I have never worn spurs, but it was suggested it might be helpful for my horse, so I took a look, and realized English spurs sit on the heel higher than Western spurs.
English spurs sit on a spur rest, or top of heel cup, and Western spurs sit right where the heel sole meets the boot, or bottom of heel cup…
My leg is long, and is a tiny bit below his belly. I am learning western, but it seems that an English spur would be positioned the best (higher up) so I didn’t have to move my leg much to use a spur.
What do other tall riders do, in either discipline? Move their legs more? Get longer spurs?
In western riding, long legs or too small horses require spurs with longer necks, short legs and tall horses need shorter neck spurs.
Mine are all short, being very short myself, because I can touch a horse with one no matter how small the horse, my heel is right on their bellies.
Because of that I don’t use spurs much anyway, don’t need to “reach and touch” one very often.
The spur is used as an extension of your leg to indicate which way you want the horse to move and to help it bring his hindend under itself.
Spurs are a tool to be use with finesse, not one to poke and scare the horse into moving forward, as those that don’t know about spurs think.
The principle of which kind of spur or where to place it depends on the horse and the leg that will be using it.
Using a spur permits the rider to barely move the leg/foot, to make leg aids more precise on a well trained horse and also more invisible.
I agree, @Bluey, and I don’t want to use them as punishment. However, my newish horse is balky at times and my non-spurred heel doesn’t seem to be effective to get him forward. So in this case, they would be used to poke him I am hoping it is a temporary thing.
Given that my heel is an inch or so below his belly, it seems an english spur, with its higher boot position would work the best, with the least leg movement by me. But it makes me wonder how western spurs are used – as their riders are tall and horses frequently small (14.3-15h), and they aren’t wearing english spurs, lol!
Well, yes, any cue can be trained, there is a spurring to go and a spur stop also.
BUT, in general spurs, for some western arena disciplines, are used for finer signals.
What does your trainer say, is that who wants you to put spurs on?
Many times spurs are to help with the more advanced horses, that have all kinds of buttons installed.
To get forward motion, a stick used to reinforce the leg, used right behind the leg, would be a better solution, maybe?
Think race horses, they go faster when a whip is used.
Try poking yourself lightly on the side and tell me, does that make you do, what?
Bend over, not stretch out.
Similarly, a horse where a spur is used, unless specifically trained to go forward from a spur, or to stop from a spur, a horse being poked where a spur hits will instinctively be bringing that hind leg forward and leaning into the spur, physics at work.
See what your horse responds best to, he may have trained any one way.
Lets see what others will bring up for you, will be interesting.
Often, in a situation like this, a WHIP or CROP is a much better option.
I will sometimes “hold” my spurs on a horse to keep them moving forward when they are hesitant. But IMO it is not a good idea to “poke” them with the spurs … especially if you are talking about a hard jab to get them to move.
That is where, as Bluey said, you use a LONGER western spur. So when you need to cue them with the spur, you can slightly lift your heel to make the cue. And longer spur lets you reach the horse better.
I am actually more comfortable with a whip – I am a trail rider, but all my prior lessons have been with dressage trainers and whips were the norm – but western trainers seem to use spurs instead of whips. I have been lucky in the past and never used a whip outside of a lesson, and never a spur. I don’t ant to have to carry a whip on trail, so I was hoping spurs would be the right compromise.
My western trainer is the one that suggests spurs because my horse isn’t responding to my leg after balking and shifts into a fast reverse if I insist on going forward. A fast reverse into trees, ditches, etc… he doesn’t seem to be mindful of where he is going besides “not forward.” He has balked with her, too, but she is quick to correct and he never gets to the backing stage.
I agree that spurs are a refining aid, but that isn’t how they would be used now – it would be to insist he goes forward. I know she wants to avoid this habit being reinforced with me even more than it is now.
In any case, it seems people adjust to either western or english spurs regardless of their boot position and leg length – so it is probably just a learning curve for me. But I may try a dressage whip – I used a small bat before, because it could hang from a western saddle, but maybe the longer dressage whip would be more effective than that.
Sounds like the horse has a hole in his training that permits resisting.
I wonder if that is going on all the time, but in the situations on the trail enhanced by other and that is when it comes down to a fight.
That is not a good situation, some horses end up rearing and that is dangerous for everyone.
Maybe get a good forward first in a controlled situation, in lessons, over grids and arena obstacles until you get an unconditional forward there, then see if that doesn’t help every other place, like on the trail?
Horses that use “a fast reverse” as a resistance need to be caught before it gets to that point.
To keep them moving forward circles and serpentines can help.
Just be careful, “sticky” horses like that really need a re-education by someone experienced in that.
Maybe you can get him going, but don’t take chances, the resisting may escalate into dangerous territory.
Adding spurs in that situation and by someone not familiar with them may not address that problems, but if your trainer thinks it may in yours, he is the one that knows you and your horse.
When he balks, is he spooking? That fact that he will back himself into objects gives me the impression that he is panicking and spooking. In any event, I don’t know that either a whip or spurs are quite the right answer in this case. Ultimately, you have to restore forward motion; or at the least, “sideways” motion, which is better than backwards motion!
Give you give some specific instances of when he balks and does this?
Does he give “signals” before he actually starts balking? (Most horses do.) In most cases, it is really important that the rider recognize these signals, and start getting his attention before he decides to panic and start backing. Again, if you can’t get him to go forward, it often can work just as well to get him to turn to the side, or sidepass, or do a rollback, etc etc. Because you are getting his feet to move in a “forward” type of way, even though it might not actually be straight forward. And if you can get him to pay attention to you to do these things, then the balking often stops b/c now he’s paying attention to you, instead of whatever is scaring him.
I am hoping it is a temporary thing.