XC talkers

[riderboy]

I am one of those riders that talks to my horse on XC "Do you see it? Do you see it? Come on, Come on, Good BOY!!" And I heard a lot of other riders talking to their horses on course. And I can't help but grin and think that it's a good thing, right? Reassuring and calming?

[eventinglvr]

I know my horse gets a lot of confidence when I praise him on course. It's more for me though...keeps me breathing. I do have a habit of holding my breath on course...kind of hard to do for 5-6 minutes!

[ValleyMiss]

I always talk to my horse on XC. "Good girl Kaye! Now we turn left and jump the coop." I go over the course with her as we're riding. Does two things, helps me remember we're I'm going and if I'm talking to my horse I can't forget to breathe. :lol: I have heard many a jump judge laughing at me when they hear my running commentary.

[Brandy76]

:lol: I have a running commentary, especially now with my greenie. I have made a couple of jump judges laugh, and probably my horse, too!

[Jealoushe]

I like to sing, it helps calm nerves and regulate breathing!

[LexInVA]

I like to sing, it helps calm nerves and regulate breathing!

What do you sing? Showtunes? R&B? Gangsta rap?

[rabicon]

My horse was a massive chicken in all jumping!! I got in the habit of talking to him thru any course, even stadium. :lol: It helped reassure him that the jump wasn't going to eat him and since I started talking to him I haven't had any refusals or run outs or sucking back to a trot!! So for the past 2 years I've kept talking to him. Whats it hurt? Nothing, and he feels so happy and ready to do his job. Oh and he does know what last one means now! :lol: He hears that come out of my mouth and he's like yeaaaa baby lets go!

[Invested1]

I know my horse gets a lot of confidence when I praise him on course. It's more for me though...keeps me breathing. I do have a habit of holding my breath on course...kind of hard to do for 5-6 minutes!

Ditto!

I don't talk much *between* fences, more the 3-4 strides before and always a "good boy" on landing.
When we land from my "bogie" fence (there's always one), my "good boy" is generally heard 'round the course. :lol:

[harveyhorses]

When I was a jump judge at a HT one rider just cracked me up (and I am a talker too) 'This one looks great right? let do it! Woo HOOO good BOY! over every fence. I thought it was great. She and her horse looked so happy, just out having fun.

[FLeckenAwesome]

Raises hands.... me too!

In fact, not only do I talk, but I tend to whoop and holler too!! Our last XC was awesome, but the one prior we had a stop at the water drop. So....this round I was forewarning him of the ditch..then forewarned him about the water...which was the second to last jump! When he just soared right on into the water...and I knew we were home free!!!, I just started whooping and hollering about how awesome he was and smacking him on the neck! It's funny cause I didn't realize the photographer was there and he's got the whole series of our "victory" splash :) It's cute....

and since I have absolutely no shame... heres' the pics!

http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/orderpage.aspx?pi=0BEF007R140038&po=38


I don't like the people that YELL at their horse or scream at them, but encouragement is great. And you're right.. it does keep us breathing, and helps cheer them on :) Why not... it's entertaining too for the jump judges ;)

[Jazzy Lady]

Depends how nervous I am! lol

I talk a LOT when I'm nervous. My first time going intermediate I talked the WHOLE course...

[ValleyMiss]

Raises hands.... me too!

In fact, not only do I talk, but I tend to whoop and holler too!! Our last XC was awesome, but the one prior we had a stop at the water drop. So....this round I was forewarning him of the ditch..then forewarned him about the water...which was the second to last jump! When he just soared right on into the water...and I knew we were home free!!!, I just started whooping and hollering about how awesome he was and smacking him on the neck! It's funny cause I didn't realize the photographer was there and he's got the whole series of our "victory" splash :) It's cute....

and since I have absolutely no shame... heres' the pics!

http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/orderpage.aspx?pi=0BEF007R140038&po=38


I don't like the people that YELL at their horse or scream at them, but encouragement is great. And you're right.. it does keep us breathing, and helps cheer them on :) Why not... it's entertaining too for the jump judges ;)

The pictures are great. I love the huge grin on your face over every fence!

[crittertwitter]

Raises hands.... me too!

In fact, not only do I talk, but I tend to whoop and holler too!! Our last XC was awesome, but the one prior we had a stop at the water drop. So....this round I was forewarning him of the ditch..then forewarned him about the water...which was the second to last jump! When he just soared right on into the water...and I knew we were home free!!!, I just started whooping and hollering about how awesome he was and smacking him on the neck! It's funny cause I didn't realize the photographer was there and he's got the whole series of our "victory" splash :) It's cute....

and since I have absolutely no shame... heres' the pics!

http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/orderpage.aspx?pi=0BEF007R140038&po=38


I don't like the people that YELL at their horse or scream at them, but encouragement is great. And you're right.. it does keep us breathing, and helps cheer them on :) Why not... it's entertaining too for the jump judges ;)

haaaahahahaha I Love it! Thanks for sharing. You're both smiling.

