Cueing differences

[Twisting]

I recently bought a cute little 10 year old Fjord who’s been ridden western all his life, mostly on the trails, some cattle work when he was younger. He’s quiet, willing and very out of shape. Doesn’t seem to neck rein (or rather, he does neck rein, but only so long as your are neck reining him in the direction of the closest arena exit.) I have noticed some differences in his cueing, a steady squeeze gets me nothing, a “tap tap” with my lower leg gets a nice bright trot transition. I am working on retraining him to my way of communication. Starting with a squeeze and following it up with a tap.

I am having problems with the canter, much of the issue is most likely fitness, and he and I are both working on improving our fitness. Much to his dismay. I just want to make sure I am asking him in a manner that he understands. I am using the typical inside leg at the girth outside leg slightly back method, and I’m asking from a working trot.

While we work on this I am also training him to canter on voice command on the lunge. In the hopes of both clarifying commands and conditioning. We’re pretty much there heading to the right, not so much to the left.

I am not in any rush, and I’m perfectly happy to keep at the walk trot work. We have plenty to work on, straightness, bending, counter bending, moving off my leg, paying attention to me and not the cute filly in the other ring.

[SuzieQNutter]

Bahahaha about neck reining when going hone and checking out the filly next door.

Congrats on your new project. I look forward to your updates. Have you looked at the rerider thread? You would be most welcome there.

[RPM]

There is at least one COTHer who has a Fjord (and maybe breeds them as well). I don’t know if she ever comes to the Western forum, but her user name is IronwoodFarm, and she might be a good person for you to contact. You can do an Advanced name search on COTH to find her.

Good luck with your little guy! He sounds cute.

[Bluey]

Many professionally trained arena western horses cue to lope is with a cluck.

Are you sure he was trained, or just ridden with a western saddle any one way someone wanted to do what they did on him?
Neck reining can mean only that you hold reins in one hand, horse moves as it wishes until you use the other hand to kind of direct rein.
Or in a well trained arena horse it means you can guide the horse with drapey reins and a mere hint of direction moving your hand a couple inches and your other aids complement that to change directions.

“Western” cueing doesn’t seem to have much of a standard, specific western disciplines some times do.

[bugsynskeeter]

We trained out with cluck = trot/jog, kiss = lope.

[mjs8]

Agree with bugsynskeeter - all the horses I’ve worked were cluck to trot, kiss to lope. Give it a try and let us know what you find out! =)

[Twisting]

I will try that. Though I’m starting to think he’s more of a “ridden with a western saddle” rather than trained western. Thank you for the help.