The Most Handy Command..

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

What's the handiest command/instruction you have ever taught your horse?

Mine is definitely 'wait', it now means either stay still, get out of my space, stop pestering for treats, reset to neutral if doing stretches, don't move if I am opening a gate from on his back or to stop when I am leading to get in behind me to go around mud - so has 100 uses really but it's really ingrained in Jacob and its REALLY helpful. I guess to him it's more of a 'stop and wait further instruction' as he can't possibly understand all the different uses.

I started it because he used to be very bolshy/bargey/bitey around food, so it was a word I taught somewhat accidentally alongside my body language to get out of my space, and to wait and not start eating his dinner until I have stood up and said 'good boy' (which inadvertently is now the release) - a bit like you would with a dog I guess which never ceases to make people laugh! He will literally stand looking at me with the bowl in front of him until I say good boy.

 

[poiuytrewq]

A friend had a horse who did “step on” and that meant one step forward with which ever leg she pointed at or signalled. This made him line up perfectly next to anything to mount and dismount also made for easy standing square etc

 

[milliepops]

Kira knows her name.
it's a brilliant shortcut for getting her attention, as she will pause or look round, then gestures fill in the gap, so by extension it works for stay still, come here etc. and also preps her for instructions on the lunge or in the saddle.

No other horse of mine has ever cottoned onto a verbal cue the way she has.

I also have "step one more" with all of mine and agree it's very handy when mounting.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Every small pony I backed was taught 'stop' as well as stand.
V useful as even a tiny child coming off lead can feel out of control in walk.

I also use 'wait' too, most useful at mounting block or on yard if i need to wander off leaving my Fuzzy unattended. Wait means stay there till i return.

 

[PapaverFollis]

All my horses apparently think that they are called Lady but at least they come in...

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[Scotsbadboy]

'DEAR GOD STOOOOPPPPPP' is a useful command. I think the louder and more panicked its shouted the better understanding the horse and people around you have that you wish them to stop moving

 

[Goldenstar]

Mine know stand .Wait which is great at gates and push for gates .
They know their names except Blue who I think is not the sharpish card in the deck and Fatty and H know the names of the other horses .
I voice train them when ridden canter trot etc .

 

[Chinchilla]

They're all useful, else I wouldn't teach them.
But the ones I use most often besides their names are 'walk on' and 'back'. 'Pick it up' is also useful if you want to stay on good terms with the farrier!

 

[blitznbobs]

I think ‘back’ is my most used command ...

 

[paddy555]

HO. Shouted very short, loud and clear and often practised. It means emergency stop when ridden or being led.

Ho Ho spoken gently and nicely when ridden is something along the lines of a half halt.

Gates are "push push" (and they are expected to push it open) or "go back" ( for me to pull it open)

they all know their name so I can stand in our central yard and call in which one I want without everyone coming along. That is just laziness on my part.

 

[SpeedyPony]

Walk-up (very useful to have that hardwired to the legs!) and manners. Manners is the general cue to stop searching pockets/barging/pawing at the ground/generally being bolshy or rude.
They all seem to have picked up on the noises I make too- I have a variety of clicks, hisses and hums that often slip out in place of words or commands and they seem to cotton on quite quickly despite never making a deliberate attempt to train a response to those ?

 

[FFAQ]

Get off my effing foot!

 

[ycbm]

"no"

It means whatever you are doing or about to do, stop right now!

They also know "in" meaning go into your stable or the barn and "out" which means "leave the area you are currently in through the door or gate to the next available area" .

 

[scruffyponies]

I also use wait. It's useful for letting them know they need to stand still to allow you to do something, whether that be removing a bridle or adjusting a harness. Same command gets a fair bit of use with kids and dogs too.

 

[hock]

Stand. Life saver (so far touchwood). Everything learns this, also acts as a reset. So the big horses know from that command to stand still with their reins on their neck while mum clambers on from a bank or a gate or the back of a pick up etc. And the baby ones learn it means to stand with no contact on the rope amd we can move all the way around them and pick up feet etc. I know it’s a small thing but it saves so much hassle.

