{"id":768,"date":"2021-01-31T11:18:33","date_gmt":"2021-01-31T11:18:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/horseycounsel.com\/?p=768"},"modified":"2021-09-18T13:49:29","modified_gmt":"2021-09-18T13:49:29","slug":"train-your-horse-using-voice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/horseycounsel.com\/train-your-horse-using-voice\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Train Your Horse Using Voice Commands and Cues"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"voice<\/p>\n

In order to achieve and maintain a successful relationship with our horses, we need to find some way to communicate. Picking up what your horse is trying to tell you is one thing, but we as herd leaders need to be able to get our point across in a clear way so that our horses know what we expect of them.<\/p>\n

Voice commands and cues represent a great way to communicate our intentions. They’re also incredibly useful training tools, as horses learn to interpret them and will listen to our commands both on the ground and while in the saddle.<\/p>\n

How do we train our horses to listen to our voice commands? There are two basic learning mechanisms at work when we train horses: classical conditioning and operant conditioning. <\/strong><\/p>\n

With classical conditioning, the horse learns all of its voice aids and posture aids from the person who’s leading or riding. With operant conditioning, we use reward-based learning such as pressure and release of reins, or food rewards. The use of voice is a classically-conditioned signal and a very important one at that.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Using voice commands to train a horse.<\/h3>\n

The human voice represents a completely different modality of training when compared to the use of pressure. If a horse has any lingering memory of stress resulted from pressure-based training, the voice represents an excellent training alternative. The voice in itself can do no physical harm to a horse, so the horse will obviously feel less threatened by it in general.<\/p>\n

The way we use the voice as a classical conditioning tool is very important. In training and when issuing commands, the voice needs to be the first thing that the horse hears. For instance, if we want to tell the horse to step back<\/a>, we would say the word “back”<\/em> and only then would we apply some pressure to the reins or tap the horse’s leg with the whip.<\/p>\n

The critical part is that the voice aid must come first during the training session<\/strong>. Classical conditioning is all about predictability.<\/p>\n

What are some of the most useful voice commands?<\/h3>\n

When leading or lunging, most horse trainers prefer to use short words<\/a> that the horse will pick up easily and understand. These include:<\/p>\n