I'd love to get my mare to the point where she can do everything with a vocal command. She is very sensitive to me, my position, my legs, and my hands.

As of now, this is what she can do:

Woah: All l have to do is lean back and say woah. l can have no reins and no bridle and she will stop. She can do this really well from a walk and a fast trot, but she has not totally gotten the canter down. It takes her a few strides of trotting before she stops.

Walk: She just needs a cluck or a squeeze from my legs or a ''walk'' command.

Trot: l lean the slightest bit back, cluck, and keep my reins low.

Canter: l lean the slightest bit forward, cluck, and loosen my reins a little.


Everything is going really well with teaching her these, but l just wanted to see if any of you had any tips.
Yeah, l forgot to say that she can back just by saying ''back'' or ''back up,'' and she comes running when l call her from the pasture gate.

She also knows a few tricks and can do them just by voice command.


Rosi M... l knew a horse who did the same thing in the show ring. l do not plan on showing her in any classes like that. Right now we just do trail riding, and if l show her it will be in halter, reining, or cutting. So no worries : ]

And if l do end up showing her, l can learn from my mistakes (and other people is ; ). If l have a horse like that in the show ring and the judge says something like that, l could give them the full cue (a kick, or pulling on the reins, or whatever) to counteract the judge is voice.



Thanks for the tips guys : ]

well, every time you make a transition, just say the word. Then try to lunge with the word commands. Um, this works with all of our barn horses, even new ones- trot= click and canter= kiss. Idk, some just respond to these sounds better than just clicking for both.

Just use the word every time u use the physical cue. l taught my horse the same way. Pull back on the reins to stop, & I'd say ''woah''. To start at a walk, I'd give a squeeze, cluck, & say ''walk''. Same with trot & canter, & even ''back'' & ''turn''. It did not take him long to learn at all, I'd spend a few weeks saying each word with the cue, & then gradually start doing the cues lighter & lighter, & then not doing them at all. Every so often l give him a refresher & start with the full cue & word, & work back down to the word, just a day or two here & there. But they catch on really fast.

You could also try and see if she will respond to clicker training, which involves adding vocal cues to get horses to learn different behaviours. Karen Pryor has a whole host of resources on her website:
http://clickertraining.com/allanimals
Good luck!

sounds like ur doing a good job (Y)

im teaching my filly commands too & another command im doing atm is backing up, basically iv been moving my feet back a lil & tapping lightly & giving the voice command ''back'' as well as a lil pressure on the reins. shes getting it & now l just have to say the word & move mt feet back, iv also been doing this while just leading around etc by making her bck up with the command, so far its going good but u can make up ur own method of doing it too.

every time you ask her for something match the same vocals to that leg/body signal. use the same tone of voice when asking for all geits or what ev so she does not get confused when you are just plain talking
be careful not to say too many words at the same time

You can work in a round pen & do all that on the ground then apply it under saddle.

The drawback though, is having a horse who recognizes words in the showring. l had an old AQHA gelding who'd I'd done that with since he was 4. At 17 l was ''schooling'' him because he nearly dumped one of my kids the show before & I'd told him his tush was MINE!

He did GREAT the first class & we won it. However, the 2nd class when the announcer called for a ''Reverse at the lope he did not wait for the cue, he just reverse & in mid circle, picked himself up & dropped himself down in a flying leadchange & bounced my tush about 3'' out of the saddle!

The old judge who'd known both of us when we were young & dumb, in the line up said ''You HAD the class won until YOU let him do that!''. Oops!

contrary to popular belief, voice commands are not good; especially in the show ring.

everything should flow and it should look like your horse is plugged into your brain and you are effortlessly telling it what to do. if you're talking to it.. not so much