Walk On

Horses are multilingual. They have a very sophisticated language that they use, which is mostly non-verbal. They also have adapted and learned basic human language. They can distinguish the difference between an angry person yelling and an autistic child yelling. Horses can be trained the verbal commands to walk, trot, canter and stop.

“Walk on” is the first command that I will teach a first-time rider. Language is sound. Sound is vibration. The command “walk on” is not so much about the words but the intent of the vibration. For example, if a rider looked down and said the command compared to looking ahead, there will be a different result. The intent of the command is not about walking. It is really this: let’s go over there, together.

The horse translates “walk on” as “this human on my back wants to move together.” If the rider were to make it a full sentence, it would be something like this: let’s move in rhythm and harmony while we go somewhere new.

That is too much to remember and too confusing to a horse and a young rider, so we simplify it to “walk on”.

I have a four-year-old student who says it perfectly. He says it like he is hailing a cab in New York City. It is a command! He also enunciates the words so they are distinct and clear. Most importantly, without thinking, the young rider uses his belly to say “walk” and lets the sound rise to his chest and heart to complete the command with “on”.

Do you see how this is an action command that begins with active vocalization? The horse feels the vibration and responds with lifting a leg and moving forward.

There are many who are not physically able to ride a horse. This is a great way to connect with a horse. Sometimes I will have a student who will tell me they don’t want to ride today. I tell them that they are doing a great job self-advocating and being honest. I give them the option to walk with a horse using a lead line. It is an easy way to build confidence and connection. 

Recently, I had the good fortune to work with Bruno, a beautiful rescue. I gave him massage several days per week to help with physical injuries and trauma. After each session, we would go for a walk. Bruno is a quick learner. He did not know voice commands. After a couple weeks of training, he would respond to minimal asking. Eventually, all I had to do was squeeze the lead rope connected to his halter without a voice command. This is the beauty of working with horses.

Language is vibration. Walk On.