Why wear spurs?

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Batgirl

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A bit of a random one...

I see spurs everywhere I look, I do dressage and everyone seems to wear them. what are the benefits, I have a forward going horse, I can keep him relatively collected, lateral work is coming slowly.

I am not a fashion person when it comes to horse gear, no flash, martingale etc only what we need as and when I decide we need it and usually i know clearly the benefits of a piece of kit but spurs confuse me, bit of help please?
:)
 
Spurs are used mainly to refine the leg aid, so increases the subtley of your riding.
It also serves as a useful back up if horse is slightly against the leg and you need the extra "boost" from a spur :)

It does tend to make them that little bit more sharper to the leg, imo anyways :)
 
I just find it a little easier to keep him really connected. He can be a little slow off my leg and when you're pointing a 14"2 at 1m30, you want it to react! :o I'm very careful about using them and then not using them, I hate to see people raking up and down their horse's sides with them or constantly digging. Also, I don't use them on the other horse I jump as he doesn't need it so much. It's just what works for you, although I think they've become a bit of a fashion statement, certainly in my pony club :rolleyes:
 
only_me said:
Spurs are used mainly to refine the leg aid, so increases the subtley of your riding.
It also serves as a useful back up if horse is slightly against the leg and you need the extra "boost" from a spur :)

It does tend to make them that little bit more sharper to the leg, imo anyways :)
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What she said :D

I wear them at competitions as a backup to my leg especially as for be dressage you cant carry a whip, although I rarely need to use them. With a stable leg position they don't come into action unless the leg is turned slightly out so although someone is wearing them it doesn't mean they are using them ;)

My pet hate is riders with insecure lower legs wearing them as then they jab the horse in the side with every strepide which as well as often causing sores on the horses side can actually make the horse more dead to the leg so opposite of what was desired!
 
Actually I can't carry a schooling whip with him, do you think it would be a good alternative, I have a secure lower leg and he can stop listening sometimes?
:)
 
I do thin* they have become a fashion item to some. I also hate to see riders who cannot control their legs riding in spurs. I have had horses I've loo*ed after in the past returned with rub mar*s from where the spurs have constantly rubbed against their sides in lessons.

There was a woman who *ept her horse at a yard next to where I used to *eep mine and she even hac*ed in spurs. If you drove up behind her you could see her jab with one leg one stride, then jab with the other the next. Her poor horse had, at different times, bald patches, weeping sores and patches of white hair. She was not the sort you would say something to, she was eventually *ic*ed off said yard for punching another livery!
 
It's something I've always wondered too. I guess I've been lucky in having a TB, who I owned from 6 months old, that's always been quick off the leg, . Having said that I have ridden other horses that have frustrated me in not moving forwards when asked so spurs probably would have helped in those situations.

I do however think they are used too often by lazy riders who don't know how to make a horse move on with their legs and are happier to just dig, dig, dig their horses sides :-(
 
LatetohorsesLaura said:
A bit of a random one...

I see spurs everywhere I look, I do dressage and everyone seems to wear them. what are the benefits, I have a forward going horse, I can keep him relatively collected, lateral work is coming slowly.

I am not a fashion person when it comes to horse gear, no flash, martingale etc only what we need as and when I decide we need it and usually i know clearly the benefits of a piece of kit but spurs confuse me, bit of help please?
:)
Click to expand...

Sorry but how many horses do you have/train? I never wear spurs because my lower leg is not yet in a good enough position - all the time. BUT, my horse is going through a teenage strop stage and will ignore me after 3 days of riding as he has NO respect for the whip and he knows I never wear spurs. But, with OH (who generally wears spurs - he is a good rider with "accurate" legs) he never has any problems (stopping to poo, eating trees, not finding his good position, not engaging his hind legs, not respecting the leg generally, ????).

OH's mare on the other hand is a very sensitive girl. He never wears spurs or carries a whip with her because a cross word and a strong leg is all that is necessary.

I could go on with other horses as could many on here but generally I find the best practice is to concentrate on your own horse and to leave other people to do what they find best for their own horses?

As far as I know, spurs are for refining the aid and I now that I for one, I am not in the position to be able to offer a horse that kind of delicate handling......yet :)

Horses for courses? ;)
 
I wear spurs for four reasons:

- on a trained horse, to get a refinement in what signals I am giving him

- on a lazy horse, to be able to give one sharp aid and not a pony club kick

- because I expect my horses to go advanced and they are mandatory at advanced, so I figure they may as well get used to them early on.

- in dressage competitions because every now and then you will be in front of a judge who thinks they "complete the picture" and SUBconsciously may end up giving you a 7 (scores 7) instead of a 6.9 (scores 6, not good enough for a 7) somewhere in the scoring.
 
