I have excellent rider friends who never wear spurs (dressage friends).
I have other excellent rider friends who sometimes wear spurs.
And others, including myself, who wear spurs each ride every ride.
So… wha bout you?
Every day, every ride. Except for backing the babies, which I don’t do anymore…
My horse is in the middle of a rehab after 7 weeks off, 3 of those on stall rest. Prior to that, I wore spurs every ride, every time (don’t go to battle unarmed). I didn’t use them much, but I had them if necessary. Since starting rehab, I have not worn spurs as I can’t go in and out of the tack room multiple times (horse is also on quarantine due to infectious agent involved with need for rest). I have found that I don’t really miss them, but it’s not like I’m doing a bunch of lateral work or collection or any jumping at all. I will probably return to wearing them when I can travel freely between horse and tack room 
Most dressage people do use spurs. One can give a more discrete aid with a spur. The thought is finesse, not stabbing.
For me, depends on the horse and depends on the work. If the big guy is out of shape and I’m doing basic working and conditioning-no, if he’s in decent shape and we are “working” yes. If I’m on the littler (but still pretty big guy), not normally, but if there are “scary” jumps, yes. I know some say to always wear them b/c you don’t go to battle unarmed… I just don’t trust myself that much, I’m always afraid if I get used to having them I’ll nag with them. And always when going XC.
I also don’t use them on lazy horses for fear of nagging and just masking the real issue of the horse not respecting the aids.
Every ride on my current two ponies. If I don’t need them, I don’t use them. I definitely use them for jumping, because I’m not good enough of a rider to take my hand off the reins and smack with the crop at the crucial moment (usually when they’re backing off the jump the last two strides).
I figure that if you need them, you have them; if you don’t, you don’t use them.
My Main man, I wear spurs daily, he’s a plug! But I only use them when needed… just to remind him every so often.
My mare I recently sold never had spurs on for flatting or show jumping, had them for cross country as back up, but wore them really low on the heel and pointed them down as much as possible.
New mare doesn’t get spurs worn. Depends on the horse and the rider and the situation.
I find that I nag less with spurs than without.
And I can keep my leg MUCH more quiet. In dressage especially, I find that I can keep my leg quiet and long for the simple reason that I do not have to move my leg as far to make contact with my heel.
When I used to start babies, I did not wear them until I started using leg.
I also use a nubby spur most of the time with the younger ones and then graduate to a longer spur (I like the Stubben Roller Spur) with more training.
The point is to NOT jab but to touch and to train that the touch means respond.
I have never worn spurs other than one pony when I was about 8 and to be honest, I’m not sure they did much because I wasn’t quite sure on how to use them at the time.
I think that I need them now for my new horse and will eventually start to use them. I’m trying to get him a bit more off the leg first without the help of spurs. I do however use a crop almost 100% of the time, whether I actually use it or not.
[QUOTE=riverinthewoods;8687346]
I have never worn spurs other than one pony when I was about 8 and to be honest, I’m not sure they did much because I wasn’t quite sure on how to use them at the time.
I think that I need them now for my new horse and will eventually start to use them. I’m trying to get him a bit more off the leg first without the help of spurs. I do however use a crop almost 100% of the time, whether I actually use it or not.[/QUOTE]
Sounds like you need to follow up leg with a whip correction if he doesn’t respond immediately. I would use a dressage whip to tap him behind the girth, but that’s just me.
I wear them in my dressage lessons twice a month, but not really in between.
I don’t find the need.
If a person was very, very sure of their leg, then the spur can indeed be a finesse tool…I would hate to be the horse that has to put up with a constant banging
from a too loose leg. Good way to deaden the sides.
Sometimes, if a horse is dying in the movement, a quick little touch with the spur will wake him up, but I don’t agree with them for anything more and definitely never for punishment. I want a horse confident in everything the rider does.
It is too easy to fall into the trap of using the spur ‘just because it is handy’, rather than thoughtfully…same as for the stick.
We try to lessen the ‘noise’ - every single movement of the rider should be, ideally, to convey a message. Balance begets balance.
That’s my view, but what would I know compared to some.
[QUOTE=Winding Down;8687355]
Sounds like you need to follow up leg with a whip correction if he doesn’t respond immediately. I would use a dressage whip to tap him behind the girth, but that’s just me.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, right now I use a stick which helps. I prefer a whip but get a little too handsy with not taking my hand off the rein.
[QUOTE=Winding Down;8687309]
I find that I nag less with spurs than without.
And I can keep my leg MUCH more quiet. In dressage especially, I find that I can keep my leg quiet and long for the simple reason that I do not have to move my leg as far to make contact with my heel.
When I used to start babies, I did not wear them until I started using leg.
I also use a nubby spur most of the time with the younger ones and then graduate to a longer spur (I like the Stubben Roller Spur) with more training.
The point is to NOT jab but to touch and to train that the touch means respond.[/QUOTE]
Maybe this would be different if my legs weren’t so short that I never have to reach with my heel… it’s very solidly on their side no matter how long my stirrups go! :lol:
I have the little bity nubby ones, they seem to work well or at least they have a great placebo effect on me. Hopefully I’ll be getting back in semi-regular lessons soon and can maybe try some other types eventually… but while I’m not riding with anyone with any consistency, I like to keep everything as basic as possible.
I wear mine pretty much every ride, aside from some days when I’m just taking my boy for a quiet trail ride. If he’s doing actual work, chances are I have my spurs on … I may or may not need to actually use them, but I like having them there, and they allow me to use more subtle leg aids.
I wear the all the time on my 9 YO, for lateral work and he can get sticky jumping. For my 5 YO I only wear them when I am too lazy to take them off my boot!
I don’t feel my lower leg is consistent enough to not accidentally jab them. So no for now.
I have not used them to date, but have recently started considered adding them. My horse can become very sticky on his way to fences he finds weird, and I’m getting sick of blowing our lead at every show. My understanding was that spurs were for sideways and refinement and not forward, but obviously they are being used in terms of forward too.
[QUOTE=Foxtrot’s;8687418]
I don’t find the need.
If a person was very, very sure of their leg, then the spur can indeed be a finesse tool…I would hate to be the horse that has to put up with a constant banging
from a too loose leg. Good way to deaden the sides.
Sometimes, if a horse is dying in the movement, a quick little touch with the spur will wake him up, but I don’t agree with them for anything more and definitely never for punishment. I want a horse confident in everything the rider does.
It is too easy to fall into the trap of using the spur ‘just because it is handy’, rather than thoughtfully…same as for the stick.
We try to lessen the ‘noise’ - every single movement of the rider should be, ideally, to convey a message. Balance begets balance.
That’s my view, but what would I know compared to some.[/QUOTE]
I agree with this.
I wear them at shows but rarely at home. I’ve been on horses that had learned to be “in front of the spur” but NOT in front of the leg. Blech.
But, like any tool, as long as they’re used correctly I guess it doesn’t matter how often you wear them. And for babies? No way, no how! That’s an E Ticket to lawn dart city for me :lol:
