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Post by cadeby on Nov 9, 2013 20:10:27 GMT -1
There's a quiz doing the rounds on facebook at the moment called the North-O-Meter which determines how "northern" you are. It's just a bit of harmless fun, but the results do highlight the fact that there are clear regional differences between people who live in the north or the south of the UK. This got me thinking about the verbal commands used to drive horses. I was taught to drive by an old ploughman who was born and raised in Yorkshire but spent most of his working life with Shires, Suffolks and Percherons in Lincolnshire. He taught me to use the commands "come round" and "go wish" to turn left and right, "walk on" to advance from halt to walk, "trot on" to advance from walk to trot and "get on" or "gerrup" for an increase of speed within any pace. I never thought to ask my mentor where these commands hail from, and like many of the old and knowledgeable horsemen, it is now too late to ask  I'd be interested to know if these are northern commands or from the eastern counties? I used "come round" and "go wish" with my Percheron mare Cadeby who came from Vaux Brewery in Sunderland and she certainly understood them, so I suspect they are northern terms??? I've also heard "come by" and "gee over" being used at ploughing matches in the Midlands and something totally indiscernible in the south-west, although it was a very naughty pair of horses so might have been swearing in Cornish  An english friend in France who is a classically-trained carriage-driver, is horrified that I use "walk on" to go from a standstill into walk. She was taught to say "walk" to move off from a standstill, and save "walk on" only to ask for an increase of pace in walk. She sounds so much posher than me I'd love to hear what other folk use to drive their horses and what part of the UK their words originate from. I've heard the Amish use "gee" and "haw", and I think these are fairly standard american commands? |
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Post by harveydales on Nov 10, 2013 6:23:39 GMT -1
This is an interesting thread. I don't drive so can't answer these questions but I've watched ploughing matches round here in Lincolnshire, and have certainly heard the "go wish" and "come round" commands.
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Post by carolinec on Nov 10, 2013 8:17:20 GMT -1
I was born in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire and lived in Leeds until we moved to North Wales 10 years ago. I use "walk on" to ask Pip to go from a standstill to a walk but don't use any commands for left or right (I've never heard of "go wish"). "gerrup" just means "go faster" so you can use that for any increase in pace I'd imagine. I also use "wo-ho" in a sing-song voice to ask Pip to move down a pace and eventually stop. I would imagine we've all got our own methods  |
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Post by tinkerdorisalison on Nov 10, 2013 11:21:22 GMT -1
Well, my dad has tried to teach me these commands - he uses Come Round for right and Come Over for Left, I ususally say the wrong one - so Tinker also knows Left and Right! 'Walk on' for halt to walk, Trot On for walk to trot 'Eeaasy' for slow down in any pace. Whoa of course for stop! West Yorkshire. Doris was taught that funny little chirruping sound by Karen Bassett when she was broken to drive. I can't do it so have never used it`  |
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Post by harleydales on Nov 10, 2013 12:03:20 GMT -1
Come By is used with working collies to flank out to the left of the sheep, and Way To Me or Way Wide to flank to the right - could be the same origins?
I've always gone for And....wa-alk, And...ter-ot etc - the And.... prepares them that a comand is coming. To me though, walk on and trot on are just variants on the same thing. Gerrup or Get On - yep, I use both for inspiring movement or confidence! Never got to cantering in shafts yet! To slow down - steady, whoa, or the same And...w-alk, but in a lower tone, and And....stand to stop and not move.
When driving I use the name, then the and.... command (ie Harley, and.... ter-ot), and for turning I use the reins and a touch of the whip, and 'over'.
I've just started a wee pony in harness, we're learning about long reining. She wants to be with me, so I let her walk out with lots of encouragement and w-alk, w-alk, w-alk etc and as she gets more confident let the reins out until she's in front and keep going with the w-alk, w-alk to keep her confidence up. She doesn't need encouragement to go forward once she works it out, but a get ON if she gets nervous seems to give her the confidence to go forward.
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Post by heathera on Nov 11, 2013 10:40:07 GMT -1
I found that three different driving people within a 30 mile radius of each other all used different verbal commands so Rose and I went with what worked best for us.
For faster I use the ponies name and then the command, so. "Rose trot on" etc. For slower I put the word 'and' and then the word for what I want, so if in trot I say, "aaaaand waaaalk".