Your pony has this, "Well, of course..." expression.

[Catalina]

Your pony has this, "Well, of course..." expression.

I was thinking the same thing :). Too CUTE! :D

[Lori B]

FA, those pictures made my morning. Thanks, and well ridden! Lovely looking course.

[pony grandma]

and since I have absolutely no shame... heres' the pics!

http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/orderpage.aspx?pi=0BEF007R140038&po=38

ha:lol:ha:lol:ha:lol:

Great pictures, tks for sharing!! NICE appy. Your encouragement noticably pumped him up! He looks pleased as punch of himself. Nice to see such a happy partnership.

I was going to add - back in my glory days - there was an older woman, a real salty dog old hunt rider up at Wayne IL, Joan Hammel, you could hear her "Whoopie!"... " Atta Boy!" go all around the course. She sure enjoyed herself. I always think of her when I see someone having a blast with their horse. She left that impression on me.

[jumper19]

FA, oh my goodness, you and your horse looked GORGEOUS!!!

[devcubber]

FleckenAwesome, were you at JBF Schooling Trials in November 2008, Aiken SC?!

I run a HT here in St. Louis, and I love being on cross-country to hear the riders talk to their horses. I do it too when I compete, as it helps me keep my course on the brain, my horse focused on me, and yes, there is that pesky breathing thing!

One local competitor sings opera as he goes around, cracks me up everytime!!!

[QHEventr]

I am a BIG XC talker. Not the whole course, but alot of it.

My wonderful first event trainer had several phrases that she said on course. You could hear her on her Rolex video approaching the head of the lake saying....

"Come on baby, mommas got you....come on baby" and on completion of the head of the lake...."Yeah man!!!!!!!!!"

I picked up the "Come on baby" and "Yeah Man!!!!" somewhere along the way, and you can hear me coming down to the tough fences on course (at NAYRC CCI**) and at the CCI* with another horse saying "come on baby, you've got it"......"Yeah Man!"

It helps me breath, and I talk to them alot at home, so I hope it helps relax, and give confidence

I'll have to hunt the video down and post it

Johanna

[mjrtango93]

I'm a talker as well, not the whole way around but yeah I do it. If I am wrong and he helps me out I am not ashamed to admit I do apalogize to my horse. He is a greener guy and just starting out at prelim so he gets alot of good boy's and way to go buddy's. My advanced horse would make himself nervous so I talked to him more. His was always more of the your ok type talk though. He was insanely brave but if he got galloping fast he would make himself nervous. Lots of good boys, and way to think's for him, he hated being patted besides a stroke on the neck so talking was really his reward.

I have been known to make people on course and jump judges laugh as I go buy. I did Rolex on my advanced guy several years ago and pretty much had the crowd cracking up as I went around. The 2 main ones I remember from that were at the Farmyard where we slid in the turn and he had a stop at the corner as he was trying to get his feet under him, I believe I said something to the effect of "Hey buddy we're still kicking ass and if this is all that happens on our first trip at Rolex your still a rockstar". Of course I was saying this louder then I thought while representing to the option. I got a big cheer as I was galloping off. (Plus that was all that happened and everything else was spot on and he was a Rockstar!) Also going through the Head of the Lake I had a lovely convo going with him. Coming up to it "This is the head of the lake at Rolex, we've worked hard to get here." Then bouncing up the bank I just kept saying "your a good boy, your a good boy, your a good boy" then cantering across to bounce out "just this one last bounce and you've done it". After he bounced the brush "we just went through the head of the lake at Rolex, what a stud!" Of course I got a huge applause again and a very audible chuckle from the crowd. Apparently I wasn't saying all this as quiet as I thought I was.

[NeverTime]

I've found that if I bury my horse at the base of the fence and then yell "up! up!" (which comes out like "hup-hup!") it helps him sprout wings and spring up over the fence. :uhoh:

[archieflies]

I believe that on cross country I'm still too petrified to form multisyllabic words even in my head.

On stadium, however, I've gotten in the habit of being very vocal. I don't so much talk to my horse (the ocassional "good girl" if she's saved my butt), but I'll talk to my trainer, or friends or whoever happens to be within earshot. The other day I was calling out, "Distance? What's a distance?", "Wow, this is kind of ugly," "My horse is looking for someone who can ride, anybody know one?" and, after hearing the unmistakable sound of a rattling rail, "Don't tell me! I don't want to know!" Don't ask me why I can think of something to say to random onlookers when I can't remember to make a wide turn, add leg, look left, release, etc. I also have ridiculous thoughts that pop into my head mid-course, like when I thought to myself the other day, "Oh, here's the photographer. I'll make this a pretty jump," but I could not remind myself (or force myself) to have a halfway decent jump anywhere else on course. I think my IQ may temporarily drop while on course. Not a good thing.

