Do you use spurs?

mimi31 · 02-06-08, 01:53 PM

Growing up riding we would often wear and use our spurs on some of the more difficult horses. Many times a tap with the spurs would be the extra motivation a horse needed. Do you ever use spurs when you ride?

equinolo · 02-06-08, 09:28 PM

Nope, I've never had a horse that was trained in such a way that they needed to be poked with metal in order to yield to leg pressure. I've had friends with horses like that, but I think its just a problem of not being quiet enough in the legs and the horse being confused a bit.

outie · 02-07-08, 11:49 AM

I dont want to offend anyone here that does use spurs but I really dont see the point in harming an animal to make it do what you want. If something like this was poked into your ribs or any other part of your body dont you think you would be a little PO'd?

SaddleSore · 02-07-08, 01:12 PM

I abhor the use of spurs. There is a type of spur that is just a ball on a stick, nothing pokey, and that wouldn't be so bad. But most people use the kind that are sharp and pointed, and I don't think that any animal needs or deserves that.

sheena · 02-08-08, 08:43 AM

A dull, non poking spur is fine. It simply acts as a riding crop. Horses are thick skinned and sometimes the more thicker skinned ones need a bit more pressure. That said, there is a difference between pressure and pain. I would never use a spur with even the remotest sharpness to it. Those are cruel.

mimi31 · 02-08-08, 02:44 PM

I feel I must clarify after reading all these posts. I grew up on a cattle ranch and spent hours on horseback since I was about 8 years old. Often we would purchase horses that were not completely trained to use for checking cattle, brandings, etc. We only ever used dull spurs and would have never used anything to harm a horse in anyway.

HairyHorse · 02-08-08, 06:01 PM

Still, is it not possible to train them any other way? You say that they were not completely trained, so why not just bring that training to completion before resorting to spurs?

mimi31 · 02-08-08, 09:22 PM

We would purchase the horses partially trained because it was cheaper and we needed them to get the work done around the ranch. I'm sure there is another way to "complete" the training but we were not horse trainers. We had many horses, endless work on the ranch and not a lot of time to put into the training of the horses.

02-06-08, 01:53 PM	#1 (permalink)
mimi31 Member Join Date: 02-01-08 Location: NY Posts: 50	Do you use spurs? Growing up riding we would often wear and use our spurs on some of the more difficult horses. Many times a tap with the spurs would be the extra motivation a horse needed. Do you ever use spurs when you ride?

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02-06-08, 09:28 PM	#2 (permalink)
equinolo Member Join Date: 02-01-08 Posts: 25	Nope, I've never had a horse that was trained in such a way that they needed to be poked with metal in order to yield to leg pressure. I've had friends with horses like that, but I think its just a problem of not being quiet enough in the legs and the horse being confused a bit.

02-07-08, 01:12 PM	#4 (permalink)
SaddleSore Member Join Date: 10-12-07 Posts: 233	I abhor the use of spurs. There is a type of spur that is just a ball on a stick, nothing pokey, and that wouldn't be so bad. But most people use the kind that are sharp and pointed, and I don't think that any animal needs or deserves that.

02-08-08, 08:43 AM	#5 (permalink)
sheena Member Join Date: 02-02-08 Posts: 25	A dull, non poking spur is fine. It simply acts as a riding crop. Horses are thick skinned and sometimes the more thicker skinned ones need a bit more pressure. That said, there is a difference between pressure and pain. I would never use a spur with even the remotest sharpness to it. Those are cruel.

02-08-08, 02:44 PM	#6 (permalink)
mimi31 Member Join Date: 02-01-08 Location: NY Posts: 50	I feel I must clarify after reading all these posts. I grew up on a cattle ranch and spent hours on horseback since I was about 8 years old. Often we would purchase horses that were not completely trained to use for checking cattle, brandings, etc. We only ever used dull spurs and would have never used anything to harm a horse in anyway.

02-08-08, 06:01 PM	#7 (permalink)
HairyHorse Member Join Date: 02-02-08 Posts: 50	Still, is it not possible to train them any other way? You say that they were not completely trained, so why not just bring that training to completion before resorting to spurs?

02-08-08, 09:22 PM	#8 (permalink)
mimi31 Member Join Date: 02-01-08 Location: NY Posts: 50	We would purchase the horses partially trained because it was cheaper and we needed them to get the work done around the ranch. I'm sure there is another way to "complete" the training but we were not horse trainers. We had many horses, endless work on the ranch and not a lot of time to put into the training of the horses.