Re: RC: Re: verbal cues

[Lynne Glazer <lynne@glazer.org>]

At 8:45 AM -0800 1/21/02, Sue Brown wrote:
>>The only verbal cue all my horses know is  "hup" . They know 
>>something is going on. It can be mud, bad footing ect. The woman 
>>who started my morab trains all horses with that command . They 
>>know it means something is up and pay attention. They slow stride 
>>and come alert right away. She says it keeps you off their face.
>>
>
>We use the word "hup" also when we are riding.  We use this cue when 
>we are riding alone but we nearly always have two or three of us 
>riding on a lot of single track trail -- the first rider can see the 
>obstacles ahead but they may not be as visible to the riders behind 
>them.  The cue is given to alert the first horse to the obstacle 
>(usually a tree root or branch across the trail) and also to alert 
>the rider and horse behind them.  That person then gives the cue 
>again as they approach the obstacle to alert the horse and rider 
>behind them (their horse is already tuned in by the cue from the 
>first rider.)  We have some trails that have some significant dips 
>in the trail...for that we call out "diiip".  These work very well 
>-- especially on hot, dusty rides where the obstacle can be totally 
>obscured by dirt dust kicked up by the first horse.
>
>Sue
>
>sbrown@wamedes.com
>Tyee Farm
>Marysville, Wa.

I dislike clicking or clucking, but admit to using a lot of verbal 
cues, particularly in competition.  Had no experience with them until 
joining a handicapped riding program, where all the horses were 
schooled to verbal cues, mostly because a lot of the riders were 
incapable of asking in a conventional way.

The verbal cues I use with my horse are useful things that don't 
influence others who may be traveling with us.  She knows if I say 
"Watch, Em" that there's something on the trail she needs to look at 
right away.  "TECH-nical, Em" means she needs to pick her way 
carefully, usually through rocks or boggy ground.  She upshifts and 
downshifts with the cues "trot" and "canter", though we don't use 
those all the time.   It's not that we don't use leg and seat cues, 
but words work very well when she needs to pay attention.  Whoops, 
that's another phrase she knows.  Along with, "wanna pee?" which 
works much of the time. <g>  She also knows "wait" for another horse 
we're traveling with, "get 'em!", and "we're not WITH THOSE horses!".

Unfortunately, she responds to other riders' use of clucks and 
clicks, as well.  Can't have everything!

Lynne
and Rem-member Me, Celesteele