We sort of laughed all weekend because there was this one little girl on a slow, sort of lazy horse, and every time he actually went over a jump she would call out very enthusiastically "Good Boy!!" almost as if she was shocked that he did it. It was cute, and every time I saw "Good Boy Girl" riding, I would stop and listen.

[NewbieEventer]

I'm a talker as well, not the whole way around but yeah I do it. If I am wrong and he helps me out I am not ashamed to admit I do apalogize to my horse.

Me too! I thought I was the only one that apologized :lol: ! My apologies are short and sweet, usually "sorry horse, my fault" ...but he usually accepts it ;)

[Coppers mom]

I'm not a huge talker, other than a "good girl" after the fence. Doesn't help me breath, I'm not that good at multi tasking! But, I went to a Leslie Law clinic and he pointed me and my barely 6 months under saddle 4 year old towards this huge training level house, and as soon as I got 5 strides away, all you could here was "Oh my Gooood, Oh my Goood, Leesliiiee" haha! And then of course the appropriate level of whooping and hollering afterwards :lol:

[Jealoushe]

What do you sing? Showtunes? R&B? Gangsta rap?

lollll I usually sing something that gets stuck in my head that morning!

however, my friend and I remixed Coolio's song 1,2,3,4 when we were 13 to say

"1,2,3,, get that horse on the course....cause you gotta jump up to go clean, cause you gotta jump up to go clean"

So that's a good one:cool:

[Shrunk "N" Da Wash]

I am more of a xc yeller... :lol::lol::lol:

[Invested1]

I don't generally talk during stadium (other than a "whoa" here and there) but apparently both times that I did say something, I got laughs from spectators.

1st was the only time my pony has ever dropped me (knock on wood)--it was at a Liverpool. We'd never done one before and I didn't know if he would take issue with it or not. He did. He hit the brakes on the last stride and I ended up around his neck. I remember thinking, "If he doesn't move, I can shimmy back into the saddle." Just then he dropped his head to get a better look at the pool and off I flopped. I stood up laughing and said, "YOU BIG BABY!" :D

2nd time was the *next* time we encountered a liverpool. We'd been practicing at home but I wasn't sure how it was going to go. Didn't help that about the girl about 6 riders ahead of me was tossed there and nailed her head on the standard, requiring an ambulance, and then the rider about 3 ahead of me also got tossed there.
Our turn--we came at that liverpool and I growled, "GET UP!" and he did as if he'd never had a problem. Apparently as we sailed over, I yelled, "YAY!!!!" :lol:
I also apparently stopped riding because I was so surprised that we had cleared the scary liverpool that we had a runout at the following combination. Ah well.

[the lady of shalott]

O yes... I talk to my horse on course like crazy! She can be a bit of a dirty stopper, so when I took her to our first recognized event, I was SURE that I was going to get the big E. So out the start box I was holding my breath so tight, I must've looked blue in the face already! But once she cleared the first jump without a qualm, I was so happy with her I started talking, and we went the whole course of talking. Approach to jump "okay ghost we got this we got this" Over jump " O YEAAAA" after jump : "GOOOOOOOOOOD GIRL". I'm sure we must've sounded really silly, but I was so proud of her I really didn't care. Ever since I've started talking to her on course, thinking it gave her confidence... but I've since found out, that if (and yes this is going to sound really dumb) am not concentrating so much on the jump, I won't let my nerves get in the way and she will just sail over it=] I've always been the rider who looks mad when I ride, just because of how strongly I'm concentrating... so when I saw this pic, I knew that I had finally let loose of the "win win win" mentality and just gone out there and had a blast. I smiled for about a week after this=]

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h233/Emanethi/Ghostie/IMG_3268.jpg

Of course... then there was the time that I was schooling cross country, over the big brick coop. It was our mental block jump. EVERY year she would stop over it the first time, and then never have a problem with it until the next year. Well this year she did her normal stop, but I got up some determination, and she sailed over it perfectly the next time. Well... over the jump I got so excited that she did it... that I said "YESSSSS" ... and pumped my arm over the fence. I wish we had gotten a pic of that. It was pretty embarrassing at the time=]

[Late]

I was actually more known to talk to the jump judges on course - making comments when my green horse almost jumps me off, that sort of thing.

As far as talking to my horse, I'd usually only go it when I was praising, thanking, or growling. haha.

I was always too busy trying to count which fence number I was at and needed to get to next that I couldn't focus on much more!

[Roney]

I sing (quietly) on course if I am nervous or just need to relax a little more.

