kids wearing spurs.....

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splatty

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My daughter who is 13 attending her first BSJA show today, she did really well and came 5th in the British Novice, can anybody enlighten as to why she was the only child there not wearing spurs, we saw every age of child today and they all had spurs on, do that actually need them or are they part of the must have thing such as jw bridles, stud girths....
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i think it should be like pony club where you have to be signed off as able to use them before you can use them to compete. i'm 18 and still have to get signed off by my DC to do inter pony club things!! i guess they are the latest fashion. well done to your daughter thats a brill result!!
 
Definitely agree with the above. They should be signed off before they're allowed to use them. Unless of course, they're dummy spurs.

Congratulations to your daughter though, really well done!!
 
Then Adults should as well!! I think kids normally ride really well so I don't see why they should use any different tackle than adults.
 
one girl in our pc got her spur card taken away from her because she just booted her pony with spurs on...it was shocking.
 
to be honest, i wear them as a confidence boost xc, and sometimes im really glad i have them when i have to use them.
in dressage he is slowish of the leg at times so thats mainly when i wear them, and plus the fact that he is quite lazy naturally.

i learnt the hard wayabout spurs - when i was younger (12) i was put on a sjer and told to xc it - i was the "test" rider and was put on anything, (never done it b4 and this was a comp) someone put spurs on my feet as he was a little shite and was a bronko, and he bucked the whole way around the xc course!! so i kept kicking him out of it, forgetting about the spurs and just focusing on getting the horse round, so finished and discovered that there were small spur rubs (small spurs!).
it put me off spurs for about 4 years, until i got a better position and stronger, and only wear impulse spurs now, and am still paranoid about them! but am getting used to them and only wear in a comp
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but i was at the national pc novice champs grooming for my pc branch, (at smallwood in chesire - long walks) i counted at least 15 ponys with spur rubs or scars/white hair from spur rubs on way back to lorry park.
 
I agree, kids shouldnt wear spurs IMO. Especially on BSJA ponies which are usually revved up to the eyeballs! I dont see why anybody needs spurs for SJ to be honest... Ive never needed them for anything other than flatwork.
 
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I dont see why anybody needs spurs for SJ to be honest... Ive never needed them for anything other than flatwork.

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As a back up leg aid should the horse back off greatly.

That is the reason I jump my horse in spurs. I don't often have to touch her with them - god help me if I were to kick her with them!! I would be in the next county!
I use them reponsibly and for a purpose, not becuase so and so wears them, or because they 'look good'
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Yes, but you are not a typical kid!

There are a lot of youngsters out there demonstrating a woeful lack of leg and hand control and I cringe when I am watching them and pity their poor ponies.
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I wear spurs- i use normal ones for sj and xc and impulse for schooling, but i only use them in competition.

I think they are invaluable for jumping if you have a strong lower leg, I find i can use them as a back up if they are backing off- and i much prefer a quick 'poke' apposed to smacking. And as said above, i don't use them because of a fashion statement, i use them for a purpose. Oh and also, if i ever found any spur marks on my horse, i'd be mortified!
 
when i went to try my horse his sides were bleeding where the test rider had their spurs on so hard. i wear them on him now (once he had healed i put vaseline on to start with) but the area has still gone white from the previous grazes. i know that i haven't caused it but i hate the sight of the patches on him.
 
I don't wear spurs, I have a very backward horse and my YO does school him in spurs. However she is a BHSII, so has a very good leg position. I am nowhere near her standard of riding.

I think that there is a reason that Pony Club riders have to pass their full B test before being allowed to wear spurs without permission.
When I get my B test (hoping to do so this year) I may start using them if I need them, but only in dressage.

A lot of kids just wear them for the sake of it IMO.
 
I used rounded, blunt, very mild spurs on my current horse as he is lazy and will back off fillers when SJ, gives me a great confidence boost as I dont have to sit there kicking, but I only use them in times of need, try to avoid wearing them unless I have to. I go to watch a lot of BSJA with friends and I really believe it depends on the rider. A friend of mine is 15 but rides like a much more mature rider, she does BSJA on a 16.2hh that she has brought on beautifully herself, and I would never begrudge her wearing spurs but then there are some kids who seem to not even know the spurs are there and boot away like billyho! On another note, adults can be just as bad!!
 
I'm 13 and use spurs on my 14hh in BSJA. They're fine as long as you know how to use them - I've seen plenty of adult riders that have booted their horses with spurs on so why should it just be us kids that should have to have a card signed!

I see your point though, I can imagine a lot of children do wear spurs for fashion - but then really isn't it the parents/instructors responsibility to take charge and make sure that they are being used sensibly! If I were to start booting my pony my Mum would take my spurs away and sell them on ebay!
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It isn't the use of them I object to. It's how stable the riders lower leg position is. That applies to adults as well as children. I just have a feeling that in some cases with children it is because they see adults wearing them & feel the need to copy, whether they are needed or not.....

The same as flash nosebands, gags etc etc.

I'm not judging all by one but it does come across as them being the 'in' thing sometimes.
 
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