# Clucking and Kissing



## KLJcowgirl (Oct 13, 2015)

My husband asks me this whenever he rides because he can't really cluck and he thinks it's stupid he has to use it, I just tell him because that's how it's done, but I honestly have no idea WHY. I'd be interested to hear what others have to say.


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## Yogiwick (Sep 30, 2013)

I have never heard of that.

I think people get overly excited...lol

The universal trot cue is a squeeze with both legs, the canter cue is setting the horse up then a nudge with the outside heel. Anything else is incorrect.

I DO "kiss" with my green mare to canter but it is more of a "now" signal, and definitely not intended to be a real signal (I am also doing physical aids as well). When she's a little more comfortable with it I will stop "kissing".

Of course people can train their horse however they want, but that's not the same as "right" or "universal".


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## kewpalace (Jul 17, 2013)

xTension said:


> I was wondering why is the "universal" signal for a trot and canter is clucking and kissing, respectively?


I have never used them as a cue for trotting or loping. The group I hang around use clucking and kissing for different things. There is no universal or consistent use for either. One trainer I went to uses clucking for spins. My mare responded really well to that so I use it for that. I also use it as a cue to "keep going"; some people I know also use it for that. Kissing I usually use for "faster" in the lope; others I know use the cluck for that purpose.


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## cbar (Nov 27, 2015)

I do use verbal cues for my horse to trot & canter...but this is something I've taken from when I was training him on the lunge line. Although...he does know the word 'trot' & the word 'canter'. The clucking & kissing noises come after along with the swing of the lunge whip if he doesn't listen the first time I ask. 

Guess that sort of transitioned into saddle...but I don't rely on them solely when asking for a transition. In lessons I just rely on my leg, seat & hand aids and no voice cues. 

Everyone is different.....whatever works is worth repeating I suppose. I don't think they are considered 'universal' though.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

The kissing/smooching noise isn't universal. I never even heard of it until I came to the US and even then it seems more common in western riding circles than in European/English riding
The clucking/clicking is a sort of verbal cue that gets used alongside a lunge whip to ask for forward movement and then alongside leg cues when you transition from ground to saddle if you don't use 'words' like walk, trot etc
I personally don't like to hear riders clicking and clucking at horses once they're out of that early training stage


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## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

IME, yes. I've always used noise (click/kiss) for forward movements and words for downward transitions (walk, trot). Of course my horse knows leg/rein/seat quest too, but I like using my voice so it's extra clear what I'm asking. And the conversation is just between us, and QUICK, can't stand obnoxious cluckers and kissers!!


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I wouldn't say it's universal but it is certainly used by many! I don't do the "kissing" sound but I hear tons of people using it. I do cluck though. And I say the word.... 

My oldest horse Pistol and I got so good at reading each other that I only had to think about what I wanted and we did it. I am almost to that point with my 10 year old Riley now. I still will sometimes say the word. (I always give the correct body signals)....

I think it's just a thing we humans do.


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

Quite honestly, that was just how I was taught, didn't matter to me at the time, seems to work so there we go.

Yes, it's more a western thing than an english thing, but to be fair - I think "Tee-Rot!" and "CAN-ter!" is ridiculous, so the english riders and I who share the same barn tend to razz each other about it a little. lol. 

It's just easy for me, it's an easy noise to hide from judges when I'm showing, and since I use legs for so many different things....The vocal cue helps.

For example, not always when I apply outside leg to the hip do I want to lope off. Sometimes I just want to move the hip over. Not always when I squeeze with both legs do I want a trot, for me, squeezing also means either to round up, or drop the head lower. Now, if I do either of those things and pair it with the cluck/kiss, THAT means trot or lope.

As a general rule too, it's acceleration more than anything. I also use the cluck and kiss in the spin. I cluck in rhythm with the outside front foot to establish cadence, and when I want some real speed, I'll kiss in one long continuous smooch. (Don't ask me why, I think I just started doing that because once you get faster, it's too hard to cluck in time with the front leg. So has to be just general laziness on my part.)

