There are a wide variety of cues. When most people think of cues, they think of using their legs to squeeze the horse, to turn left or right, things like that. But that's just the beginning.
Basically, cues CAN be anything you choose, and they don't have to be pre-designated by someone else. If I tell you that I cue my horse this way to stop, you don't have to use that same cue. You could choose whatever type of cue you deem to be fitting. But the thing to keep in mind is that if you ever plan on even the possibility of selling your horse, or having someone else ride him, it really is best to teach him universal cues. For instance, if you train your horse using your own special cues, then some poor soul gets on board your horse, they're probably not going to be able to get your horse to do anything for them. On top of that, if you ride other peoples' horses you may forget which cues are which and confuse the horse (as well as yourself). So, in essence, I'm saying it's better for everyone that we stick to universal cues that everyone knows.
Cues are simply a way for the rider to ask their horse to do something without having to yank them around with their hands, or use other unrealistic means to do the same thing. The basic definition of a cue is teaching your horse to move away from pressure. That's it.
So that's why, when you want your horse to turn left, you squeeze with your right leg. In your horse's mind, that should mean, 'Pressure on my right side, so I move to the left.' It's the same no matter what you're doing, whether it's teaching your horse to spin, sidepass, run, or stop. Before long, when you cue your horse in any way, he should be able to respond correctly to your cue and he becomes a well-trained horse!
Of course, with different horses the amount of time it takes to teach them how cues work and how they should respond will differ. Some horses learn it more quickly than others. But, like with everything else, have patience and continue to teach your horse the things you know to be correct. He may take longer to learn these things, but if you have patience and remain persistent, he'll eventually understand and grow from there.
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