” (there you go) for getting over something scary. And then I waffle at them endlessly in Welsh and English but I don’t think they pay much attention to the rest

 

[dreamcometrue]

I use “Go! Go! Go!” When I want to canter solo hacking, but that may just be us

I’m liking this very much!

 

[SpotsandBays]

I’m Buckinghamshire and say:
Walk on
Trot-inggg
Aaaaaaand CANTER! (Lots of energy on the word canter)
Aaaaaaand woh-ohhh (the ohhh bit is said in a lower tone than the woh. Sometimes this needs to be said multiple times and I aim for a lower tone each time!).

One of mine assumes “good boy” means stop or slow down - my doing… whoops.

I used to go hacking with someone who would say “shall we have a quack?” because her horse knew the word canter and would bugger off if it was said

 

[Boughtabay]

The “aaaaand canter” does remind me of that video of the western trainer taking the p*ss out of English riders/trainers lunging … I feel like most of us do it though

 

[Caol Ila]

I'm not a good indication of....anything.

Walk on...
Trot...
Canter!
Whoa...
Back...

Hermosa has learned that "faster!" also means canter.

"Stand" means don't move for love nor money.

"Wait" means hesitate for a couple seconds while I do something.

"Now!" "Move it!" means "please stop bloody snacking." At this time of year, Hermosa and I are having discussions over how much snacking is acceptable on hacks. I know some of you will say 'none,' but unless I want to smack the hell out of her, that's not happening, so we're working it out. Better than last year.

 

[Birker2020]

Walk on, trot on, canteerrr. Back.

But on the lunge I always, always direct the horses attention first by saying his name before a verbal command. At least then you have his attention.

Baileyeee trrott for example.

 

[smolmaus]

You know the brrrrrrp with the rolling r noise? I always used that to mean "get on a bit" as it feels quite high energy but my German friend uses that for "slow down". Has the potential to be quite funny

 

[AppyLover1996]

Baggs - everything is done with a steady tone as any excitement just adds to his already easily excitable temperament. So he has "walk on", "teeerrot", "and can" (cause I can never finish the word before we're off at terminal velocity!), and if I want him to go faster I say "let's go buddy!". We have "aaannnnndd stand", "whoa", "easy" and "steady" for when I need to settle him down a bit or get him to stand still, and for backing up I tend to click my finger and then point behind them, whilst taking a small step towards them - the end goal is to simply point and click.

Rabbit - pretty much the same as above (minus the canter as we're only in hand at the moment), and I add a "good boy" for when I need to help him calm down if something has worried him x

 

[ycbm]

This is why Yorkshire Riding School told our Riding Club that they don't use voice commands. They say it's no good training a horse with, for example "walk on" when the next groom tells it to "wok aaan".

 

[ycbm]

I once taught a really hard pulling hunter that "down" meant decrease your speed, no matter what pace that was in. It did work to some extent.
.

 

[Polos Mum]

There's a lot in the tone of voice maybe rather than the actual words?

a good excited speedy tttrot, yee ha (or my version learned from a German lady of 'come, come. come ' ) can create the same response even if the word isn't exactly the same.

A downwards sounding, slowing rhythm to slow down also would be multi lingual.

 

[Indy]

I use "Oi pack it in" a lot

 

[smolmaus]

My instructor had me write down all my verbal commands a while ago and I just talk absolute shite to this poor horse. Clicks, tuts, please and thanks yous I do use "ho-oh" instead of whoa. And have started saying "would you like to trot" instead of "trot on" as like a positive mental exercise which has actually really helped with anxiety? It's cool, pony can figure it out. "Easy" now means slow down a bit and relax your neck if possible. "Step" for move your hind quarters, "Shoulders" means move your shoulders. There are far far too many, but she seems to kinda get it and she's mine for life so I can teach her whatever I want really.

"Now!" "Move it!" means "please stop bloody snacking." At this time of year, Hermosa and I are having discussions over how much snacking is acceptable on hacks. I know some of you will say 'none,' but unless I want to smack the hell out of her, that's not happening, so we're working it out. Better than last year.

Work in progress for us too, but cue-ing a snack time definitely helping! People laugh at me for my 5 second countdown till the end of snack time but if a pony wants to act like a toddler they can get treated like one

 

[Titchy Pony]

This is why Yorkshire Riding School told our Riding Club that they don't use voice commands. They say it's no good training a horse with, for example "walk on" when the next groom tells it to "wok aaan".

When I first bought Little Madam (trained to French voice commands) I brought her over to the UK where I also rode a little welsh cross (trained to English voice commands). I regularly mixed up languages (and names and genders!) between the two. But as I used the same intonations and body language, neither seemed to have any issue understanding me.
Brain studies show that dogs understand best when combining word and intonation, so that is what I aim for, even if I mess up the words sometimes.

 

[Titchy Pony]

"Stand" means don't move for love nor money.

Not really related to this thread, but how do you train that reliably, please?

 

[AppyLover1996]

My instructor had me write down all my verbal commands a while ago and I just talk absolute shite to this poor horse. Clicks, tuts, please and thanks yous I do use "ho-oh" instead of whoa. And have started saying "would you like to trot" instead of "trot on" as like a positive mental exercise which has actually really helped with anxiety? It's cool, pony can figure it out. "Easy" now means slow down a bit and relax your neck if possible. "Step" for move your hind quarters, "Shoulders" means move your shoulders. There are far far too many, but she seems to kinda get it and she's mine for life so I can teach her whatever I want really.