Regardless, my horses understand it, I like to think of it as a gear shift. Legs are the clutch, and the cluck is second gear, kiss is third gear, and if I want any real speed I'll push in the clutch again and continue to kiss.


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## Jan1975 (Sep 7, 2015)

Two different trainers (not connected to each other) that I know use kissing for canter & clucking for trot. I don't think it matters what you do as long as your horse knows & responds.


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## Prairie (May 13, 2016)

Back in the late 1950's when I took lessons at a hunter/jumper barn, we were taught to cluck for a trot and kiss for canter. I'm not sure where or why this started but I've heard others kiss and cluck in the show ring across the US so it's not just a regional or discipline specific noise.


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## LlamaPacker (Aug 29, 2016)

Wow! This is amazing to know what all these different things are supposed to mean, along with the leg signals. Guess will be learning those soon with the 4H girl. Have never kissed to make anything happen, but have just automatically assumed clicking sounds mean to go forward and more of them stronger would mean to go faster. See now that isn't the case, so will have to try more clear signals with pony and mule; be interesting if they know these things and have been looking at me in wonder when lunging due to my not giving the "correct" signals.

I was wondering how the click would be differentiated for the marker-type training, as I also give them a click when giving them a treat so can perhaps use that as done in dog training. Have read that is the most effective way to train all kinds of animals at Sea World, for movies, etc., but it might take better timing and more patience than I have. At this point, just happy to have managed to get such nice fairly respectful equines, as hadn't realized before reading here on Horseforum that some people require horses to stay 15' back. Since reading, have been trying to be sure mine stay at least a foot or two back ... but they're so lovable. 

Did notice on our last pack trip that when I said "HO", instead of "WHOA", the little mule seemed to stop quickly and wait better, so maybe will contact the outfitter packer two owners before me (was lucky to have just one very short owner in between us) and see if there are other sounds or cues he used that I should know about. Such as for picking up her feet, with which we had quite a problem on the back feet when she first came. He told me use a rope, so now after 6 months have her picking it up and holding it without the rope and no kicking (farrier much happier), but maybe it's partly because I'm using the wrong cue word, too, as she's clearly a smart little animal and wants to please. Very interesting.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Jan1975 said:


> Two different trainers (not connected to each other) that I know use kissing for canter & clucking for trot. I don't think it matters what you do as long as your horse knows & responds.


This. 

It's a common way to train horses around here. I bought a mare four months ago and the first time I made the kissing noise, she cantered. Makes it easy when you're speaking the same language. I don't know why people object to it, it's a signal just like any other. I don't do it loudly, just enough for my horse to hear, and she's never responded to someone other than her rider doing it so it's not an issue in a group either. I accompany the noise with the appropriate leg and seat cue, but for some reason, she really response to the clicking and kissing and does so much faster than if I just use other cues.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

I rarely use the "kissing or clucking" with my horses, in fact I learned the hard way when showing in my first Quarter Horse Show(1960"s) that I should teach my horse to ignore those signals as a rider beside me was kissing and his horse did nothing but it threw my horse off stride and I realized this was done on purpose to affect other horses. I taught my horses to ignore those signals and also when riding in a group with others who use them.

when starting with green horses, I use trot and canter as they already are familiar with those signals from longe/ground work then gradually shift over to seat, leg aides.
Even when showing if I think I need to I will use verbal signals but have perfected it so I don't move my lips and speak very quietly so only the horse hears me. Some shows you are marked down for verbal cues.
At a show I was riding a green horse and he was very bad for anticipating and he knew if I spoke out loud, one two, one two, that meant only trot and I knew he would anticipate the canter so I spoke my one two very quietly and he relaxed thinking only trot and then when I asked for the canter he stepped into it nicely. I did fool him at that point but we got what we wanted, this would only work rarely so should not do it often.

I guess in the end it's whatever works for you and your horse.


