Spur rubs

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After the Novice yesterday I noticed the spurs had rubbed Grace's fur off and she had pink bits on her sides
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I felt absolutely dreadful because she had worked so well. It was the first time I had used them for two classes (as couldn't use a whip).

I bathed them and put on some Dermagel, but this morning they had swellings around them
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I have put some more Dermagel on and put her out.

Are chestnuts more susceptible to this? My spurs are rounded ends...

Or am I using them incorrectly?
 
Some horses do mark very easily, my mare always marks very quickly and for pure dressage I actually find spurs with a smooth blunt rowel marks less. Once the redness had gone I would use a bit of surgical spirit on the area.
 
What does the surgical spirit do?

I tried the smooth rowels, they were even worse. She has very thin skin, and cuts quite easily with other things (catching her legs with her other leg etc). After the Prelim she had not marked at all.
 
Surgical spirit will harden her skin up a bit. You could also try the spurs (I have forget what they are called) with a plastic end which rotates. They dressage and BE legal and are the least likely to mark.
 
Thank you...

I don't think the type of spurs is going to make much difference to be honest. I have already tried a few sets, and these have been the best ones up until now. I have schooled in them 5 times before the competition, and they have not marked once. But after the Novice they had rubbed away the fur and caused small swellings. She has not bled, they look more like friction burns than anything else.
 
Lucy used to wear plasters over her spurs at home, some horses are just especially thin skinned, I doubt very much whether its anything you're doing wrong!
 
The impuls spurs may help as the plastic rotates so there is no real friction. They worked on my mare although I didn't quite get the same sharp response as with other spurs.
 
Thanks severnmiles... I think it will have been because of the amount they were used in one day. I usually only put them on for the Novice but because I was not allowed a whip I kept them on just to give me that extra aid if she started backing off a bit (spooking etc).
 
I have had the same trouble as you and got my spurs from equiport, they are fab and dont mark at all I used cow salve to harden up my boys sides but any other spurs still rubbed him
 
Adrian got spur rubs once too & they swelled up as you describe. I felt really awful - esp as I really didn't think I'd done that much 'spurring'.

Didn't use them for a bit cos I was worried, and when I started using them again it didn't happen again. ?????
 
My very thick skinned cob marked very easily - drew blood
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I have stopped using them as it was only on one side and I think I must have a bit of a wobbly leg. I was going to try impulse spurs as apparently its difficult to mark their sides with them
 
You really need to remove all friction - the best ones are going to be the impuls spurs or a smooth rowel of at least 2cm in diameter (however 2cm is the max allowed for BD)

I either use my awa 2cm rowels, impuls or my BSJA legal 1cm rowels.
 
You could also just use normal salt water to harden up the are of redness.

Deffo go with the Impulse spurs, I have a pair and they're great. I have recently noticed that LOADS of people are wearing them. The ball on the end also tends to make them slightly 'softer' so that you have to apply your leg stronger than you normally would with a pair of spurs on.
 
I've just bought some Impluse spurs and they are fab, I feel confident using them because I know that they can't hurt her. It sounds like what happened has upset you so I'd definitely give the Impulse spurs a try because you don't want it to become an issue for you that detracts from your performance
 
Ride without spurs perhaps, and see how she goes?

Sorry, but I wouldn't want any of my horses suffering discomfort as a result of something I was applying to them.

Tin hat firmly on...
 
I don't use them a lot... but they were needed for the Areas as no whip was allowed and it was her first big competition. Chestnuts are renowned for having paper thin skin, and she is no exception. She cuts by just rubbing against something like the fence in the field.

Her sides are not sore at all, and she did not seem bothered by them when I was riding. I would not use something that was not needed, I am not into gadgets of any kind but because I was not allowed a whip I needed something to just give her a bit more impulsion at times.
 
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