How To Use Spurs
By Gaye DeRusso
Spurs have been around for a long time, but they are highly misunderstood. When many people see a spur on a rider, they think they are abusive, but spurs are not made to abuse horses, they are to enhance your communication with the horse. Spurs are a piece of metal that goes around the heel of the rider and are held on by a piece of leather. There are many shapes and lengths of them as well as dull to sharp, I will explain this soon. The reason riders use spurs is to help the horse respond quicker to a cue and to clear up confusion when they are not understanding a cue by adding more pressure. They are a great tool if you have weaker legs and cannot apply much pressure when needed.
Before you consider wearing spurs you want to make sure you have a well-balanced seat, a quiet leg that does not move around much and steady hands. They are a tool that needs to be used correctly and quietly. They should not be used for every stride the horse takes and it should not be the first thing you use to get the horse to respond.
When riding, you use your seat, your calves, then your heel if the horse does not respond. Then if no response you use your spur. To use the spur, you rotate your foot outward like a duck and raise your heel till you feel it make contact with the horse. Once you get the desired response, you take the spur off the horse as the release. You always want to apply pressure in stages and the spur is the last thing you would use. It is to make the horse more sensitive and responsive to your leg and acts as a backup, if the horse does not respond. But always remember it is not the first thing you use; it is the last.
When wearing spurs, it is best to put them low on your heels to start, so you do not hit your horse by accident with them. Shorter, dull spurs are best to start with, as you won't get a big response if you hit the horse by accident. The longer and sharper the spur, the more advanced rider you should be, as hitting a horse by accident with those kinds of spurs can cause a big reaction.
If you are over using your spurs or using too much spur, your horse may start to swish its tail, pin its ears, or kick out. If this is happening, try to use the spur less and use lighter pressure. Sometimes alternating between a dressage whip and spurs is the better way to go. When you use the spur or whip, you also start with light pressure then increase if the horse does not respond.
Not every horse need spurs, the sensitive ones usually do not need spurs, but the dull, unresponsive, or stubborn horse can be so much better when ridden with them. This way it is much harder for them to ignore your cues. It is also a way to use less pressure with your leg, so you’re not exhausted when riding a dull horse. Sometimes just having them on is enough that the horse responds, just because they know you have them on, and just touching them once with them gives you a more responsive horse.
When I use spurs I use them mostly for lateral work, not going forward. I like to use the dressage whip when I need more forward and give light taps. But when bending, doing leg yields, side pass and turns, the spurs help the horse to understand the cue better. Also, a horse that leans in has a hard time leaning on a spur, it is much harder to ignore then your leg.
Now some sensitive horses prefer spurs. Sounds crazy doesn't it, but they are so sensitive that a light touch with a spur is more comfortable for them then the bigger pressure of your leg. It is like using your finger to push them over vs your whole hand to push them over.
With gaiting, it can make a big difference in getting and holding your gait. You can use them to help round your horses back by tickling its belly with the spurs to ask it to use its abdomen and raise up its back. This is helpful when you have a horse that you are trying to get more on the trotty side, like going toward a fox trot. A spur can get you a little more speed in your gait. Sometimes your using too much pressure with your leg, which asks for too much speed and you keep going past the gait. If your horse paces, you can get the horse to do a lateral movement easier and get it back in gait.
So start with a shorter dull spur or one with a round ball on the end as these are the mildest. Once you have good control of the spur, if you need more response, then a longer spur or sharper spur will help. The ones with rowels won't rub the hair off your horse if you need to use it repeatedly but get ones without sharp edges.
If you wear cowboy boots, then western spurs are best. You will have to bend them to get them to fit correctly on your boot. The western spurs have a strap on top and none under the heel, so if the spur keeps moving then a rubber under strap can be added to help.
If you wear all terrain riding boots or English boots, then an English spur is best. They are easier to bend, and the leather strap goes over and under the foot to hold it in the correct position.
Always start with the spur low on your heel, so you know when you are engaging it. As you get better, if not much response from the horse you can put the spur higher on your heel and many boots have a little bump that sticks out to help hold the spur higher on the heel.
Remember spurs are to enhance your communication, not take it over. Always use your calves first, then heel then spur if no response and never kick a horse when wearing spurs.
Used correctly they can be a great addition to your riding aids and help your horse to understand so much easier. Remember most tools used correctly on a horse are helpful, but any tool used in the wrong way can cause harm. It is not the tool that is the issue but usually the user of the tool that is the problem.
Here are some links if you're looking to try spurs. I do receive a small commission if you use the links below and buy something. This helps support my pages, thank you for your support.
