hello guys!!!

Should Spurs Be Used?

In my opinion, they shouldn't.
what do you all think?

they should be used when you are at the level that they can be used as subtle, clear signals for more advanced work. they should never be used by an inexperienced rider or by someone trying simply to deal with a lazy horse. spurs aren't solutions to a problem, but a more advanced riders' tool.

so in simpler terms, yes AND no.

I agree, used properly they are an aid like a riding crop. They should only be used be someone who knows what they are doing. It also depends on the horse you use spurs on my gelding you better be able to ride a PRCA bucking horse. But If you are to ride our mare, you have to ride in spurs. The ones that we use are just a simple blunt end cross.

So like the previous post yes and no

Oh, They are also not a fashion accessory.

Ditto! I have a pair of blunt schooling spurs that I use, I never gig a horse w/them.

I am using blunt (-ish) western spurs right now for a mare I am teaching to work strictly off leg (no bridle) they work great, but you can overdo it and just end up with an aggravated, confused horse

I agree with all of the previous posts.. the answer is both yes and no. Depends on the rider's experience, what you're training for, AND the horse.

My Arab mare is very sensitive, and I trained her to use mostly leg aids, and very minimal aids from the reins. With her, I just needed to use my body.. if I had used something like spurs with her, due to her sensitivity, she would have FREAKED out.


I personally HATE using a riding crop.. I've been dumped one too many times by a horse that just doesn't like to be popped [no matter how lightly it may be]. So for horses that need that extra aid, I like my dull tipped spurs. I personally feel they work great for teaching horses to work off the leg.. over time, I always wean them off, to where you're not riding with any extra hardware.

Sorry- need to explain that one more clearly lol. The rowels have no barbs or points. They are more in the shape of very gently rolling "waves" or "bumps" and they just role.

The answer;
How good are your legs
If they are good enough you can ride with the most hateful of spurs and never touch your horse
or
You can ride with the nicest of spurs and leave spur marks.

When you are good enough you can add artificial equipment, you should be able to "just" touch your horses side for .5 seconds and leave it alone.

If you have a dead sided horse, maybe he's just been trained to ignore the leg, since it is always flopping around, banging, squezzing,hitting,gripping.
He's just doing what it's been taught.

Want to know if you legs good enough, look @ your saddle and your boots/chaps, there shoudn't be rub marks from your leathers.

I almost always ride with spurs. I use a dull rowel and its just a training aid. I don't think it's for everyone as you had better know what you are doing or it could be rodeo time. Also it is very effective so used wrong it will seriously confuse a horse and make a horse worse. I start all my horses with spurs on, this way they are used to them if someone else was to ride with spurs later in life. I don't want the horse jumping out from under them because it has never felt steel before. After a few weeks I usually don't have to touch the horse with them, leg pressure works just fine.

I agree but also the best of riders can use spurs wrongly. You get out there in the ring jumping, or doing a reining pattern, and the adrenaline gets pumping sometimes you squeeze too hard but you know better.

I believe spurs are great if you remember you have them on. I ride some horse with and some without and it slips my mind whether I have them on or not. They make the communication process exact and quick in the right situations too.

Yes and no.

No because some riders legs aren't strong enough to use them correctly,thus defeating the reason for them. Also for simply a lazy horse it creates a crutch actually. Because they lose sensitivity to leg and thus aren't as responsive.

Yes because they can be a great training tool if used correctly.

No, I lean towards not using spurs. A stick and a tap on the rump is all that is required, to get my horse to move if she is feeling stubborn.

If she is hit on the rump to hard she will demonstrate her disaproval. That tail can have some force behind it if the horse is annoyed.
Another lesson My horse has taught me. If I am angry with her, she also feels the same about me. Thats the time to start to sing, and I had better make it in tune.

Spurs No.

I never ride without spurs, in fact i never take them off my boots. If the horse i am riding dosnt require them then i simply dont touch them to their sides. If you dont have that much control, dont wear them.