So, when do you all use spurs while riding? Every ride? Only during a serious dressage or jump school, or while competing? Do you wear them when you’re just out hacking or doing conditioning work?
Just curious …
[QUOTE=Sticky Situation;7820958]
So, when do you all use spurs while riding? Every ride? Only during a serious dressage or jump school, or while competing? Do you wear them when you’re just out hacking or doing conditioning work?
Just curious …[/QUOTE]
I wear spurs pretty much every ride other than when riding a real green horse. I use them fairly rarely…my horses are generally very forward sensitive types.
The spurs I wear are impulse soft touch spurs…so they are very mild but I like having them just in case.
http://www.doversaddlery.com/stübben-dynamic-soft-touch-spur/p/X1-25217/
I wear them every ride and use them rarely.
If you can’t keep from touching the horse except when you mean to, don’t wear them.
I use long spurs on my TB because the way my leg falls I can barely reach him with them. I went without spurs for a while on my young horse, then had a ride which showed she actually can be lazy and so now I wear short spurs on her - and have probably used them twice, total. The way my leg falls on her my heels are far closer to her side and I wouldn’t trust myself in long spurs, thus the change in spurs between the two and why I just wasn’t bothering on her for a long time.
I wear small ones pretty much all the time when I ride. Better to have them and not need them than to need them but not have them. Like the others, I often don’t use them much during a ride, especially on my older horse. My younger TB is quite lazy so he sees them quite a bit more than the old guy.
They are there for when I ask nicely for a horse to move off my leg and he ignores me. I just use them to remind the horse that moving off the leg would have been a better choice. They are not punitive, just a more concentrated aid than leg alone.
On my big older lazy horse, when ever doing a serious school. He knows if I have them on and is more energetic from the get go.
The young horse is more of a hot tamale. I just started wearing spurs on the flat with him as he has progressed to the point where they are useful. When jump schooling I leave them off - forward is never a problem. When showing I do wear them as they are helpful for xc.
Never when just hacking or conditioning - got into that habit with my older horse, who gets spur rubs just by looking at spurs. Young horse is the definition of enthusiasm out and about anyway.
I wear them for all shows, lessons, and jump schools. I also wear them when I’m planning on doing a “serious” dressage school - working on lateral work, etc. I don’t have to use them too much except usually during the warmup to get my horse going. Once he’s in front of the leg, he usually stays there, but he’s pretty lazy at first. He also tends to need some help before the first few jumps of a jump school.
I use POW spurs.
Jack Le Geoff: “Never go to war without a gun - hat, gloves, stick and spurs.”
meaning, I think, the actual competitions.
Almost every ride, english (short POW) and western (long shank, 5 pt flat star rowel - something nice and not harsh). Competition for sure. Generally I like to try and keep everything the same in schooling and competition, works for me so I don’t bother change. My legs are so super long that they don’t come into contact with my horse’s sides unless I’m asking for a cue (or jumping length I have a pretty solid leg and am aware of keeping my spur off when it’s not required). So it’s nice that they’re always out of the way. Some horses that don’t need them I’ll take them right off or just be more wary. Trail rides or conditioning I don’t - relaxation time!
I wear my spurs every ride with only the rare occasion where I will remove them when I am riding a friend’s sensitive/stressy horse who can be very round over fences and will now and then have a very back cracking jump.
My own mare is 50/50 dwb-app, so she can be a little on the bored side. Not lazy per say but she tunes me out if she feels she knows what she is doing. If say my resting leg is a 1 (scale 1-10) and she doesnt respond to my 3, she gets a 6, then a little spur. This usually makes her pay attention for the entire ride.
I do like how George Morris uses them. Though, I am not a complete fan of his I do like how he will use a spur to ‘train a horse to leg’. Again, It is the same concept, ask, tell, demand. But never as a punishment, just to back up an aid.
Every horse is different in how they react and every rider is different in how they use them, however they should never be abused of course. IMO, and I may get hazed for this but, I prefer them to my whip since it is an extension of my leg. I will use them to sharpen an aid if required or give a clearer direction if I am working on say lateral work.
In general though, I don’t use them much but it is nice to have them if needed. I heard a great saying once. “Never go into battle without your sword.”
Every single stride?
Wait, um…
In all seriousness though I have a horse who has always been on the unmotivated side, and my leg is a bit long for his barrel. He is not overly sensitive (both in the sense of he doesn’t throw a hissy fit and he doesn’t get rubs) so it’s not a question of worrying about leaving them off.
I always, always have them on my boots. I always carry a dressage whip. I use them for different things, and only occasionally, but if I don’t have them when I need them the ride can rapidly spiral downward when Tristan realizes I don’t have the guns to back up my requests. (You’d think after 20 years he would not test boundaries in every ride. You’d be wrong.)
eta: We’re talking small (1/2") nubs, nothing longer or more intense. Just in the way of a more pointed reminder.
Every single ride. I never take them off my boots. If the horse is fresh and right off the track, I may take them off just in case they perform airs above ground that I need to use all methods to stay on during.
I use knob spurs whenever riding my oldest gelding who can sometimes be a bit lazy. The younger gelding is hotter and more forward and I do not ride him with a whip or spurs.
I just play it by ear. I warm up with them on and if he is nice and forward I will take hem off but if he is being sluggish I will leave them on.
Every ride.
I have a variety of them, but generally use the soft touch spurs, or a little knob spur. I have larger spurs for horses that my leg falls really long on, I would prefer to not have to lose contact with my whole leg in order to enforce my leg with a spur. My spurs very rarely make contact with the horses I ride, but it’s nice to have them if you need them.
Almost every ride but skip them while hunting. I use them almost exclusively for lateral reinforcement. Ask, tell, demand. I don’t need to encourage forward in any of mine!
Always… and I use them, very lightly, and never kick. My leg can be more steady and tight if I wear spurs because I do not have to move as much to touch the spur to the horse. My everyday spurs are very blunt and my competition dressage spurs are quite long, again so that I can ride with a still leg and just touch the spur to the horse.
Every ride. I have the black plastic ones and an impressively lazy TB
On my own pony… All the time, unless I forget 
I ride in medium length rounded spurs… And a dressage whip/jockey bat.