English spur with roller ball https://amzn.to/4bdGgSb
Dull short spur https://amzn.to/3vSvi4w
Short sharper spur https://amzn.to/3SdIatG
Rowel https://amzn.to/49c0gmq
Leather strap to hold spur https://amzn.to/3SdIatG
Western Spur dull https://amzn.to/3OgL2EM
Western with rowel https://amzn.to/3OHsduT
Leather strap https://amzn.to/3SxtyGS
Rubber under strap https://amzn.to/47TwK42
By Gaye DeRusso
Spurs have been around for a long time, but they are highly misunderstood. When many people see a spur on a rider, they think they are abusive, but spurs are not made to abuse horses, they are to enhance your communication with the horse. Spurs are a piece of metal that goes around the heel of the rider and are held on by a piece of leather. There are many shapes and lengths of them as well as dull to sharp, I will explain this soon. The reason riders use spurs is to help the horse respond quicker to a cue and to clear up confusion when they are not understanding a cue by adding more pressure. They are a great tool if you have weaker legs and cannot apply much pressure when needed.
Before you consider wearing spurs you want to make sure you have a well-balanced seat, a quiet leg that does not move around much and steady hands. They are a tool that needs to be used correctly and quietly. They should not be used for every stride the horse takes and it should not be the first thing you use to get the horse to respond.
When riding, you use your seat, your calves, then your heel if the horse does not respond. Then if no response you use your spur. To use the spur, you rotate your foot outward like a duck and raise your heel till you feel it make contact with the horse. Once you get the desired response, you take the spur off the horse as the release. You always want to apply pressure in stages and the spur is the last thing you would use. It is to make the horse more sensitive and responsive to your leg and acts as a backup, if the horse does not respond. But always remember it is not the first thing you use; it is the last.
When wearing spurs, it is best to put them low on your heels to start, so you do not hit your horse by accident with them. Shorter, dull spurs are best to start with, as you won't get a big response if you hit the horse by accident. The longer and sharper the spur, the more advanced rider you should be, as hitting a horse by accident with those kinds of spurs can cause a big reaction.
If you are over using your spurs or using too much spur, your horse may start to swish its tail, pin its ears, or kick out. If this is happening, try to use the spur less and use lighter pressure. Sometimes alternating between a dressage whip and spurs is the better way to go. When you use the spur or whip, you also start with light pressure then increase if the horse does not respond.
Not every horse need spurs, the sensitive ones usually do not need spurs, but the dull, unresponsive, or stubborn horse can be so much better when ridden with them. This way it is much harder for them to ignore your cues. It is also a way to use less pressure with your leg, so you’re not exhausted when riding a dull horse. Sometimes just having them on is enough that the horse responds, just because they know you have them on, and just touching them once with them gives you a more responsive horse.
When I use spurs I use them mostly for lateral work, not going forward. I like to use the dressage whip when I need more forward and give light taps. But when bending, doing leg yields, side pass and turns, the spurs help the horse to understand the cue better. Also, a horse that leans in has a hard time leaning on a spur, it is much harder to ignore then your leg.
Now some sensitive horses prefer spurs. Sounds crazy doesn't it, but they are so sensitive that a light touch with a spur is more comfortable for them then the bigger pressure of your leg. It is like using your finger to push them over vs your whole hand to push them over.
With gaiting, it can make a big difference in getting and holding your gait. You can use them to help round your horses back by tickling its belly with the spurs to ask it to use its abdomen and raise up its back. This is helpful when you have a horse that you are trying to get more on the trotty side, like going toward a fox trot. A spur can get you a little more speed in your gait. Sometimes your using too much pressure with your leg, which asks for too much speed and you keep going past the gait. If your horse paces, you can get the horse to do a lateral movement easier and get it back in gait.
So start with a shorter dull spur or one with a round ball on the end as these are the mildest. Once you have good control of the spur, if you need more response, then a longer spur or sharper spur will help. The ones with rowels won't rub the hair off your horse if you need to use it repeatedly but get ones without sharp edges.
If you wear cowboy boots, then western spurs are best. You will have to bend them to get them to fit correctly on your boot. The western spurs have a strap on top and none under the heel, so if the spur keeps moving then a rubber under strap can be added to help.
If you wear all terrain riding boots or English boots, then an English spur is best. They are easier to bend, and the leather strap goes over and under the foot to hold it in the correct position.
Always start with the spur low on your heel, so you know when you are engaging it. As you get better, if not much response from the horse you can put the spur higher on your heel and many boots have a little bump that sticks out to help hold the spur higher on the heel.
Remember spurs are to enhance your communication, not take it over. Always use your calves first, then heel then spur if no response and never kick a horse when wearing spurs.
Used correctly they can be a great addition to your riding aids and help your horse to understand so much easier. Remember most tools used correctly on a horse are helpful, but any tool used in the wrong way can cause harm. It is not the tool that is the issue but usually the user of the tool that is the problem.
Here are some links if you're looking to try spurs. I do receive a small commission if you use the links below and buy something. This helps support my pages, thank you for your support.
English spur with roller ball https://amzn.to/4bdGgSb
Dull short spur https://amzn.to/3vSvi4w
Short sharper spur https://amzn.to/3SdIatG
Rowel https://amzn.to/49c0gmq
Leather strap to hold spur https://amzn.to/3SdIatG
Western Spur dull https://amzn.to/3OgL2EM
Western with rowel https://amzn.to/3OHsduT
Leather strap https://amzn.to/3SxtyGS
Rubber under strap https://amzn.to/47TwK42