Kids with spurs...Yay or Nay?!

Do you think childern should be allowed to wear spurs?

  • Total voters
    0
Having spent 3 weeks of this summer doing pony club camps with 7-15 year olds, yes, many of them are perfectly capable of using them as and when necessary.

Restricting what spurs/bits/gadgets someone can use is stupid. You can't honestly say a 12 year old is an inherently worse rider than someone older, without knowing their level of experience or skill.
 
Surely it has to be case by case, if a child is well able it's the same as an adult, likewise if without the skill it's the same as an adult without skill. The point is surely how a spur is used and used skillfully I believe they can be kinder than harsh kicks.
 
My daughter is 10 and has never used spurs. As a BYRDS squadded rider she has competed against many who do, but even though I feel she has the knowledge and ability to ride with spurs I don't yet think she is training the pony at a level to need to use them. I would rather she spend the time training her pony to respect the leg and react because at some point she is going to have outgrown it and another child will be the rider.
 
I think kids should be taught to use their legs first. It would be counter-productive to let them rely on quick fixes and gadgets. They are better served being taught how to ride with their bodies rather than their gadgets.
 
Depends on the rider but there is a lot of sense in the PC rule of no spurs until you have your B test without the express written permission of the DC, who should consult the child's instructor as to whether they are appropriate for child's standard of riding and required for the pony.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top