Aids vs cues
It’s a constant preoccupation for the rider: how do I get the horse to go where I’d like to go, at the speed I’d like, and to stop when I’d like to stop?
For some trainers these aims are achieved by training ‘cues’. A cue is a signal- “when I say ‘salmon’ you put your left hand on your head.” By giving you a positive experience when you guess correctly, and some form of negative experience when you guess wrong, I can train you to consistently put your left hand on your head at the word ‘salmon’. In the same way, by using positive and/or negative reinforcement we can get horses to do things. Kicking them to get them to move, using spurs or whip to demand a response are negative reinforcements, while giving treats or praise, or removing ourselves from the saddle and letting them go back to the herd are used as a positive.
An aid is different.
An aid is a request that is so inherently compelling that the horse responds out of his or her own native curiosity and desire to be in unity with others.
