Spurs or no Spurs?

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Learntobounce

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Advice please anyone.

History: We got our horse last December, he's a lovely boy very well schooled and does all the advanced dressage movements. Has only been schooled with spurs on in the past.

Now: Since buying him we decided to reschool him and ride without the spurs, this is because he has horrible marks on his sides from too much spur use, the hair is not worn away but he has thickening of the skin and separation of the skin layers, it's horrible to feel and look at. Due to being lame for the past 4 months he is now well into his fattening programme.

Here's the thing: He is starting to respond to the leg more without spurs, he is not a forward thinking horse so it's hard, out hacking he's ok but in the school he's such hard work, I put some rollerball spurs on to just try and see what happens yesterday and he went so much better with them on, he was more off the leg, lighter in the contact etc, but when I'd finished the marks on his sides were more prominent :( I've upped his feed again to try and produce more energy but it's his mental attitude that needs changing, I want to compete soon and I'm worried the judge will comment on the marks on his sides.

All advice greatly received, thankyou
 
Hi new person, and welcome!
Umm, tricky with an experienced horse, but I would try the absolutely basic "get in front of my leg" manoevre. you need a neckstrap and no ego because it's not stylish! ask horse to go forward with leg lightly, if nothing happens grab neckstrap or mane with both hands and give a proper pony-club KICK to galvanise him into forwardness, more than 1 kick if necessary. when he jumps forward, you must NOT in any way impede his fwd movement (hence holding mane/neckstrap) at all, just praise hugely for going fwd, gently rebalance, carry on. basically, repeat until he realises that a light leg aid means GO and he stays right in front of the leg.
(it's important that you don't pull back at all, even inadvertently, because it has to be absolutely black/white, nothing to confuse him or make him think the handbrake is on even 1%).
his sides sounds very extreme, i have never seen anything like that. good for you for trying to get around it.
 
Thankyou Kerilli, this is similar to the work ive been doing that has made him better, has anyone had a judge comment on spur marks before? Or have any ideas about how I can help his skin?
 
I would probably put Bio-Oil on the marks. I have seen it work amazingly well on humans for reducing scars/stretch marks etc, and a friend uses it regularly on her horse for all sorts.

Would echo Kerilli's advice on the going forwards.
 
I have a very low-level horse (working Elem) and at a BE event on bank holiday weekend I gave him spur marks. I was mortified and nearly in tears (I've been brought up to think it's the cardinal sin!). He's not off my leg at all, and I had been trying to get him in front of my leg but it had only been semi-successful. After that horrible occurrence, I've been doing the Kerilli method at the start of almost every schooling session (funnily enough he doesn't struggle for energy whilst hacking - not that it's usually forward energy, unfortunately, more usually upwards or sideways :rolleyes:).

I've seen a big improvement, except on the times when I try to switch back to a more normal warm up, he's back to lazy toad again :mad: When I do the Kerilli method though, I have fantastic, energetic uphill rides and everything feels easy again. I would heartily recommend it. It's hard to do though, and stop yourself from tidying things up, or trying to make it not look as agricultural as it is...I moved yards at the same time as I started doing this so heaven only knows what my new yard think of me!
 
BeckyD, good to hear that it's working... it always does, it's far tougher for the rider than the horse, horses 'get' it straight away, they like black/white instructions! Sometimes I think riders are pedalling hard with both hands on the brakes, no wonder horses get confused and resentful...
OP, I would try BioOil or Neem oil, i've found that excellent for skin conditions (buy online from theneemteam iirc), or otherwise Forever Living's Aloe Vera Jelly is fabulous. Maybe use one for a few weeks or a month, then a different one. Very very gentle massage of the area might help to break up the layers, worth a try.
 
Spurs are used too often by those who are too inexperianced in what they are for. I would ban the use by anyone under 16! and anyone who just have no idea how to use them! too much damage is done by people who just cant use them, they are a riding aid not a fashion statement!

The best result was at the weekend, this woman was riding around warming up her rather overweight horse, digging it with her spurs with her toes pointing out like wings, after 1/2 and hour her horse really got arsed and after another dig with her spurs the horse just got her revenge with a buck from hell dumping her rider, see horses are not stupid, but some riders are!! and yes I did laugh, alot!

Off my soap box now! we use sudocrem on everything, it works quickly and the skin heals well. The down side it can hold grit so just be aware.
 
I know just where you are coming from. My 17 y.o. dressage horse is naturally a lazy (inc out hacking). I try and school him w/o spurs now and then, but it's really hard work for both of us. Instead I bought roller ball spurs and they are fab, he really responds to them, and I don't feel I'm poking him with a sharp (by this I mean a normal Prince of Wales) spur.

However, he doesn't have any marking at all, and he's very thin skinned. In your position I think I'd really try not to use spurs and re-school him with pony club kicks as described, whilst using bio oil or similar, in the hope that if you do have to use a roller ball spur on him his skin will be a bit better than it is now.

Good luck.
 
One of mine has an inclination to laziness, and I use the 'big kicks' method with her - she now knows, and goes when my legs come off her sides!! I was always being told 'whack some spurs on, she'll wake up' but shes now going pretty sweetly, and off my leg even though she is still only 4.

It does work, it just isn't pretty at all!! As the saying goes 'beauty is only skin deep' - no use it looking pretty if the horse isn't going anywhere!
 
Re the skin problem when its all healed up (I would use sudocrem or similar) you can help 'harden' the skin up afterwards using a bit of surgical spirit on the area for a while - just make sure its all fully healed up, it stings!
 
Hi,
I am in the same situation, horse is 9 and I think he has been schooled most his life in spurs. He is also well schooled and a 'dressage horse'
I don't use spurs either but when we viewed him we were told to use spurs but today I tried with out.... OMG how lazy was he! Hes not a lazy horse really just decided to ignore my leg almost entirely and just go at snails pace, not the forward horse I am used too.
My opinion is that if a horse is used to metal prods in his sides as soon as you introduce the soft rounded curve of your boot he will not understand this sort of subtle aid. (big difference after all)
When I do my pony club kicks he actually slows down even more!
Tomorrow I shall get the schooling stick out and when he doesn't respond I can make it a bit more clear that a little bit of leg means forward!
Good luck and please let me know how it goes :)
 
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