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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →No, you should not kick a horse to make it go. Basic riding instruction asks for a light, clear squeeze from both calves, given with your seat and, for a walk, a quiet voice cue. Once the horse moves, you release the leg pressure. The goal is a cue the horse understands, not pressure that stays on until something happens.
Why the slogan misleads
“Kick them to go” describes a forceful, repeated action. It does not describe how a forward aid is taught. The University of Arkansas Extension horse specialist guidance published on Extension Horses on July 31, 2019 is direct about this: it says to “Always apply the lightest possible cue that will get the horse to respond,” and to “Do not jerk the horse’s mouth or kick the horse’s sides.” (Extension Horses, “Basic Horsemanship Principles”)
Washington State University Extension’s Beginning Horsemanship publication makes the same point from a different angle. It describes going forward through a slight shift of the rider’s body position combined with leg and hand cues, and it cautions against kicking the horse’s sides. (WSU Extension, “Beginning Horsemanship (MM)”)
How a forward aid is built
The Extension Horses article states the core idea plainly: squeezing with both lower legs asks the horse to go forward, with the qualification “If the horse is properly trained.” That qualification matters. The leg squeeze works because the horse has learned what it means. A horse that has not learned it will not respond to a squeeze simply because it is applied.
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For a walk from a standstill, the cited sequence is:
- Establish slight mouth contact. Keep the rein contact light so the horse has a feel of the bit before you ask it to move.
- Squeeze with both calves. Use a squeeze, not a kick.
- Shift your weight slightly forward. The seat movement is part of the cue, not an extra.
- Give the spoken cue “walk.” Pairing the word with the aids helps the horse connect the cue to the movement.
- Release as soon as the horse walks. Let go of the leg pressure, and ease off the slight mouth pressure as well.
Each step is small. The effect comes from the timing and the release, which is where most of the learning happens.
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Why the release matters more than the squeeze
The release is the reward. Extension Horses’ article on reinforcement describes moving away from pressure as “escape reinforcement,” the horse learning that a response ends the pressure. It also warns that delayed reinforcement loses effectiveness, and that negative reinforcement can make a horse panicky. (Extension Horses, “Reinforcement for Horse Learning”)
In practical terms, if you keep the leg on after the horse steps forward, the horse receives no clear signal about which action earned relief. If you kick repeatedly, the pressure is no longer tied to a single, understandable request. Release on the response, immediately, is what makes the cue readable.
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Squeeze-and-release compared with kicking
| Feature | Light squeeze, then release | Repeated or forceful kicking |
|---|---|---|
| Guidance in the cited sources | Apply the lightest possible cue that gets a response (Extension Horses) | Do not kick the horse’s sides (Extension Horses; WSU Extension cautions against it) |
| Signal the horse receives | A calf squeeze with a seat shift, plus the voice cue “walk” for a walk | Not described as a teaching signal in the cited sources |
| Release | Release leg pressure once the horse walks | Not stated in the cited sources |
| Learning mechanism described | Escape reinforcement: the response ends the pressure | Not stated in the cited sources |
| Type of evidence | Basic instructional guidance; not a controlled comparative trial | Basic instructional guidance; not a controlled comparative trial |
The table reflects what the cited guidance says. It does not measure how horses respond to each method.
When the horse does not respond
Basic guidance describes a cue for a horse that has been trained to it. It is not a diagnostic tool. Oklahoma State University Extension recommends stepwise cue training for hand, voice, leg, and body cues, and it describes reinforcing acceptable responses by releasing pressure. (OSU Extension, “Training Horses Safely”)
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If your horse does not respond to a light squeeze, the usual causes to examine are:
- The horse has not yet been trained to the leg cue, so the squeeze has no meaning yet.
- The rider’s balance or timing is unclear, so the horse receives mixed signals.
- Pressure is staying on after a response, so the horse has nothing to learn from the release.
- The situation, such as an unfamiliar place or distraction, is making the horse less responsive.
Escalating force is the wrong fix. Ask a qualified instructor to watch you and the horse together, then build the cue step by step, with the release as the reward.
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What these sources do and do not establish
The Extension Horses principles article is dated July 31, 2019. The WSU and Oklahoma State pages cited here show no publication date in the versions reviewed, so treat them as general instruction rather than the latest edition of any course. None of the sources is a controlled study of cue methods; they are instructional guides from extension specialists, and they agree on the same core practice: a light cue, a clear timing, and a release.
The advice applies to basic riding instruction. It does not replace hands-on coaching for a horse with a training gap, a pain problem, or a history of conflict under pressure.
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