 

[Pippity]

Not a verbal cue, but teaching her to look away when she wants a treat has completely removed any mugging. Now she just looks very determinedly at my pocket and then away!

My friend's horse mugs everybody, so I spent five minutes teaching him the same trick and now I'm safe from being mugged by him. (Everybody else is still fair game, though.)

 

[The Bouncing Bog Trotter]

Wait: a command to freeze - useful in muddy gateway when getting in or if a horse is bit onward bound or barging. Got it from dog training, tells them another command is about to follow.
Back: take a step back on command - use it on entering a stable to get a horse out of my face, and always make horse go back when entering with a feed bucket.
On: walk forward one step at the mounting block
a chirrup - up the tempo (judges can't see or hear you do it )
Aaaand - a command used mainly in lunging before asking a horse to move down a pace, useful with young horses as a verbal command when first riding out

 

[Griffin]

I have taught my mare to walk through gates and to stand the other side while I shut them, it is very useful!

She also knows her name and will come when called in the field which saves a lot of hassle when it is dark and muddy.

 

[Foxy O]

I have a few:
Wait which can be used anywhere even in open countryside where I have had to jump off her to do a difficult gate and leaving her standing on her own.
Back which is always useful
One step - which means move one step forward so I can open a gate from her back
I make them take 3 steps back before putting feed down but when they get really excited they sometimes do the 3 steps back before I have reached them
The little pony understands turn left or turn right as he has been trained to pull logs

 

[still standing]

I use 'steeeeeady' which seems to work in many situations, to really slow down and look where they are stepping! From walking carefully through deep mud to stepping over tree roots in forest paths.

 

[Archangel]

Taking my feet out of the stirrups means stop immediately as I am (a) falling off (b) something awful is about to happen to one/both of us (c) a.n.other reason, just do it

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

Mine is great with voice commands but as milliepops said, knowing his name and recognising a command will follow, and if he does that command correctly he will earn a reward (scratch, pat, carrot as appropriate) means that saying his name gets his attention.

 

[J&S]

I have Stand and Wait, they work differently. Stand means stay until i tell you to move on but Wait means, just give me a minute to get in/out/out of the way.
Back, each time a bucket is offered, One more, for at the mounting block. No! means just stop what ever you are doing right now. So much the same as every one else. No magic tricks.

 

[Keith_Beef]

"Get off my foot!"

The horses I ride seem to understand "stand" and "step back", but they must be picking up on my position and movement, and perhaps tone of voice, because I speak to them in English and they have probably only ever heard French before.

 

[luckyoldme]

Stand.
I had a young Percheron x and because I knew it was the only time I would ever get to break a horse in I spent ages in an indoor pen teaching her to walk on and stand.
Much later we were out on a hack and a cyclist came flying round a corner (no blame just wrong place wrong time) it caught both of us by surprise and I hit the deck.
The horse took off down the road and in my dazed state I shouted stand. It was like she froze mid stride ..she turned round and trotted back to me.
To be totally honest I'm not the best horsewoman and pretty much out of my depth on here..but it was an amazing moment.

 

[Wishfilly]

Blue knows his name and also usually comes to call in the field. This isn't perfect yet, but it's very useful for me!

I've taught him back up, which is good and I think "wait" needs to be next!

 

[Bernster]

Agree with any of the above.

Also, Oi! When he’s trying to eat me.

 

[millitiger]

“Whoa”

useful riding, handling and even when they are loose.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Stand - even at a distance when they are loose in the field - only last summer it brought my poor mare to an immediate halt from her terrified flying around and around as her very torn lightweight zebra fly rug billowed in the wind behind and above her. She was dripping, no idea how long she had been galloping around trying to escape the scary monster trying to leap on her back before I arrived to sort things out!

Back - is another essential, especially with my big bolshy horse who initially tried to intimidate me by getting far to up close and personal.

Oh and they all learn the steeeeaaaaady when ridden from day one of coming to live with me, non of that highly overexcited scary stuff with me on your back please!

 

[Tiddlypom]

Mine all understand ‘slooowly...’

Useful in the recent big freeze when leading them out of their stables to their field in the morning. They all took little slow careful steps as it was slippery in places rather than marching out as they usually do.