I recently read a wonderful book I couldn’t put down and that has stayed with me since turning the last page. As I often do when I’ve finished a book I loved (or one I hated), I go online and read reviews to see if people agree with me and if they don’t, why. Most reviewers raved about this book and felt the same as I did. There were a few one-star reviews, however, and I read those with curiosity. How could someone not like this awesome book?
One reviewer who gave one star stated they were annoyed by the main character constantly shouting, “Gee, gee,” at the mule she rode, calling the word gibberish. This was apparently enough for the reviewer to bash the book. I was shocked. As someone who’s owned mules, I know that ‘gee’ is a vocal command for equine, most frequently draft horses and mules, meaning turn right, and ‘haw’ means turn left. The main character in the book wasn’t shouting gibberish at her mule but rather instructing it.
Me being me, I decided to do a little research on vocal commands for equine. Turns out, horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules are quite smart and can learn a number of commands, including recognizing their name and coming when called. They aren’t the only ones. Bovine, such as cows and oxen, are also capable of learning commands. Goats, too. Pigs are incredibly smart. I once had a pot-bellied pig named Queenie who knew how to sit, stay, come, lie down, and followed me around like a dog.
So, what are the most common vocal commands? Because, you know, you can teach your horse or oxen or goat any command you want. But here are the ones people tend to use:
Whoa: Stop
Clucking: Go or move up a gait
Kissing noise: Go or move up a gait
Move out: Go
Step Lively: Pick up the pace
Walk: Walk
Trot: Trot
Canter: Canter
Gallop: Gallop
Easy: Slow and steady
Stand: Remain standing
Wait: Stay put
Back: Back up
Gee: Turn right
Haw: Turn left
Over: Move sideways or sidestep
Quit: Stop whatever you’re doing
Most horses are taught vocal commands on lunge line in or out of a round pen. Draft equine, oxen, and goats will more likely be trained by walking behind with a set of long reins. Just like teaching a dog, livestock learn well with the reward system. A treat and/or fond petting for a job well done.
What does all this mean? Well, for one, the saying, “Dumb as an ox,” is probably wrong. Seems oxen are kinda smart. Stubborn as a mule, however? That one is one hundred percent true. If a mule doesn’t respond to voice commands, it’s not because he doesn’t understand or is dumb. He’s just refusing!
Cathy McDavid has been penning Westerns for Harlequin since 2005. With over 55 titles in print and 1.6 million-plus books sold, Cathy is also a member of the prestigious Romance Writers of America’s Honor Roll. This “almost” Arizona native and mother of grown twins is married to her own real-life sweetheart. After leaving the corporate world seven years ago, she now spends her days penning stories about good looking cowboys riding the range, busting broncs, and sweeping gals off their feet — oops, no. Make that winning the hearts of feisty, independent women who give the cowboys a run for their money. It a tough job, but she’s willing to make the sacrifice.
Very interesting! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Hi Sabrina. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
I’ve been trying to teach my goats “Quit” for ages but it hasn’t worked yet!
Goats have a mind of their own for sure!
love the pic of the boy and the goat. One work commands are the best. I have seen people talk in full sentence and expect to get results, but the horse just looks confused. Don’t get me wrong I talk to my horse, but not to give a command. Keep up the good work.
You are right, Maria. One word commands are best. Two at most. And I talk to my animals, too 🙂
Yes the animals are very smart even our llamas use voice commands to get them to move (walk on) or stand!
Llamas. I hadn’t thought of them. Very cool!
this is a wonderful post. thanks for sharing. while living on the farm, we used a lot of these voice commands. and yes they really do work. so many animals are smarter than the average person gives them credit for.
Thanks for your kind words, Lori.
Some animals are smart and then some might need a better teacher than their owner! LOL I also grew up on a farm and we also used some of these vocal voices.
And as far as the annoying viewer goes, I’m sure there are many like them. My motto has always been if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. They would probably say that phrase is gibberish too! LOL
Thanks for dropping by Cathy!
Hi Tracy. I agree with you about some owners not being the best teachers 🙂
How interesting! I really wonder about some of the people who leave one star reviews. Why did they bother reading the whole book if that’s truly the way they feel? Honestly, they make me think that they’re the type that has to always complain about something to be happy, and they really aren’t happy at all.
You make a very good point, Trudy. I’m the kind of person who, when they come across an unfamiliar word in a book, I look it up. And I certainly wouldn’t trash a book based solely on the author’s use of a single word.
Cathy, I also look up words that aren’t familiar to me. That only makes sense. I wouldn’t put a one star rating up for that. I think it’s better not to leave a star rating than leave a one star rating.
When I was a kid, we went to a living history museum for a field trip. We made a gee haw toy, and the reenactor taught us about the horse commands, and that we could make the spinner go either gee or haw by the direction we use the small dowel over the ridges on the large dowel of the toy with the spinner on the end.
I knew some of the commands you shared. I wasn’t raised around equine, but my grandpa often had a horse or mule for farming–he really used an old-fashioned hand plow–and I remember him using commands.
What a great memory, Denise. Thanks for sharing. I love it!
Thank you, Cathy, for you insight into the animal kingdom and their capabilities. I have grown up on a farm with cows, pigs, chickens, sheep and horses. We never took one on as a pet. I guess I just was never interested since we did have dogs mostly. Also, my interests were elsewhere as a young girl growing and eagerly wanting to follow in the footsteps of my sister, who was 2 years my senior. It is HARD to be younger and not get to do what she did. Anyway, we are talking animals here! Each farm animal had a purpose and we adhered to that as we never named any of our animals, hence no pets here, even if they were brought into the house during a particular time in their first days. I just remember the lovely smell of animals inside. Well, being on a farm 24/7 you need to get used to that.
Another wonderful memory. Thanks, Judy. My grandpa also grew up on a working farm, and he talked about never treating any of the animals as pets. Me, I’d get too attached. They’d all have names.
Not being raised on a farm or around farm animals, I had no idea of all the commands used with them. It makes sense that one-word commands are the best. They are easier to understand without confusion.
I know, it’s really neat. I’d love to see trained oxen.
When I volunteered at an equestrian therapy center, I learned that the horses there were trained to respond to the reins as well as voice commands because of the noise level that was sometimes present. What amazing smart animals they are! I think animals are much more intelligent than we give them credit for.
Much more intelligent and much more preceptive and sensitive. They are amazing creatures 🙂
Good morning, thank you so much for sharing this, I enjoyed and learned some things from reading it. Animals are very smart and they also have feelings. Alot of them are way smarter than people think and these animals Gods little creatures were put on earth to help us and to bring us joy. Have a great weekend.
I’m completely agree with you, Alicia. Animals bring so much joy. My little bundle of joy is sitting beside me right now 😉
When my wife and I got our first cats (a brother and sister), she came home one day and I told her I had taught the kittens to go to the back of the house on command. She did not believe it was possible. I then look at Nicholas and Alexandra and said, “Pish-Posh,” and they went to the back of the house where we could shut the door and keep them from getting out of the house when we had to leave. I had cats when I was growing up and knew how they can be trained to do acts; of course, sometimes they know what is wanted, but do not want to do it. A recent study showed they know when they are being spoken to, but will ignore the person if they feel like it. 🙂 My favorite commercial was one where they were herding cats.
That’s a great story, David. Pish-Posh, I love it!
I wanted something that would not be used much in the US; of course, sometimes a British film would use the phrase and the cats would go to the back of the house. I would shut the door for a bit so as not to confuse them.
Thank you for an interesting post. Most animals are really much smarter than we give them credit for.
I’m couldn’t agree more, Patricia.