Rowel Spurs

[not_with_it]

Does anyone ride in spurs with smooth rowels?

My trainer has told me to wear some on my mare as I am finding it difficult to use my leg on the girth. My legs hang past her sides and so I am drawing my leg back to use it which is really defeating the object.
I already use spurs and have a good lower leg but I feel mean as it is using my spurs on her.

Are rowels a lot more severe than rounded end spurs?

 

[Halfstep]

Smooth rowels are very kind. Roll them along your hand or arm - the whole point of them is that they roll and don't "jab". i ride with them most of the time and really like them.

 

[not_with_it]

Thanks, I'll have a play with them in the tack shop.

I think im just too soft when it comes to this horse.

 

[dingle12]

Spurs on ginny im going to be ringing the horse police

 

[Sarah_Jane]

I use rowel spurs on Sarnie when I can. She marks very easily and I find the smooth rowel kinder than the rounded end spurs.

 

[not_with_it]

Your OH will be pinching her to put in your garden

 

[Partoow]

Roweled spurs will hardly ever mark a horse as the roll rather than dig in and therfore do not create friction between the spur and the leg. They merely refine the aid.
You do however sound like you need to open your hips more especially as you are drawing your leg back to use it. I have really long legs and often my legs are under the body of the horses i ride but you need to learn to reach around under the ribs not back. this way you willbe more effective nd precise.

 

[Tempi]

I use smooth rowel spurs on monster, they dont ever mark his sides. I do have problems with smooth ended spurs rubbing his sides in the summer tho.

 

[KatB]

I use them as above. DOnt as often now as they are a bit "sharp" on g horse, but they dont mark him.

 

[flyingfeet]

I use big smooth rowelled spurs on fatboy, as they were the only ones that didn't mark. They are softer than standard spurs as they don't dig in

However my BSJA legal pair, because they have a stupid 1cm rowel rule (my big ones are 2cm rowels), marked the horse and pulled in the flesh as they were a dodgy make.

Make sure the rowel has no sideways movement on the pair you purchase, any size rowel is BD legal, so the bigger the better as the greater surface area (softer, so if you want a sharper pair buy a smaller rowel)

I swapped onto the plastic rollerball version for BSJA due to the problems I had