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## Captain Evil (Apr 18, 2012)

I always thought it was used because it is so different from other spoken sounds humans or horses use. It is pretty hard to mishear the sound. 

Perhaps back in the old West, when it seems like horses were ridden by lots of different people and people rode lots of different horses it just became a commonly used signal that lots of people and lots of horses knew. Perhaps.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

My guess is at one time there was a big trainer that did it that way and people have mimicked over the years until it became a thing....


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## Jan1975 (Sep 7, 2015)

Woodhaven said:


> I rarely use the "kissing or clucking" with my horses, in fact I learned the hard way when showing in my first Quarter Horse Show(1960"s) that I should teach my horse to ignore those signals as a rider beside me was kissing and his horse did nothing but it threw my horse off stride and I realized this was done on purpose to affect other horses.


My horse doesn't listen to other riders, but he HAS learned to listen to the instructor during our lessons! Especially when he picks up the wrong lead and she yells, "No!" :lol:


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

I cluck meaning "more movement" and kiss for canter, but I'm trying to retrain myself away from using them so much. It's been challenging though because somehow those noises seems to very very ingrained in who I am! :lol: 
My gelding is so used to it that he won't lift his hooves unless you cluck at him while touching his leg. I literally never consciously cluck at him to lift his feet, but I must do it because lifting those hooves without clucking is next to impossible. :lol: There have been a few times where his bodyworker has wanted to lift his feet and he's given her a reallly hard time about it, until she tries clucking - then he lifts them like a charm. :rofl:


Another plus to clucking is that, interestingly, most young human babies seem to find it absolutely fascinating. I work in childcare and 9 times out of 10, I can sooth an inconsolable infant by clucking at them. It's weird, but it works! haha


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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

The point you bring up about babies Emily is also true for dogs.

When I am competing with my dog, when I make a turn I kiss to him quietly so the judge can't hear. He picks up his pace to round the turn and stay in the heel position. Also, since he is supposed to heel with the head up, if he drops his head I'll cluck or kiss quietly to try and regain his focus without the judge seeing. It's hard but I do think a lot of it has to do with the fact that it is easy to gain attention and to hear the noise.


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## paintedpastures (Jun 21, 2011)

I use in combination with other aids the kissing & clucking also use verbal trot canter commands. I have also been known to use the kiss/cluck to people or other animals who I think are going to slow:wink::lol::lol: horses respond better to it....


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## jgnmoose (May 27, 2015)

Very interesting thread. 

I have never treated "cluck" and "kiss" as meaning anything different. If anything it means go faster, or maintain your gait if the horse seems like they want to break to a slower gait.

The cue itself as I was taught is what you do with your legs, or hip and leg. 

I don't think the horses care or know intuitively what it means. Interesting that there is not really any consensus out there on what it means either.


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## Change (Jul 19, 2014)

Okay. I'm a weirdo. I chuck-chuck or click-click to call my horses. It seems to be a sound that travels well as they can be across the field and will perk their ears when I do it. When riding, I almost never 'kiss.' I might chuck-chuck occasionally, but that's more a 'move your feet' sort of noise, asking them to step up a bit. I find if I do use verbal cues, they tend to be more the terms drivers would use. 'Walk on,' 'Step Up' and 'Hup' are a few I find myself using quite often.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

I ride English & I kiss for the most part. Sometimes I can just use my seat, but it's a habit to 'kiss'. As for clucking, well, once in awhile...or should I say clicking sounds? LOL


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## Chasin Ponies (Dec 25, 2013)

Although I never heard of the differences between clucking and kissing growing up an English rider, I sure found out when I moved to an area that is almost exclusively Western! In that world Cluck always means trot and Kiss always means canter. 


Helps out enormously to accent lunging cues and I have had my beginning students use those cues when they don't have any leg strength yet and are riding a seasoned/somewhat sour lesson horse.


In everything we do with horses, we are attempting to communicate with a non-human in a way they can understand. It's just one more way of doing it.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I kiss for everything. just a kissin' fool.


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