[drivingpairs] Re: Voice Commands
- From: "Merrie Morgan Stevens" <roadrunner-ranch@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <drivingpairs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 9 Aug 2003 12:49:52 -0700
I know that Hardy has written about the use of voice commands several times
and I would just like to add my two cents worth here. When I first stared
driving I used almost no voice commands (I came from the dressage world
where voice is just NOT used). I was told by other drivers that I should
tell my horses what I wanted them to do, so I started adding in verbal
commands, my ponies learned them quickly and I thought it was pretty cool.
Then I had the opportunity to train with Hardy and drive his pair of big
boys - WOW way cool! He had me drop the use of my voice and just rely on
clear half-halts and a cluck. His pair respond with such accuracy, it is
like shifting a car. Half-halt, cluck = go... Half-halt cluck = more go...
Strong half-halt, cluck = canter. His Holsteiners require stronger
half-halts than my Welsh ponies, but once I got the feel, it was really
wonderful, very accurate and smooth without all the talking. I recognize a
superior system when I find one, and Hardy's technique is, in my view,
definitely superior. I have quit talking to my ponies so much and have gone
to making clear half-halts and only using my voice to steady my over eager
pony or move up my lazy pony. My ponies are listening to me better and seem
more confident with the clear rein commands.
For what it is worth,
Merrie Morgan Stevens
----- Original Message -----
From: <Hzlax@xxxxxxx>
To: <drivingpairs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2003 9:13 AM
Subject: [drivingpairs] Voice Commands
> In a message dated 8/9/2003 12:06:04 AM Pacific Standard Time,
> ecartis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> >
> > Voice commands I'm using.....Ready Dan (wake up sleepy head we're going
to
> > do something), Let's go (forward), Steady (when he starts to get excited
and
> > thinks he might break pace), Trot, Whoa, Gee, Haw and Back.
> >
> >
>
> I have posted this before at times, but I find voice commands to a large
> degree not only unnecessary, but even counter productive. The "wake up"
comand is
> a slight taking up of the reins, a slight halfhalt, then to go forward
command
> comes immediatley out of that halfhalt with the giving of the reins
combined
> with s little cluck (or kiss), that's all, and the horse goes forward with
it.
> Same on the upwards transition from walk to trot, exactly the same,
haltfalt,
> giving and a cluck (or kiss). Downward transitions is just in the reins
and
> after the downward transition is done, one needs to give again with the
reins.
> Turning is just with the reins, so the horse follows the reins. With voice
you
> ahve no control of how much he turns and don't get any bending. The only
use
> for my voice is calming them (the steady boy from above is fine), or
making
> them go more forward, the kiss or cluck. That's all. All else only is too
much
> in my book, as it is all too long and does not give precision on a sharp
> execution. Even the "let's go" is much longer than my exact timing of the
giving of
> the reins with the kiss. Same on the halt: When you say Whoa and the horse
> stops on that, you have no precision. The moment you say Whoa you turn
over the
> excetition of the command to the horse and leave it up to him where
exactly he
> is going to stop. Here, there, or even there, where exactly? Wit the
reins,
> it is as you do with your foot on the brake of your car, you give it the
exact
> dosage you need to stop exactly where you need. Exactly at that stop sign,
and
> as with the car, when going uphill you know you need a little less foot on
> the brake and downhill a little more, and you can give it exactly the
dosage you
> need. Same with your reins. But if you just stop of Whoa, you have no
dosage,
> and no difference between today and tomorrow, and one day you have a alert
> and high horse that needs more dosage and one day a tired horse tat needs
less.
> Same with turns. If you turn on voice commands, there is no way you can
tell
> him if to turn 90 degrees, 100 degress, 110 degress or ony 70 degrees. But
> with the reins you get precision. With your hands you stay in charge, with
the
> voice you turn over the execution to the horse and then you are at his
mercy and
> are not leading / guiding anymore. All of this is even more so with a
pair,
> where one reacts quicker to the voice and the other slower. Much better
control
> with both together through the reins. And don't get me wrong, am not all
> against using the voice, as I said, for calming them its fine and for
stepping
> more on the gas its fine too. (And for advanced hazard work with a tandem
or
> team, ok, fine too to alert the leader(s) quickly into which direction the
next
> turn is going to be, but the rest, much better in the hand and reins)
> No time today to explain in details more, but have done so in the past.
> Hardy (going off mail for two weeks)
>
>
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