Morning everyone, I am looking for your opinions and philosophy on spurs.
I am pretty averse to using training aids and I am stuck in the belief that proper training can fix anything.
TYIA!
Pretty much wear them on everything. They help to guarantee forward motion which develops impulsion, obviously all parts of proper training. Not all of the horses I ride “need” them, but since I usually ride upwards of 6 a day, it’s a little bit of a pain to take them on and off.
My philosophy is if they are on, I tend to use them in lieu of a prompt response to a light touch, so GM’s advice notwithstanding, I tend to ride without spurs every ride and try to be vigilant as to how much response I am getting from the least amount of pressure.
Sometimes I will add them when I’m not getting the point across, but usually I’m more likely to grab the dressage whip and use it behind my leg. But I’m probably an outlier in this regard.
Spurs should be used only by riders with an educated leg. That said, once the rider has such a leg, small spurs can be used on almost any horse without harm. The spur can be applied or not as needed.
Remember when we “earned our spurs”??? And I even started Western and had to demonstrate proper body control, posture and use of seat and leg before being allowed to strap them on.
They really are not a “training aid” just an extension of the leg that is sometimes needed and sometimes not but there if and when needed. I wear them all the time EXCEPT when I jumped in a show on my rather rotund mare-if (OK, when;)) my leg drifted back a bit, it was right at the widest point of her barrel and she would get the helicopter tail if the spur caught her. So I took them off after warming up…unless it was a 3rd trip when I needed to overcome HRH’s distaste for exceeding the 2 round limit stipulated in her contract:lol:.
You can always take them off but it’s sad if you need to correct something needing stronger leg then you can produce-like blocking a spook or a drift 2 strides in front of a fence- and have to let it go for later when a spur could nip it in the bud and correct it instantly. Same with a stick and, honestly, most of them know you have it so you really never need to use it.
By trying not to use “training aids” you sometimes create a lot of little bad habits and slow responses that can add up to problems mid course if they get a little distracted at the show or even just at home when you are trying to have a meaningful school.
I ride w/ them on everything-there are very few exceptions. They communicate a cleaner, crisper reaction from a horse as well as encouraging forward movement into the bridle and respect of the leg queues.
I am another who wears them all of the time. But I will add that I do not use them for forward impulsion and they are my last resort when a horse is sticky or slow. I carry a whip with all of my horses (none of whom are hot) for that purpose, and I go to the whip first 100% of the time. I use my spurs as a lateral aid (only) for both collection/connection work and also while jumping.
[QUOTE=pryme_thyme;7132001]
Morning everyone, I am looking for your opinions and philosophy on spurs.
I am pretty averse to using training aids and I am stuck in the belief that proper training can fix anything.
TYIA![/QUOT
I wear them on everything. I don’t always use them, but they are really nice to have when you need them.
[QUOTE=PNWjumper;7132147]
I am another who wears them all of the time. But I will add that I do not use them for forward impulsion and they are my last resort when a horse is sticky or slow. I carry a whip with all of my horses (none of whom are hot) for that purpose, and I go to the whip first 100% of the time. I use my spurs as a lateral aid (only) for both collection/connection work and also while jumping.[/QUOTE]
Exactly.
I ride mine primarily without. If I feel like I’m not getting a prompt response, my first go-to is bat or dressage whip behind my leg. If I feel like my mare’s been overall dull, I may put on a small spur for ride or two, to focus on response to my leg. As a rule, I do not use spurs on my giant gelding. As he’s much too large for me, my short (though educated) leg lies right about mid-barrel, and if my leg is in the correct position, it puts the spur in contact with him all the time. Therefore with him, I only use spurs as a last resort, as it’s difficult to apply them intermittantly. An educated leg is key, but I’m of the less-is-more philosophy, and don’t use spurs for every ride.
I prefer riding without them, but when you get more into lateral work, I like them for fine tuning. I do not use them as an aid to Forward.
Great responses, thank you, you all have me thinking.
I have used spurs in the past on ponies I used to ride when I was young. Mainly because my coach had all the more advanced students wear them as a part of the outfit.
I haven’t used them since, thinking there was no need since I could get the desired effect with my mare by enforcing forward in my training.
I will pick up the dressage whip when needed, I shouldn’t say I am completely averse to all training aids.
The lack of pace she gives me hasn’t been a big issue in the past as my goals were relaxation and no spook since she was just beginning her career and really, she had a better pace then since she was a bit spooky at the fences/ surrounding.
Now, that she is relaxed and spooking isn’t an issue, the pace has begun to slow despite the absurd amount of leg. I am hesitant to use my bat in a class where the ‘problem’ isn’t obvious, ie; attempted refusal/run outs. She can still make the distances and jumps no issue but I don’t want to accept ‘No’ for an answer. I fear as the jumps get over 3’ this might come back and bite me later.
(She is too smart and knows we are at a show and not at home- Pace isn’t an issue at home)
Would it be a good choice to try out the spur?
If you don’t use spurs or a whip, how do you back up your leg if your horse ignores it? Maybe you don’t have the pitiful leg strength that I do 
and you can always get a response from your leg? Not to be used all the time, but to keep them sharp and responsive. My gelding is very responsive to forward aids, but now that we’ve been working on leg yields, he could definitely use a reminder in the form of spurs.
I’m with you on this. I know myself, and I know to me personally they’re too tempting for overuse abuse which does nothing but deaden the horse to the aid. If my leg doesn’t get the desired result, I box or double box with heel. If that doesn’t work, out comes the stick.
If the above doesn’t work, then I use them, but try the horse the next ride without spurs to see if the point was taken.
Yes. It would be a good time and most prudent to start wearing a spur.
In the 3’ Hunters, you will see combinations at the rated shows-like a 3 to a 2 and even an occasional 3 to a 2 to a 2 vertical oxer oxer. You do NOT want to get into that 2 stride dead or drifting with another 2 stride following. BTDT and it gets ugly, gets downright scary if you want to go 3’3" or 3’6" the way they stuff and widen those oxers.
Best to be prepared for timely corrections in pace and track then face the consequences at the time and later trying to fix the fact they evaded and got away with it when it counted the most that they not evade.
You can always take them off if she schools up sharp and eager.
[QUOTE=hunterrider23;7132231]
Those are the ones who need the most leg.
I ride in them with the horses who are a little more resistant to moving off my leg. Not necessarily forward, but ones who like to lean or don’t want to bend. For getting forward I MUCH prefer having a stick with me.
If you as using a spur for forward, you are doing it wrong. Spurs are for sideways, crop is for forward.
(Almost) every horse, (almost) every ride. Better to have them and not need them than need them and not have them.
On a well schooled horse, they are more often used for subtle control and mostly in lateral work. I rarely use them as a “go forward” aid on my horse, but he is fairly electric off my leg. I DO use them for his lateral work and some other subtle cues.
But I do think they also serve a purpose in backing up the forward aid. I am a firm believer in squeeze, heels/spurs, whip. If a horse doesn’t respond appropriately to a subtle forward aid, I follow it up with spur. If it doesn’t respond to spur, it gets a swat. Rinse and repeat until it responds appropriately to a subtle aid.
I was taught whip and spurs every ride. I don’t follow that 100% (my horse is whip shy and quite forward, so I only carry my whip at competitions), but I do believe it is a valid principle.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
