Verbal commands for driving

[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!

 

[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 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.

 

[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.

 

[Jules]

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.

ahh yes. Same here.

Gave it a red-hot try when long-reining but 75% of the time would get my lefts and rights mixed up and figured I may just leave that well alone and do a generic 'come/get around' for a smaller turn in either direction

 

[Sheryl]

Okay, thanks everyone. The problem I have with "haw", "Gee" or or others is I don't automatically remember them! The words left and right I can remember. I can see the value of using "left left" or "left hard" or something like that to mean a sharper turn. I can also really see the value of teaching a verbal command for pivot.

With my riding horse, he responds to verbal cues for gaits either with or without the seat/leg aids. This means that for lunging or something it is more verbal commands. During riding, I use the words sometimes, especially when I am transitioning down out on the trail where he may want to be more forward, it helps remind him to shift down so to speak. He is a BTDT older horse and this seems to work very well for us. I was just not familiar with using verbal cues for right and left - as a rider that has never been a need. I can see the logic to warn the horse for hazards or cones.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

We use "come" and "get". Come is the longer word, and right is the longer word, so come=right. Get=left. Shorter words....

I use them when I need hard turns. Sunny knows what I mean! Other than that, I mostly use "walk on", "trot", "easy" and "whoa".

 

[shorthorsemom]

I use verbals. I have "come right" "come left" "whoa"... and "stand" for gaits I use his name.. "Ike walk" "Ike trot" "Ike canter" etc. I also use "easy" for asking for a slow down... both my boys work on verbal cues and they listen quite well to them, expecially my other boy who is an appy. I don't have him hooked to the cart yet but have noticed during training that he is super smart and he transitions quickly on my verbal cues . He loves when I talk to him and he listens carefully to what I am saying and he is not doing ...

LOL that is funny to think about ... couldn't resist using that symbol because it makes me laugh, not poking fun at the other posting that used it.

This one is funny too... haha, should have used this one when I talked about my driving accident earlier this year when my boy was bucking. best wishes, great day.

 

[susanne]

If I ever had any doubt that I talk too much, Mingus gave me absolute proof. At a driving day at a local indoor arena a few years back, I took a turn driving another horse while Keith drove Mingus. I was informed that I was making things difficult for them, as Mingus had his ears on me and was obeying my verbal cues to the other horse rather than listening to Keith.

 

[Jetiki]

I use left and right for verbal directions, come means turn sharp, and come left now means a serious sharp left turn. I also teach my horses a verbal half halt, I use the word Hup, gets their attention and they know something is coming when i use that word, be it a transition, or turn or whatever. its been very useful to me. My mare knows wait and lets go, but those are specific to her. i don't teach them all that yet as she's the only one going prelim level. I use these words instead of so much rein handling. it does help in hazards and cones. Like if I miss a turn and need to double back to get it, or "wrap" around a tree or something I can say Hup, come left now, and she will literally slow down, spin around the tree or whatever and we'll continue going and I won't have to get in her mouth much at all, just a slight direction left to follow the voice command. Then we take back off again on to where we need to be.

karen

the reason why a lot of people don't like to use left and right is if you have a navigator and are talking to them about left and right your horse can get confused.

 

[Performancemini]

Horses can learn quite a vocabulary; so I guess you can use whatever you like as stated before. You have your general kisses, clucks, etc. and reining. My husband drove draft; so he used Gee and Haw-but like a lot of you he could never (still can't usually, me too if needed too fast) remember which to use. On the wagon, I bought some of those little sticky alphabet letters ("G" and "H") and stuck them to the inside front corners of the wagon to help him remember at the shows!!!

We also use "turn" and "push", "step up" (when we want only one or two steps forward, they learned it), etc. Kinda like teaching tricks I guess, whatever works for you and the horse!

 

[Sheryl]

I didn't think about this, good point! I can see the merits of using a horse specific word!

You know I already struggle between dog and horse training verbal commands keeping it all straight in my own head - to be quick with them! I can really see the merit though as you progress and compete. I am training my pony so now is the time to start introducing this as long as I can stay consistent....arrggg.

I think verbal commands on the pivot makes a lot of sense too. I can get him to pivot, but seems like if I had a verbal command to go with it he would immediately regiser what I am asking. He is a very smart pony and I swear learns new things faster then I do!

the reason why a lot of people don't like to use left and right is if you have a navigator and are talking to them about left and right your horse can get confused.

 

[Lloydyne]

I have been looking at clicker training...it's fascinating, but I decided to just use words it's much more natural