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A
skilled rider controls a horse by means of various signals; these are
called aids. In Western terms, they are called cues. The natural aids
are signals transmitted to the horse by the rider’s legs, hands, and
voice and by the shifting of the body weight in the saddle. Natural aids
are often supplemented by spurs and whips, which are used to reinforce
learning, not to punish the horse. To
make a horse move forward, the rider squeezes their legs against the
sides of the mount. Increasing pressure as well as voice commands are
used to quicken the horse’s pace. The horse is slowed, stopped, and
made to back up by backward pressure on the reins.
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