Spurs are correct turnout for hunter classes.
I only wear mine for lessons or in dressage because my pony switches off so I would rather wear spurs rather than flap and nag like a numpty. I don't use them for jumping as he doesn't need them. Over a certain level aren't they compulsory?
 
Spurs are a great aid and a rider with a secure lower leg should be able to chose when to use them rather than randomnly jabbing away at the horse's sides. For those of us who are still working on their positions rubber ball spurs are ideal, I haven't met anyone yet who managed to mark a horse with one of those yet! (well I am sure there is always a first time!).
 
Baggybreeches said:
That is quite true, I also have a few different styles of spurs, because your standard Prince of Wales spurs are not necessarily suitable for every horse.
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Absolutely! OH has a bit of an evil wheel spur for my horse sometimes but, as he says, he would not even consider a little spur ith his mare because she is so sharp off the leg :eek:
 
Saucisson said:
Sorry but how many horses do you have/train?



I could go on with other horses as could many on here but generally I find the best practice is to concentrate on your own horse and to leave other people to do what they find best for their own horses?

As far as I know, spurs are for refining the aid and I now that I for one, I am not in the position to be able to offer a horse that kind of delicate handling......yet :)

Horses for courses? ;)
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In response to your first comment I have one full time and ride others on occasion (not sure of the relevance)

As far as best practice.... comment, that is exactly why I posted this thread, if I am not sure what something is for or how it works how do I know if it is right for me or my horse? Totally see what you mean about different horses, this was about a specific horse.


I am an accomplished sportswoman with excellent balance and a very secure lower leg position, from the comments on here it would seem spurs could be an appropriate alternative to carrying a whip, which my horse doesn't like, to make him a bit more responsive to my more delicate aids, I will discuss it with my trainer.

Thanks for all the comments guys, lots to think about :D
 
I have a forward going horse and I wore spurs on him the other day and he went amazingly.*

Without them he isn't as responsive when I ask for trot, canter etc... And I've found that when I applied the inside leg he would just ignore the aid. With the spurs on he does what I ask instantly and it's a much clearer, sharper aid.*

Whips never worked with him as he's quite touchy and I want him working off my leg rather then a whip.*

I rarely wore spurs before but they seem to work with my chap so I'll be sticking to them for now.*

I dont mind seeing people wear them but like everything else, so long as they are used properly then there shouldn't be an issue :)*
 
Not in dressage apart from maybe roller-ball spurs if she's a little sluggish in warm-up, as I can't hold a whip, but she's quite sharp so can do without them.

However do wear them jumping as it makes her so much easier to collect (she's 6'9 with a huge shoulder and back-end) so I don't have to keep nagging her with my leg to collect. A small nudge with a spur works for her much more effectively than constantly having my leg there, that sends her up the wall :P I have them so that I can use my calf, then turn my leg to use them though...
 
I wear roller ball spurs on everything I ride, they live on my boots. I am secure enough to know how to not use them if they are not needed, but they are there should I need them. I have a collection of spurs and they certainly do have their place - I hate a nagging leg almost as much as I hate sawing hands :)
 
Booboos said:
Spurs are a great aid and a rider with a secure lower leg should be able to chose when to use them rather than randomnly jabbing away at the horse's sides. For those of us who are still working on their positions rubber ball spurs are ideal, I haven't met anyone yet who managed to mark a horse with one of those yet! (well I am sure there is always a first time!).
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i'm somewhat embarrassed to say that i've managed it :o on a thin skinned and very ignorant grey.... no excuse tho :eek:
 
Hi latetohorseslaura just having a look at your sig and although its not a bad pic its the early stages of training for you both, obv it is a small snapshot of you and your horse but its clearly in a test so once you get a stronger seat and your horse can work into a contact, lifting his back and carrying you then you will want to move on to shoulder in, half pass, leg yield etc at which point you need alot of impulsion and a refined aid to touch touch and make the hind leg lift and move underneath.
Take a look at a few pics on comp riders of zidgelans horse or booboos in her sig, nice uphill and forward which takes a tonne of training but once you are closer to that spurs will make much more sense for the lateral and collection work you start to introduce.
If you dont need them at the moment thats great but believe me they become necessary later on, we went to watch Carl Hester and he rode every horse he had in spurs but is the kindest most effective rider Ive ever seen!
 
diggerbez said:
i'm somewhat embarrassed to say that i've managed it :o on a thin skinned and very ignorant grey.... no excuse tho :eek:
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You know, just as I was typing that sentence, I thought 'better add a disclaimer'!!!! :D

I leave a little rectangular patch of unclipped hair just where my leg goes on my grey (I saw it on TV at an international dressage competition on a chesnut mare who obviously was a bit sensitive to the spurs and copied it!) and that really helps. You can't really see it on a grey unless you are very, vrey close.
 