Work in progress for us too, but cue-ing a snack time definitely helping! People laugh at me for my 5 second countdown till the end of snack time but if a pony wants to act like a toddler they can get treated like one

I gotta try the 5 second countdown with Baggs when he's rooting through the hedgerows for berries - "shift it", "let's go", "move your ass" and "Stop stuffing your face you little monkey!" are no longer working

 

[SEL]

I use the kiss sound for canter when I'm teaching on the lunge. All good until I was at a clinic with a lady using it to try and get her horse to stay in trot. We had a great halt to canter transition - I nearly flew off backwards!

I grew up in Germany and knew a lot of the basics in German. Had great fun showing my friend how to get her imported warmblood to react to voice - he probably thought my accent was dire tho

 

[smolmaus]

I gotta try the 5 second countdown with Baggs when he's rooting through the hedgerows for berries - "shift it", "let's go", "move your ass" and "Stop stuffing your face you little monkey!" are no longer working

I think of it as a little preparatory half halt for her mouth and stomach

 

[Gloi]

Come by and gee back for left and right in long reins.

 

[MuddyMonster]

There's a lot in the tone of voice maybe rather than the actual words?

My thinking too.

I tend to click for trot and kiss sound for canter.

If lunging, I'll click/kiss and say the word trot/canter as back up.

Putting my hand up and up & staying 'Stand' is used for dismounted immobility in Trec/ground tieing.

I'd much rather teach a voice command than need a heavier physical cue, where possible.

 

[suestowford]

Not really related to this thread, but how do you train that reliably, please?

I have taught 'stand' to a pony. I always wondered if it worked only because I was also standing...until there was an Incident. He got away from the person who was leading him and was pelting towards the road. I yelled his name and 'STAND!' and he stopped and waited for me to catch up to him. No-one was more amazed than I was, I am no great shakes as a trainer, yet he'd managed to learn this really well. He was a very clever pony so that may be why.
Sorry haven't answered your question of how to do it, because I don't know how or why he learned this so well. Habit? Repetition? Who knows!

 

[Fluffypiglet]

Mine knows several words because I’m always chatting to him. Some more unusual ones are “mud mud mud” when hacking in the winter and I can see a bit of track ahead that is likely to cause issue at anything but a walk! Usually used when cantering and he’s not listening to any of my other slow down commands! It works to some extent but he does need reminding and to relearn it each winter. He doesn’t like it if he gets into a muddy bit at anything speed so he does listen once he’s realised what I’m on about. He also gets asked “Really?!” If he’s snorting/spooking at something that I know he isn’t (or shouldn’t be) scared of and he’s just entertaining himself. If I’m right and he’s not scared he immediately stops snorting/sliding sideways and carries on walking normally. We know each other well!

 

[SpeedyPony]

You know the brrrrrrp with the rolling r noise? I always used that to mean "get on a bit" as it feels quite high energy but my German friend uses that for "slow down". Has the potential to be quite funny

I find myself using that for canter transitions, it's odd to think of it as a steadying noise!

Mine knows several words because I’m always chatting to him. Some more unusual ones are “mud mud mud” when hacking in the winter and I can see a bit of track ahead that is likely to cause issue at anything but a walk! Usually used when cantering and he’s not listening to any of my other slow down commands! It works to some extent but he does need reminding and to relearn it each winter. He doesn’t like it if he gets into a muddy bit at anything speed so he does listen once he’s realised what I’m on about. He also gets asked “Really?!” If he’s snorting/spooking at something that I know he isn’t (or shouldn’t be) scared of and he’s just entertaining himself. If I’m right and he’s not scared he immediately stops snorting/sliding sideways and carries on walking normally. We know each other well!

I've found myself saying "steady think" when they're trying to charge along over rough/slippery ground. The old boy has worked out what it means, the youngster is still a work in progress!

 

[LeneHorse]

My late mare used to snatch at the long grass when I was taking her down to the field. My regional dialect command on such occasions was "heids up!"

 

[ester]

This is why Yorkshire Riding School told our Riding Club that they don't use voice commands. They say it's no good training a horse with, for example "walk on" when the next groom tells it to "wok aaan".

Although I try I don’t actually use the same commands for storm as rara does (well tbf she does most of it by telepathy and vibes these days ) I do get the right result still but he is particularly clever given I go months between drives .

 

[blitznbobs]

I use

Walk on
Terr- ot
Can -ta
Sh sh sh for go back

Ho oh - for stop
And Get over you great oaf when they stand on your foot

When lunging the go off body language more … if I canter they canter etc (but they understand voice as well)

 

[lynz88]

I think mine are pretty standard...

Walk on
Trrrot!
Aaaannnddd ccaaanntteerrrr (he also responds to a simple '"canter" queue)
More (walk, trot, canter)...
Up...(same as 'more')
Back
Ho (whoa)
Eeeaasssyyyyy (with the latter bit in a lower voice)
Rreeeelllaaaxxxxxx
Stand!
Good boy (and he usually just stops at this if lunging and looks at me like "yeah I'm good!")
NO!

He has on many occasions been responsive to "nope, wrong lead"

Vet laughs as whenever we do a lunging assessment she will tell me what pace and even though she's giving me the instruction to give him, he responds. We've had a few laughs!