How many of you school in spurs?

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i ride in blunt spurs for schooling, and spurs with rowels for competing.

I use them as i want my horses to be quick off my leg, and id much prefer to give one quick reminder with the spur, than to be constantly nagging with my leg like so many riders do.
 
Don't need them. BUT Former Instructor is absolutely adamant that all horses need to be ridden in spurs at all times!
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I don't because I don't trust myself to have a still enough leg. I was writing for a dressage judge a couple of weeks ago and was horrified to see how many people were kicking at their horse with their spurs all the way round or just had wobbly legs that flapped the spurs into the horses sides.

I think that they have their place at higher levels but far too many novice riders use them as an excuse without thinking about how to get their horse moving effectively from the leg.
 
No I dont as my lower leg is not stable enough to - wouldnt be fair on my mare. I would sooner carry a schooling whip to back up my leg aid if necessary - much more easier.

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I use them on my horse, he is so much better with them, but i only use them when theyre needed, I can use my leg without using my spurs. I hate seeing people riding in them because they cant use their leg effectively, and using them wrongly dragging their heels up the side of the horse.
 
Do for 2/3 the other i only use them for jumping. But agree with comment about secure leg position, have seen afew horses with marks from them, or worse.
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I do for lessons but not too often when schooling at home. She does need them but marks very easily even with blunt spurs and I would say my leg position is reasonably secure.
 
I try not to rely on them, always use them at show. I used them for my dressage lesson the other day and she was so much more forward, roounder and off the floor. Mind you this was whilst in the bungee rein, as soon as this was removed she tunred in to horse from hell lol
 
I need them for the flat work but not for jumping !! I use little blunt ones at home and slightly larger ones for competing !!

my mare though she is very sharp i do ride her in them - my legs are very short and just helps that i dont look like apony clubber sometimes !!

also my youngster hates a schooling whip the only time i tried to use one he nearly bronked me off till i dropped it so decided against that opeiton
 
I don't use them on babies but once the horse's scholling is established at Novice level and more lateral work is being done I always school in them as it much clearer and easier for the horse.
 
I don't school in them as i ride a lot from the leg and i'm not confident that my lower leg is strong enough to use without using the spur. I have however starte using them for jumping and love them for this. He has never been a problem with stopping or anything else like that but i always feel i'm less nagging with the legs and get a much more uphill, bouncy approach.
 
I don't use them, but Cookie's owner does. I have a pretty poor lower leg position if I'm honest, and would be constantly jabbing him if I wore spurs. Plus, I find I can get him sharp off my leg with lots of transitions and would rather work around it like that than resort to using aids such as spurs. I have a schooling whip on me at all times when riding Cooks though, and the combination of transitions, leg aids and whip do more effectively for me what a set of spurs would.
If my instructor asked me to ride in some and supervised me while I was wearing them for the first time (I've only ridden in spurs once before) then I would be happy to do so as I trust her judgement.
 
I would say 8/10 times I school Baron in them. I like to keep my leg as still as possible and get a response as quick as possible. If im on a fast responsive horse I wont wear them though.

I always compete in them
 
No I wouldn't dream of schooling any of my horses with spurs, however I do compete occasionally in them depending on which horse I am riding.
 
I'm lucky that I have a very responsive TB mare so don't need them. Interestingly my friend has a better breaks with her horse if she wears spurs while jumping.
 
Only just started to use them. Have been schooling my mare without for 4 years but i decided as we moved up a level to try out tiny dummy ones for that little extra. That was the day she won both her dressage classes. Tempting as it is now i wont school in them at home just when i need that tiny bit extra at a show.
 
With Paris I almost always did as she was very dead to the leg, and worked much better in spurs. Never did on any of my others though.
 
I almost always school in spurs. My horse is inclined to be slightly backwards in going forwards so rather than get tense through having to use lots of leg, and spoil my position, I use spurs when I need to and wear them all the time. Also found that using longer ones was much better for a while to get him used to going forwards and improving his way of going so that now I only need short ones to remind him now and then if he's had a hard day in the field lol!
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I always wear them to school in. I also wear them jumping and sometimes hacking if I feel I am going to asking for a bit of work out on the hack (ie bending, loops, leg yielding where appropriate).

However, I hardly ever actually USE them. They are attached to my boot (obviously!) but I normally ride from my calfs anyway, and I think I have a pretty good command of my lower leg. I will tilt the spur into use if I need to but they are really just there as a back up rather than in constant use.
 
I use the Impulse spurs and really rate them- I'd have been cautious of using spurs regularly before, but with these, I feel happier. I fnid my horse ignores a schooling whip a bit - he just swishes his tail and carries on: with the spurs I get proper forward movement.
 
Always school and jump my 13yo horse as he is v. lazy don't hack him in them though. Ideally i would like him to be more off the leg without spurs so when i do use them for sideways, collection etc they are more effective but hey ho!

Have never ridden my 4yo in them but will do when i feel the time is right.
 
Interesting! I'd never use them on my mare as she's (very!) swift off the leg but my gelding is also slighly backwards in going forwards, mainly due to nappiness, he will do as little as possible!
 
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