Philosophy on Spurs

[billiebob]

I also firmly believe in “earning” your spurs. I normally don’t ride my horse with a spur, but every once in a while he needs a reminder. And I need a reminder to use my leg and not my heel all the time, which I am much more conscious of when wearing spurs.

I carry a crop for mostly every ride, unless I’m just riding around his pasture. It’s taken me a few years to desensitize horsey to my jumping bat, but I’d rather deal with him getting hot but listening as opposed to spooking and completely dead to the aids. Forward is NOT up for discussion in my book, it’s a demand.

[PNWjumper]

[QUOTE=jewll27;7133268]
I also believe that all riders should be taught how to use spurs, crops, etc. appropriately. The might not ness. need them, but its a good piece of knowledge to have in your riding knowledge bank.[/QUOTE]

I can’t tell you how much I wish trainers would teach EVERYONE how to hit a horse effectively with a crop! I don’t know how many times I’ve had to explain to people that one swift (and effective) swat is a heck of a lot kinder than 45 half-assed “pats” with the crop.

I have kids and adults out here to ride a horse or two through the summer to help keep the stay-at-home horses in shape while the show horses are showing, and by now my neighbors must think I run some sort of an S&M place. I swear I spend half of my time screaming at people to “HIT THE HORSE!” “THAT WASN’T A HIT!” “SHE DIDN’T EVEN FEEL THAT!” “HIT HER AGAIN!” rinse and repeat. And unfortunately there are too many nagging heels to allow spurs (so yes, people have to “earn” their spurs at my house too, though they aren’t students, just helpers).

It has turned into my greatest pet peeve. Why is it SO hard to learn to do more than ineffectually pat a horse with a whip?

[LSM1212]

[QUOTE=DMK;7132016]
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.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=VaqueroToro;7132200]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.[/QUOTE]

Both of these. I used to wear spurs on my gelding all the time. Now I ride him w/o. It all came back to re-educating him to react to my leg (completely my fault for letting him get THAT lazy to start with and ignoring spurs anyways). So the spurs came off and the dressage whip came out. If I closed my leg and didn’t get a response? One very swift and hard smack to make him jump forward. Then halt. Then ask with my leg again. Rinse and repeat as needed. Now I did have to repeat this exercise multiple times during our first few rides when I decided to do the “Come to Jesus” plan with him. But as time went by, he reacts to me closing my leg. Now I just carry the dressage whip (or crop/bat) just in case he forgets again. Which still happens from time to time. But usually one correction is all it takes to re-remind him.

VaqueroToro: What do you mean by box? Or double box?

@PNWjumper;7133377

by now my neighbors must think I run some sort of an S&M place. I swear I spend half of my time screaming at people to “HIT THE HORSE!” “THAT WASN’T A HIT!” “SHE DIDN’T EVEN FEEL THAT!” “HIT HER AGAIN!” rinse and repeat.

I’m sure this is the case where I am as well. When I was executing my “Come to Jesus” plan, I would warn other riders that… No, I’m not beating my horse or abusing him but he may shoot forward as a reaction.

[fatappy]

I’ve been thinking about this a lot. Specifically when the poster who said something about people not wanting to use spurs because of their horses being spoiled.

I really had to think if my horse was spoiled. She’s not. She is so sensitive that she responds to leg with 1 ‘ask’ every time. I do think her lateral work would be more ‘brilliant’ with a spur. But I am not after brilliance (yet). She is young and we’re both still learning. I am after consistency and quietness. The day the mare doesn’t respond to the leg - I’ll go to the whip. Then to the spur.

I think spur marks are inexcusable. You should never have so much leg so consistently to wear away hair, let alone skin.

[ParadoxFarm]

I ride with them almost every ride.

I went to a Will Simpson clinic a while back and heard him say to a rider who didn’t have spurs on, “I see you’re wearing your horse-lover spurs.” He suggested wearing them every ride.

[bornfreenowexpensive]

[QUOTE=fatappy;7136472]

I think spur marks are inexcusable. You should never have so much leg so consistently to wear away hair, let alone skin.[/QUOTE]

Spur marks are not always from using spurs. I have several thin skinned horses who get rubs even if the rider isn’t wearing spurs. I had a rider’s half chaps rub one.

I also ride very sensitive and hot TBs…always with spurs. I rode my 5 year old gelding tonight and was working on his canter transitions and some lateral work. For the canter, I basically whisper it with my leg an he explodes into it. And he is very responsive on the lateral work. So while I had my spurs on…I did not touch him with them. I then rode my two TB mares after him…with my spurs on…And didn’t use it on them either.

Just because they are on…doesn’t mean you use them. But they were there if I needed them.