18 replies to this topic

[Sheryl]

I have always taught my horses to know, whoa, walk, trot, canter... and I use "easy" and "good boy" and a few other things quite regularly.

I am training a driving pony myself, working with a "mentor" trainer. She says we should use words to mean right or left for driving. She uses "git here" and "come over" - I can never remember which is right and which means left.

So, I am curious is this the norm? I attended a CDE clinic many years ago and have taken a few driving lessons - and this was never mentioned to me before. This trainer says it is expected that you use these commands during arena driving trials and CDEs. Comments?

Oh, and here is my 11.1H pony in his new comfy fit harness! Still getting things adjusted.... and still looking for a cart!

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[JMS Miniatures]

I know in obstacle driving I say "haw" for pivoting left and "gee" for pivoting right. Learned that when my friend was teaching me how to show in draft. I always say "easy" when I want them to slow down and they of course know "whoa". I just cluck or kiss to change gaits, depends on the horse.

[circlesinthesand]

I like to cluck for a trot and smooch for a lope. I use easy and I have used gee and haw. I also use it on my dogs too when I exercise them on my bike :P Having insanely smart Aussies, any word I can teach them helps and they soak new words up like a sponge so it came naturally after working the horses with gee and haw.

I like to use git up, for when we're going up an incline or pulling an unexpected load so the horse knows to put some muscle behind it. I also use come 'round when I'm making a tight turn, one where the horse will need to cross over. I find it helps somewhat so that they know what I expect.

I have a bit of a habit of saying yes! (which is my marker word for when I don't have my clicker with my dogs) when they do something right but I'm not sure if they pay all that much attention to that though I suppose they might be. I really say yes more than I say good boy/girl. :D

[Sheryl]

So, more specifically, when you are judged in a driving event (of any kind) do they expect you to use words for right and left and you are marked down for not using them?

[susanne]

Your pony is gorgeous!

There are no rules specifying *what* you say (I say right and left, or for tight, fast turns, right-right and left-left...I guess my horse speaks English). Unlike ridden dressage where verbal cues are a no-no, in driving it is assumed that verbal cues help to make up for not having leg and seat cues and really should be used. You could say port and starboard and I can't imagine you would get marked down, but if anyone else is ever likely to drive your horse it would be wise to stick with the somewhat standard.

[TMR]

I can say that in CDE's it is very common to hear the whips(drivers) talking (or yelling) to their horses especially in cones and hazards. You won't hear it so much in dressage, but then there is not any unexpected movements there. In cones and hazards the horse has not seen the course and relies totally on you to steer him correctly. Everyone seems to use different verbage and it is whatever works for you. I used to say "over" for a turn but have switched to "come" since that is what my trainer uses, that way we use the same language as we drive each others horses. "come hard" means tight turn, "come" means easy turn. For me right and left doesn't matter because they know the direction through the reins as I am already setting them up before the turn to be bending their body in the correct direction before the turn even starts. "easy" or twilling means slow it down. I think I could right pages for all the different verbal commands that I hear people use at CDE's, its actually quite funny to hear as I always wonder what the horses are really thinking about us.

[rbrown]

I don't use a right and left cue... because I can never remember my right from my left! Sometimes I do say "come around," though, if I'm asking for a sharper turn.

[disneyhorse]

With draft horses, gee is right and haw is left. Git means move faster! Come means make a lateral move, so when needing to pivot the cart left you'd say "come haw" or "come gee" to pivot to the right.

[brasstackminis]

No rules for what you can or can't say. That being said, if you want to sell your horse, it is eaiser to help the new owner if the terminology isn't crazy out there!!! LOL I use Gee and Haw if I want a lot of right or left...otherwise, like in Dressage, I use my reins and whip.

[Cricket8]

Hrmmm... Never say left or right. My mother had around 30 sled dogs so she used it. Haha. Currently the only actual word that we use is Whoa. We mainly use a lot of clucking and kissing. My Paint Gelding went one cluck was walk, two clucks jog, three clucks extended trot and kiss was to lope.