Are you allowed to show a horse with very obvious, very clear, fresh spur marks? What are the rules?
I believe the rule for elimination applies only to whether there is blood on the horse, nothing about marks.
TDs are educated as to how to determine whether blood is fresh. I have been told that it is checked by whether the blood spot in question blots off onto a towel or tissue. (In cases where itâs not obviously fresh to the eye). But I cannot find that in the rule book now.
All that the rule book references, that I can find (DR124), is a mention of blood in the area of the spurs as cause for elimination.
And I donât know how another rider can tell whether spur marks are âvery obviousâ or âfreshâ or âclearâ because horses have such varying degrees of skin thickness and hair thickness, and skin and hair sensitivity. It all varies from horse to horse, doesnât it?
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It isnât a written rule at my barn, but if we put spur marks on our horses, weâd better not have any plans to leave the property until theyâre gone or almost gone. I realize that no matter how careful we are, accidents happen and every horse is different - sometimes those marks arenât even actually spur marks, but theyâre from half chaps or boots or something else rubbing against the horse. (My last horse would get them in the spring and fall when new hair was coming in/falling out. As soon as I realized that the hair was wearing off, I started putting Vaseline or Corona all over his side and over the heel/spur of my boot.) Personally, if I had reasonably fresh spur marks on my horse for some reason, I probably wouldnât even bother showing. It is also likely that my trainer wouldnât even coach me because she wouldnât want to be known as the trainer who has the student with spur marks all over her horse!
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Itâs a blood rule, not a mark rule.
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As others have said Rubbing in the area where spurs touch the horse can be caused by things other than spurs, and the state of the horseâs hair coat (shedding, fresh clipped, long winter hair) plays a role.
If there was swelling, like a 2 inch flat hive, I have seen that caused by a horse allergic to the metal polish used on the spur. Over night that itchy horse bit at his sides so vigorously he made oozy bald spots.
OP⊠did you actually watch the rider create the marks in question with his/her spur?
My mare has incredibly thin hair and skin and gets spur rubs with the gentlest spurs I can find. I once came out of the show ring and was held by the TD while she put a tissue to my horseâs sides. I was so embarrassed. We passed the âtissue testâ but I bought a belly guard for my horse and ride in it all the time at home to keep the spurs from rubbing. The only time I ride without it is at the shows. This seems to have solved our problem.
I have a chestnut horse with white hairs sprinkled throughout his coat and several âspots.â Unfortunately, he has white spots that are symmetric on his sides, not quite, but near where a riderâs spurs would reach. He had them when I bought him 7 years ago from a much much taller rider who would have to have his knees under his chin to have made âspur marksâ there. Iâve had one judge make a comment ârider uses spurs too muchâ which I can only assume was related to the white spots since the horse sure doesnât need to be spurred in competition. Maybe they are old spur marks, but I donât think so. There is a coat pattern called rabino which is what I think I have. Either way, as was already stated, the rules address blood.
Yes.
As long as there is no blood.
Excessive use of spurs will get you lower scores in dressage and ultimately, could get you eliminated.
In Canada, itâs rule A517.3.c that address this problem umder Section A General Regulations. There should be something similar for the US.
I often volunteer as a ring steward and am usually instructed to watch for blood, not marks.
Dressage Rulebook: DR124 (n) â Elimination
Evidence of blood on a horse in the competition arena shall be cause for elimination from the class by the judge
at âCâ. Evidence of blood on a horse outside the competition arena shall be cause for elimination by competition management, after consultation with the technical delegate, from either the last class in which the horse com- peted or next class in which it is scheduled to compete, depending on which is closest to the time the incident occurred. Environmental causes such as insect bites shall normally not be cause for elimination.
General Rulebook: GR839: Cruelty to and Abuse of a Horse
The Federation or the Judge, Steward, or TD may appoint a veterinarian to inspect any animal in competition. Refusal to submit an animal for examination by an authorized veterinarian after due notification shall constitute a violation.
Any action(s) against a horse by a competitor or an exhibitor, which are deemed excessive by a judge, Federation steward, technical delegate or competition veterinarian, in the competition ring or anywhere on the competition grounds may be punished by official warning, elimination, or other sanctions which may be deemed appropriate
by the Show Committee. Such action(s) could include, but are not limited to excessive use of the whip, spurs, or bamboo poles.
I have a sensitive skinned horse,(and basically white, so everything shows) and a left leg that s somewhat less under control than my right. I have found that the roller ball spurs work absolutely the best for us. Mine even have an âedgeâ that is grooved like a dime.
Even though marks w/ no blood are âokâ its still sort of embarrassingâŠ
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I also used to have a chestnut horse and any spurs I used wore the hair off in little patches. German silver spurs can make quite noticeable black marks as the tarnish comes off on the coat.
Just wondering if any of you with thin-skinned horses have tried the roller spurs - either the ones with the ball-shaped roller, or the fat rowels. I know a few trainers who swear by rowel spurs as the roll over the skin rather than pulling at it like a typical spur might.
Iâve got the same problem with my horse showing spur marks. I have found that the roller, ball-shaped, spurs are the gentlest.
Lorilu, I have a pair of the âbe kindâ spurs with a fat roller/ball that rolls horizontally. They are very good for not putting marks on horses, and not rubbing off hair. However, they are so small and blunt that they donât do much good if you actually need a spur.