Farma said:
Take a look at a few pics on comp riders of zidgelans horse or booboos in her sig, nice uphill and forward which takes a tonne of training but once you are closer to that spurs will make much more sense for the lateral and collection work you start to introduce.
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:o :o :o Total embarrassment in being in any way favourably compared with the wonderful zidgelans!!!!!!!!!!! :D My legs have a mind of their own, but R (grey in the sig) is a silly combination of lazy in his work and spooky in his temerament so spurs are a must for his royal highness otherwise he goes to sleep coming down the centre line!
 
diggerbez said:
i'm somewhat embarrassed to say that i've managed it :o on a thin skinned and very ignorant grey.... no excuse tho :eek:
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My daughter and I wear spurs on my Westfalen gelding. Recently she wore a narrower pair of boots and the bits where the straps are fixed rubbed him, so it may be possible that it wasn't the actual spur that marked him
 
No one has mentioned their use cross country, I have certainly read that I think william michlem may have said amongst others that for safty reasons they should be part of your cross country equipment as you never know when the horse responding to your leg is the difference between staying upright and a fall!

That said cross country is the only time I currently consider wearing them, as my horse is quick of the leg already.
 
Booboos said:
You know, just as I was typing that sentence, I thought 'better add a disclaimer'!!!! :D

I leave a little rectangular patch of unclipped hair just where my leg goes on my grey (I saw it on TV at an international dressage competition on a chesnut mare who obviously was a bit sensitive to the spurs and copied it!) and that really helps. You can't really see it on a grey unless you are very, vrey close.
Click to expand...

i found another solution. i sold ignorant grey and bought much less ignorant dark bay :D:p. i still ride him in spurs tho... :)
 
diggerbez said:
i'm somewhat embarrassed to say that i've managed it :o on a thin skinned and very ignorant grey.... no excuse tho :eek:
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Actually I have found particularly with grey horses that those roller ball spurs can build up gunk (you know the white stuff that gets on sdes of boots etc) on them and this hardens and CAN rub horses! Even the thinnest layer of this can mark them. A quick wipe of the spur with baby wipes every few days will stop it. My skin like steel (razor blades would bounce off her) grey once marked and this was the issue!
 
Farma said:
Hi latetohorseslaura just having a look at your sig and although its not a bad pic its the early stages of training for you both, obv it is a small snapshot of you and your horse but its clearly in a test so once you get a stronger seat and your horse can work into a contact, lifting his back and carrying you then you will want to move on to shoulder in, half pass, leg yield etc at which point you need alot of impulsion and a refined aid to touch touch and make the hind leg lift and move underneath.
Take a look at a few pics on comp riders of zidgelans horse or booboos in her sig, nice uphill and forward which takes a tonne of training but once you are closer to that spurs will make much more sense for the lateral and collection work you start to introduce.
If you dont need them at the moment thats great but believe me they become necessary later on, we went to watch Carl Hester and he rode every horse he had in spurs but is the kindest most effective rider Ive ever seen!
Click to expand...

Hi,

Thanks for the comments, really useful, funnily enough that was almost exactly what the judge said on this test, was ages ago now and I had only had him a month so we are muuuuuch better now, will have to get some nice pics from my summer comps, we have changed from a nutcracker action KK to a french link hanging cheek and he accepts and works into the bit well now and we are starting to look a bit more like the outlines you have highlighted so it's nice to know we are moving in the right direction (I was bringingin him back into work but he is a proper schoolmaster, "if you don't ask me properly I am not doing it" :) ). We are getting lateral work in without the spurs but it is a bit hard work, definately something to discuss with my trainer.
 
LatetohorsesLaura said:
Hi,

Thanks for the comments, really useful, funnily enough that was almost exactly what the judge said on this test, was ages ago now and I had only had him a month so we are muuuuuch better now, will have to get some nice pics from my summer comps, we have changed from a nutcracker action KK to a french link hanging cheek and he accepts and works into the bit well now and we are starting to look a bit more like the outlines you have highlighted so it's nice to know we are moving in the right direction (I was bringingin him back into work but he is a proper schoolmaster, "if you don't ask me properly I am not doing it" :) ). We are getting lateral work in without the spurs but it is a bit hard work, definately something to discuss with my trainer.
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You are so lucky to have a schoolmaster - easiest way to learn!
If the lateral work is hard work he probably isnt active and forward enough so maybe some work on sharpening him up off of your leg would help too, just be brave enough not to pull back when he goes, sharp aid, let him go then ask again and you should get a much quicker response then harness that energy and use it for your lateral work. Also really study your position as when you start its tempting to over ride and over ask if it doesnt happen as you would like but for example for shoulder in if you maintain slight position right or left and insist, stay steady with the impulsion underneath you and it will soon come, once he understands what you are asking him a touch with a spur should be enough to influence the hind leg.
Hope that makes sense? Love all your pics btw x
 
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