Spurs question.

starsnrunes

starsnrunes

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When i first started loaning Blue I bought some spurs for schooling, as he gets antsy if you have a whip near him, and he needs a little extra pursuasion at times, esp going in to canter.

So not being very informed on spurs (i don't really like them) I just got a plain short pair that are rounded at the end instead of just stopping flat (if that makes sence) like bog standard spurs, tbh mainly because they were cheap and they were all they had at our tackshop.

But also as i worked on the logic that being rounded, and having a larger surface area, it would be a wider blunter pressure on the horses side, there for kinder that a more jabby feeling that comes from blunt ended spurs...However someone told me today that they were actually harsher?

Now i do question this persons knowlegde level a bit at times as she does some rather questionable things, however she has had horses for most of her life and does, at times, know what she's on about.

So am i right or is she?
 
Other than rowled spurs (the ones with the wheel on the back) most spurs are much of a muchness. The rounded ones you may have to push in harder to get a response, which risks bruising. The square edged ones you may only need to touch slightly to get a response - although that will depend on how thin skinned ned is. If you thump any spur into his side you'll hurt him.

The "gentlest" spurs are the comb ones which have a flattened toothed edge on the inside - also sometimes called cock'scomb spurs becuase they look like the comb on a chicken. You don't have to turn your leg to use them - which can be both a positive and a negative - but unless you do a pony club kick with them on you're not likely to bruise him.

All spurs need a real stillness in the leg to be effective. If your leg is bumping around you'll end up applying them when you don't need to. Like any schooling aid - less is more. If you ride with spurs all the time (and I know you said you didn't) then ned will become dead to them just as he will to leg or whip.

It might be worth having a lesson with different types of spurs on to see how to use each type absolutely correctly and which one suits him better.
 
I agree spus should only be used as a refinement of the aids on a horse that already goes off the leg. Maybe spend some time getting him used to the schooling stick so he gets over his "antsy"?
 
Shay said:
Other than rowled spurs (the ones with the wheel on the back) most spurs are much of a muchness. The rounded ones you may have to push in harder to get a response, which risks bruising. The square edged ones you may only need to touch slightly to get a response - although that will depend on how thin skinned ned is. If you thump any spur into his side you'll hurt him.

The "gentlest" spurs are the comb ones which have a flattened toothed edge on the inside - also sometimes called cock'scomb spurs becuase they look like the comb on a chicken. You don't have to turn your leg to use them - which can be both a positive and a negative - but unless you do a pony club kick with them on you're not likely to bruise him.

All spurs need a real stillness in the leg to be effective. If your leg is bumping around you'll end up applying them when you don't need to. Like any schooling aid - less is more. If you ride with spurs all the time (and I know you said you didn't) then ned will become dead to them just as he will to leg or whip.

It might be worth having a lesson with different types of spurs on to see how to use each type absolutely correctly and which one suits him better.
Click to expand...


Thanks. I don't have to push hard at all to get him to respond, i only really need to turn them on to him as hes really responsive. It's just hard to get him in to canter from leg alone at the moment.
 
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