Kim has been asking me to post all the verbal cues I use with D... I am going to attempt to list and explain... sounds a little like annotating :)
When coming out of the stall or going over something that requires him to really lift- S
TEP UP is what I tell him. Maybe I should use that instead of pole.... whatcha think Kim?
When coming up to something to step over I tell him to
SCOOT UP
All riding commands like walk, trot, etc... are done verbally as well as with my legs like normal.
When he needs to stop because he's about to run into something I say- GATE, This started with his need to stop at the gate hence the word. :)
When dealing with a tight space to turn around I put my hand on his left shoulder and tell him to-PIVOT
When he is being silly I ask him for his ears and always tell him to FOCUS
On the lunge (how in the world do you spell that word??) line I keep the whip constantly tapping and a running dialogue so he knows where I am. He still doesn't always do this right but I use the whip and the word OUT in an attempt to keep him from running in to me.
He gets a lot of "no sir" and "listen up"
I tell him when we're going through a dip in the ground as well as when we're about to go up hill. Whenever I take him out I take him by his hay and then make noise in the water by splashing in it- this does get cold in the winter.
D has adapted really amazingly the last few months. He keeps his nose to the ground when figuring out where he's going and bumping things doesn't stress him out the way it used to. He leads with his toe when stepping and so while he is still a bit uncoordinated he doesn't appear to be falling like he was.
I pretty much am always talking to my horse. Which helps me to remember what I have to remind him about but even more importantly it keeps his ears focused on listening to me rather than jumping to every other sound he hears. I'm sure there are other cues I use that I am unaware of but here's the main ones...enjoy!
