Why Aids are called “Aids” and not Cues or Commands

When we ride, we use the term “aids” a lot to describe the ways we communicate with the horse. We have leg aids, rein aids, seat aids, and “unnatural” aids like voice (debated whether that’s natural or unnatural), whip, spur, etc. But why do we use the term “aids” instead of “cues” or “commands?”

I haven’t delved deeply into the precise etymology of this, but this is how I like to think of it.

We call them “aids” because they assist the horse into the movement, not tell the horse what to do. Sure, that line of distinction is a bit blurred at times, but aids are still basically “assists” and not commands. Most of the natural aids, like the leg, seat, and rein, don’t necessarily require a lot of teaching the horse to respond; they generally work on biomechanical principles. Squeezing the leg can cause that side’s muscles to contract and therefore bring the hind leg forward and up, which coincides with the driving aids. Positioning the seat and shifting weight is somewhat like adjusting valves with water; it opens or closes the pathway that we want the horse to go (or not go). Even the rein has a biomechanical response to the pressure or to the release of pressure on the tongue and jaw. Even if we use the spur, it has a specific biomechanical response (and this is why it is reserved for riders with balanced, controlled, and supple seats only!), and the whip too can be used in a way that works with the horse’s mechanics.

Cues or commands, however, have to be taught through operant conditioning. This is more like training a dog to sit when we give them the word. That doesn’t make it a bad thing! Cues can be very useful with horses, such as voice cues on the longe. These can be used for educating a less experienced rider by allowing them to be passive and just feel how a movement should go. This lets them develop the aids by copying what happens in their body when the horse does the desired behavior, like in transitioning between the gaits. In driving, we use a lot of voice cues to steer, stop, and drive the horse forward, as we have fewer options at our disposal. The use of the whip, too, sometimes requires teaching and can become more of a cue than an aid, such as pointing the longe whip at the shoulder to push the horse out or pointing it at the haunches to encourage it to go more forward. Again, this is where the distinction between the two is a bit blurred; that is based on natural body language, but it also usually requires some education.

Now, this is not to say that aids may not require some operant conditioning; they sometimes do, especially when retraining a horse. Some of what could be considered more “cues” can also be very natural for the horse to respond to, such as soothing tones to calm a horse down or clucking to rev them up.

Generally, however, I like to view aids as being assists to help the horse into a movement. Reframing that thought process I find helps riders approach what they do with a more experimental and curious attitude as opposed to attempting to just “push buttons” to get a horse to do something. It also develops that quiet, invisible communication much more quickly and puts it within reach for riders who have been frustrated by past learning attempts.

This framework of thinking is also why overly restrictive “gadgets” are useless; while they only allow the horse to do one thing or another, they don’t assist the horse to do what is requested. Restricting undesired positions only erases free will and experimental learning; making more room for desired movements and positions while making it harder to do the undesirable allows free will for the horse to choose what is wanted. While free will of a horse can be intimidating to many riders, isn’t it better to have a horse that chooses to work with us than one that only does so because the alternative is negative? Such a horse is much more trustworthy and content as a partner, as has been proven time and again over since Xenophon’s writings (and perhaps earlier, as he quotes Simon of Athens as having similar philosophies, but those writings have been lost).

So on your next ride, think about reframing your thinking as you use the aids, and see what happens. It may be the small but vital change you and your horse have needed.

-Emily Wright

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