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Horses lend us the wings we lack.

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Lift or Go? 
Pick the tool for the job

Today as I was toodling around on my horse commiserating to myself how hot it is and how I didn't particularly want to 'go' myself, I recalled a particularly hot night years ago teaching a student who was wearing spurs.

When I was learning to ride, I was told you were only allowed to wear spurs when your teacher 'graduated' you to this honor and in my head I was wondering who exactly had told this rider to be wearing spurs.  Because if I knew, I'd be putting a little ticky mark next to that instructor's name.  So I asked "When did you start wearing spurs and what was the reason for it?"

The answer I got was "Pretty much as soon as I got this horse. (their *first* horse, after a couple months of lessons.) It wouldn't go, so the instructor told me to wear spurs."  As I watched the legs flailing around even more.  

Yep. Ticky mark to the instructor.

So here's my two cents on this:

You shouldn't be wearing spurs until you can reliably keep your leg quietly on the horse with the heel away from the side of the horse.  (If you know me, you know I don't use that word should very often.  This is one of those times.  If you can't keep your leg quiet, you really shouldn't be wearing spurs.)

If you want your horse to go, you need to use your whip -- judiciously.  You ask the horse to go and see if it goes.  If it doesn't you ask again and follow it up with a tap of the whip behind your leg.  (This is because you are closing the door behind the horse.)   It's also important to review what you're doing to ask the horse to go!  If you've asked badly and then gotten on the horse about it, the horse will lose respect for you and 'the horse doesn't go' will be the tip of the iceberg.

If you want your horse to lift, you use the spurs.  Again, you're asking the horse to move away from the closed door.  In this case the closed door is under them.  And there are a lot of ways to get lift without using spurs.  Theoretically, spurs are not needed until you start with piaffe or passage -- and if you've done your homework well, you might not need them even then.  

Spurs will not make a horse go forward.  If you have a busy leg, they will eventually become noise and your horse will tune you out and loose respect for you.

This isn't to say 'never wear spurs' or 'never use spurs.'  Spurs are part of the equestrian toolkit and an educated equestrian uses their tools in an educated way.  Quiet legs can wear spurs and use them when they are meant to be used.  The goal is to develop quiet legs and use equipment in a benficial way.

I learned a little bit about spurs on a trip to Switzerland. As I was assigned my horse the lady casually reached behind her, grabbed a pair of spurs, and handed them to me.  I was shocked.  I'd just walked in and pretty much said, "I've been on a horse a few times and can ride ok."   And without batting an eye she gave me the name of a horse and a pair of spurs with insanely long necks on them and little rounded knobs at the end. While continuing to chat up the person in the office with her.   (Eek)

Getting on this fellow was a bit like climbing a small mountain.  Even their mounting block wasn't much help.  This horse was massive.  But I managed to haul myself on top. Nosebleed territory.

He was a dream!  No spurs required.  My initial dread of being on something roughly twice the size of any of my horses quickly morphed into total delight.  I was in heaven!  (At the end of the lesson, the instructor apologized for not being able to teach me anything.  Apparently they did hear me say "I've been on a horse a few times and can ride ok" and the teacher they gave me was the one who got the newbies. My lesson was basically a walk, trot, canter class.   I was like, who cares!  riding this horse was more than enough.  He was what every school master should be.)

What I learned, though, even if she didn't realize it, was that a longer spur is safer.  When my leg did want to roll, the side of the spur informed me quickly, before my leg could roll hardly at all, and helped to keep my heel away from the horse.

For this reason, I recommend long necked spurs with knobs.   

A lot of folks recommend the short necked spurs.  The problem with the short ones is that they don't give enough feedback for riders to know their leg is out of place and the little stobs end up banging into the horses' sides without their riders even knowing they're doing it.  If they are not round, they will also be sharp.  (and banging....) 

This is one of those counter-intuitive things.  You think the long neck means a heavier acting spur, only it's not.  The longer neck gives better feedback and helps to develop an even quieter leg.  AND spurs are not for go.   

Whips are for Go.  Spurs are for Lift.

Cheers!

L

Copyright © 07/07/16 Lynn S. Larson  
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I *love* these little books.  If you want to find out what the masters said, he's done all the leg work!

 

Masters of Equitation on the Trot: New Edition Masters of Equitation on Collecting and Lengthening Masters of Equitation on Canter: New Edition Masters of Equitation on Counter-Canter and Flying Changes

 

Masters of Equitation on the Trot: New Edit...
by Martin Diggle
Masters of Equitation on Collecting and Len...
by Martin Diggle
Masters of Equitation on Canter: New Edition
by Martin Diggle
Masters of Equitation on Counter-Canter and...
by Martin Diggle

 

 

 

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"The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn, the bird waits in the egg, and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities." 

~ James Allen