Would recommend putting a little thought into song choice, though. The HT before last I was singing Sugarland's "It Happens" when I got pitched off my horse into the dirt. Those of you who know the song will appreciate the irony....:lol:

[eventer4eva]

Talker, guilty as charged! Lots of "come on buddy you got this big man" and mid air "whooooooeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" and on landing "GOOOOOODDDDDDDD BOYYYYYYYYYY YOURE THE BEST PONY EVERRRRRR""

especially notable on scarrry drops into water and large ditch-and-walls ;)

[FLeckenAwesome]

Hee hee.. Thanks guys! I can't help but brag on my big guy!

And... I think I was at JBF in november....but I didn't get to ride. We were planning on it, but Fleck had a stone bruise! I was bummed cause we were just getting back to work after our health issues.... but oh well. Of course he was sound THAT day, but.... not fair to run him, so we just cheered people on :)

I do remember at the Ark... our first training...which was WAY SCARY!! Those were some big jumps!! Well.. it started fine until we got to XC. I was the first to go in my group so there was a bit of a lull and the ducks started congregating. Well, Fleck is TERRIFIED of ducks, so... instead of looking at the jump, he was looking at the ducks, so we had a refusal at the first jump.... (totally my fault for not making him ignore the ducks) and it just kept getting worse... We launched over jump 4 I think, and I landed in a heap.. So I told the jump judges "I got it"! after I fixed myself and headed to the next jump...which Fleck promptly refused! Doh... I mean... "I thought I got it"!.
Ah well.....

[amburrito]

I do all the time! Have quite the wee conversation, some people think it's weird but it appears to keep my horses calmer otherwise they're just like XC....let's go!! :lol:

[Artfulldodger]

I am a total talker. I talk the whole way around. Mostly telling my big boy how brave he is, and that he needs to pay attention to me and not whatever imaginary boogie man he sees that he thinks might eat him. I also say my apologies to him when my riding leaves something to be desired. I have fallen off on course, but at least it wasn't because I was holding my breathe :winkgrin:

[Nancy!]

I too am a "talker" - okay probably more of a yeller:o :lol: due to the fact that the more excited I get the louder I get. Oh well. At least people know I love my horse. I seem to give verbal directions and let him know what is coming up next. I mean really - like he's gonna know when I say turn left? (where is that rolling eye icon):lol::lol:

I do apologize to him when I screw up as well.

Nancy!

[tcgelec]

I talk to my horse all the time. Mostly stuff like "eeeeaaasssyyy!" and "Good boy!" or "You're the best"...he thrives on praise. But I also sing sometimes on XC. What I sing depends on whether I'm trying to steady him or send him. For the latter, I sometime use "Come out ye Black and Tans" by the Wolfe Tones. It's and old IRA fighting song. I'm not Irish but my horse is named DannyBoy! Actually it's just one of those songs that gives you an infectous fighting spirit. If you search it on YouTube you'll see what I mean. If you're English, take no offense, I take no political stance here...it's just a really kick-ass song, and the tempo fits my XC pace usually.

[TheHunterKid90]

I ride all green horses so every ride consists of babbling the entire time calming, reassuring, etc.
With my old event horse the commontary generally went like this "Easy, eassyyyy, oh, you're so brave, easyy, *clickclick*.....*jump*.....GOOD PONYYY! Oh, you are sooooo bravee! Good boy!"
The jump judges always got a real kick out of me...especially if my horse saved my butt over a fence...."thank you ponyyy!"

Even in the dressage ring I have a little commontary going on...in my head of course. haha :lol:

[HobbyHorse101]

I talk to mine in everything but dressage (I show hunter/jumpers to and you'll hear me mumbling)
But I had a trainer that made us sing if your happy and you know it jump the fence, so we could work on our breathing.

[ss3777]

I am such a bad talker that the announcer commented it on while I was on course. Something like..........well we can hear her before we even see her. I must not have been that loud because I could hear him announcing my speech problem :)

[mkevent]

Guilty as charged-besides the loud "Gooood Boooy" my sensitive(as in you need to ask permission to touch him) guy loves having me pat him very enthusiastically on the neck while praising him! He gets so proud of himself!
I also apologize for poor riding and sometimes I let the F bomb slip(accidentally, of course) when I really screw up!
For songs, I always have the French National Anthem(La Marseille(?)) stuck in my head-we had to learn it for French class in high school and I think the rhythm just works well for XC-problem is, I only know the first few stanzas so I have to fill in the rest with da da da da da datatadah...

[the lady of shalott]

Speaking of singing, at my last event, as I was about to go out on cross country, the last thing my trainer said to me was " remember you don't have to take off like a bat out of hell". Which of course got "bat out of hell" by meatloaf stuck in my head for the whole course! Talk about random!

[Invested1]

the more excited I get the louder I get.

:yes:

[riderboy]

Yep, some of the more excited will echo for quite a distance! Moi aussi.