"One, two. One, two." Any other subconcious counters out there?

[Not So Practical Horse(WO)man]

Just watching my videos from cross country schooling a few weeks ago. This is the first time I've heard them with sound and I had no idea I counted the beats up the fence. I am apparently very loud about it too!

http://www.youtube.com/user/erodgers119 <-- anything with a Town Hill Farm in the title is where I count.

Share your funny counting stories!

[Bluey]

While riding thru cattle, checking them, I guess I count and loud enough others can hear me.
I didn't know it, until someone mentioned it, when he asked what language I was counting on.:o
It was...latin.:p
My horses had never mentioned that, so I guess they didn't care.:D
Now I try to count in English.:winkgrin:

[Equibrit]

It's something I've done all my life and don't understand why. Stairs, paces, fence poles, anything repetitive and my brain counts it. It also plays weird word games. I guess I just don't keep it busy enough !

[MargaretW]

You are doing by instinct exactly what Olympian Tim Stockdale says to do in his training blog!
http://www.barnmice.com/profiles/blogs/calling-out-your-horses

[bird4416]

I'm a counter. I count strides and I also constantly count the horses in the pasture. And, when I was a Brownie leader, I constantly counted kids when we went on field trips.

[kashmere]

Yup-- I'm definitely a counter. I also "coach" myself outloud more often than not: "inside leg on around the bend, push into the outside rein, soften inside rein, pick up her shoulder, forward and straight out of the turn, soften!"

I really prefer to ride alone :lol:

[Not So Practical Horse(WO)man]

It's something I've done all my life and don't understand why. Stairs, paces, fence poles, anything repetitive and my brain counts it. It also plays weird word games. I guess I just don't keep it busy enough !

Yup me too. I'll count things under my breath. But when I ride I say it loud. I used to consciously do it because I think that it helps the horse to have a steady even count(similar to the beat of music) so when I was training little ones that were just learning where to put everything and that its not fun for anyone when they charge the lines, it really helped. Guess I just never stopped!

I wonder if anyone would laugh at me in a show??

[KateKat]

definitely a counter and a singer in my head...sometimes under my breath, but mainly in my head :). It definitely helps!

[Mtn trails]

I usually see my distance from three strides out and count down, 3 - 2 - 1 Jump. My horse tunes in and jumps when I say jump. I don't know how or when I started doing this, it just seemed to be the right thing to do.

[PNWjumper]

I count 7 strides before every fence (except, of course, when there ISN'T 7 strides, such as riding the second fence in a < 7 stride line). Doesn't matter if it's around a blind rollback-type corner or on a straight of way, some deep, dark part of my brain recognizes when we're seven strides away every time. If I'm on a slow horse I count up (1 to 7) and if I'm on a strong horse I tend to count backwards (7 to 1). I very rarely make mistakes on the counting, and if I tried to consciously do it I don't think that I could :lol:

[Across Sicily]

I count out loud (1-2) when posting on my gelding. He has a tendency to start rushing and/or pick up the pace slowly enough you might not notice it until you're flying around and this really helps keep us cadenced. He's a sneaky one... never had to do it on any others. :)

[Thomas_1]

I count strides.

I also often just say a word rythmically: So maybe up, up, up or walk, walk, walk.

With having a lot of horses that are driving horses as well as riding horses, they're all voice trained and constantly are listening for me to communicate verbally. So not sure if it's become a bit of a habit from that or if it's just what I do because it seems to make me and the horse feel better!

[equineartworks]

I count, sing and critique myself (not nicely either...I am my own worse enemy).

[Ibex]

LOL - I do the one-two-one-two thing to help even and slow down pace... or else sing Row Row Row Your Boat :cool:

[pinkdiamondracing]

LOL - I do the one-two-one-two thing to help even and slow down pace... or else sing Row Row Row Your Boat :cool:

I second this!!!:yes::yes::yes:

I also count down three strides out--3,2,1,jump. Seems to work well for me.:D

[Flash44]

I count everything all the time, even walking up and down steps.

[Dressage Art]

I count "1-2-3-4-1-2-3-4" trot strides and "ta-ta-DA-ta-ta-DA" counter strides all the time when I ride and I do dressage.

I don't think I cound anything else, money including :lol: bad, bad habit!

[giddybiddy]

I knew a girl who could get the perfect distance to EVERY single jump....

....if she sang the Alphabet while going to the jump! If it was a long approach she'd start over after the letter "M", because that's where the song gets all funky and off-beat. Funny as it was, it worked for her!

I'm a counter too though...I find that when I count my horse's strides under my breath, (especially at a show), it helps me ride a lot more consciously, AKA I really focus on what's happening in the ring, which is hard for me to do. That and it helps me get my strides right!

[AnotherRound]

I always used to count strides to a fence. Didn't matter how many were supposed to be there, I just counted, once I started for it. Out on the trail, ooh, there's a tree down, let's go...one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight-go! Meant nothing, I don't think.

that alphabet thing is funny.

[AnotherRound]

Well, trotting I sing

"Day after day
Alone on a hill
The man with a thousand voices sitting perfectly still
Nobody seems to like him
they know that he's just a fool
they all seem to know him
but the fool on the hill
sees the sun going down
and the eyes in his head
sees the world spinning round..."

then there's a part

"round, round, round, round.."

Just fits with my monotony of posting and trotting round and round, round, round.

Also, when the mare lays her ears back I sing "Mean Mustard Mare sleeps in the park, sheds in the dark...always shouts out something obscene..."

[heatherny2]

Well, I count all the time, especially watching someone else ride, ...2..3..up.
That is because my mom/trainer has done it all my life, and still does in lessons. The only problem is when she is off, and then it's like...2..3...uh 3..up...:lol:

[fordtraktor]

I count to eight for everything, including horses. Note that this is not eight strides out in front of the fence or anything, I just repetitively count to eight. I particularly do it when running and climbing stairs.

I never understood how people can say they do their best thinking while riding/running/whatever. All I seem to be able to do is count to eight, which is not rocket science. It is very soothing and relaxing, though!

[Lambie Boat]

I'm a dressage rider who counts strides in circles, corners, lines. Or every time a certain foot hits the ground or lifts off during a sequence. KM training will do that to a rider

[MrWinston]

Many years ago Mike Henaghan told me to count to four as I was approaching jumps. He said that it wouldn't make sense at first but that eventually I would recognize four strides to the jump. He was right, it gave me a sense of groups of four strides. I went from seeing four strides away from a jump to to eight and even 12 at times. Groups of four strides. It works!