[drivingpairs] Re: voice commands

Well, in my case voice commands are very necessary.  The horses will be
doing logging and not competition driving.....  Sometimes when you're
logging you cannot stand behind the team because the situation makes it's
too dangerous to be near the logs, so you stand off to the side.  If the
trees are thick there is often no room for a driver with reins, so you hang
the reins on a harness *hook* and work off of voice command only with no
contact what-so-ever from the handler.  One of the commands they will learn
later as we progress in training will be STEP.  That means take one step and
one step only.  You can actually teach them enough finesse to know gee step
and haw step and they will take one step using a right or left leg.  That
way you can direct them through difficult turns that require fine
re-adjustments of their load to make the turn.

One of the other things they will be doing is farm work.  Picking rocks is a
prime example of needing voice commands because while the team is pulling
the stone boat you are picking rocks and the last thing you want is a team
that needs your hands on the reins.  You want the team to move at a slow
steady pace as you walk in front, beside and behind them doing your job.

They have to be good at it and they have to react to any voice command you
give *immediately*.  Everyone's lives are at risk if they don't!!

I do plan on doing some carriage driving with them but just around home so
me being a *noisy* driver is not as important as in competition.

Cindy



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