If I want her to curve left or curve right I say, "Rose left" or, "Rose right". If I want a pivoting turn, in a tight lane for example, I use "Rose right" to position the bend the way I want it then quickly move to "Rose round".
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Post by cassey1988 on Nov 11, 2013 12:52:53 GMT -1
I don't know anything about driving commands, but I just love Go Wish :-)
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Post by Debbie on Nov 12, 2013 1:05:52 GMT -1
I've never driven a pony (and no, I don't count Oliver as me driving because bless his soul, I know his ears and heart were riveted to his owner sitting beside me  ) BUT ages ago, I taught my Irish Setter to pull a cart and we did use the terms "Gee" and "Haw" for left and right. They were the same terms used by the mushers in Alaska. I didn't realize the Amish use the same terms, but it does make sense. What a fascinating subject 
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Post by valerie n scout on Nov 12, 2013 8:27:59 GMT -1
Totally off topic Helen! I probably met your cadeby I used to go to vaux a lot to pet the horses they were stunning, I would simply go for a cuddle, the men used to put up with a lot and they never kicked me out x happy times xxx  |
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Post by cadeby on Nov 16, 2013 8:46:02 GMT -1
It seems like there's lots of variation but all roughly based on the same theme. Had to laugh at Tinker using "left" and "right". I've seen a few people learning to drive with those "aids" written on the back of their hands with a marker pen Interesting about the sheep dog commands to. I suspect all of the old terminology will have the same origins. Valerie - I can just imagine you scampering about at Vaux Brewery as a child. Cadeby was called Spring when she was at Vaux. Her registered name was Kitts Silver Gemini. She was their tallest Percheron at 18.2hh and would have been dark iron grey when she first arrived, gradually turning to a beautiful dapple-grey with a dark pewter mane. She was a stunner! She went to Vaux as a rising 4 year, so that would have been 1993, and she stayed there until they closed the depot and stopped doing horse-drawn delivery of beer to the pubs. She was my first horse and I landed my "horse of a lifetime" at the first go |
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Post by dalesnfellfan on Nov 16, 2013 11:56:34 GMT -1
Gosh 18.2hh as a first horse! I struggle to get on 14hh and even when young I don't think I could have managed to get on an 18.2hh horse, that's huge.
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Post by cadeby on Nov 16, 2013 20:27:45 GMT -1
Gosh 18.2hh as a first horse! I struggle to get on 14hh and even when young I don't think I could have managed to get on an 18.2hh horse, that's huge. I bought her principally for driving, to be used in a friend's horse-drawn carriage business with his Shires, and my interest then was in Heavy Horses soI never thought of her as big I used to hack her out to keep her fit, but could not get on from the ground, so I had a few long walks home if I couldn't find a fence or gate to climb on! Now I have Dales, I look at her 17.1HH daughter who belongs to my husband, and think she's huge I can't get on her from the ground either! |
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Post by Debbie on Nov 19, 2013 12:38:29 GMT -1
Interesting about the sheep dog commands to. I suspect all of the old terminology will have the same origins. Sled dog commands, actually. I wouldn't know sheepherding commands if they jumped up and kissed me Gee Haw, Whoa and Mush! were the commands I was taught for sledding/cart pulling. What a horse to have as your horse of a lifetime/first horse everything must seem easier care wise after her, from shoeing to pooh picking. I love her posh name! |
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Post by merlinalison on Apr 5, 2014 7:56:10 GMT -1
This is fascinating! I've never driven but Merlin was used for logging (looseheaded)by an old man in Midlothian
before I had him. He used Gee and Haw for left and right and walk on for walk plus whoa for stop. (Didn't go any faster logging :-))
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2014 21:28:41 GMT -1
Hi, I have just joined Dalesfans and was interested in what you had to say re: commands, my father in law was one of the "old horsemen" starting work @ 14 and expected to do a mans job, he taught my husband all about the old ways and said that the commands to turn a horse are "gee back" for right and "harve up" for left, this is the North Yorkshire Moors commands and we still use them for our horses :-)
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) BUT ages ago, I taught my Irish Setter to pull a cart and we did use the terms "Gee" and "Haw" for left and right. They were the same terms used by the mushers in Alaska. I didn't realize the Amish use the same terms, but it does make sense. 
