Riding with spurs, OK OR NOT?: TRT Podcast - Episode 5

People notice that I never use spurs anymore. Therefore, one of the frequently asked questions I often receive is: ”What’s your opinion on spurs?”
In this episode, I will tell you all about it.
''It is not that I have never used spurs.''
But my years of experience training lots of different horses have changed my opinion about spurs over the years.
It’s all about the right mindset.
For yourself, and for your horse.
Curious about how I formed my opinion about spurs? Then check out the fifth episode of the TRT Podcast!
To learn more about TRT and my online training, go here: trtmethod.com/...

[@fimorama]

RESPECT for pinpoint this issue. When my daughter was working on a horse breading farm in NZ, she asked me :Daddy, do you remember you have told us that when you a child you where allowed to use spurs when you were considered “a good rider? Here the children can use the rein when they are “a good rider.” In my view, dressage rules shall be changed so it is possible to compete without spurs and double bridle on all levels.

[@maggiepie8810]

It's very interesting to hear your thoughts on this. I wholeheartedly agree that the spurs are a 'refining' aid in the sense that they allow the rider to use less visible aids, by making the leg sharper, not the other way around. In my case, though, I think that the feeling of just needing to think first came with spurs, as they forced me to keep my legs quiet and ride much more with my seat and centre of gravity. You could argue that they were more of a teaching tool for me as a rider than for the horse.

[@freddiebiscuit9703]

Listening to you was very interesting. SJ was my discipline and I would carry a whip but I have never in all my 40 years of horses worn spurs. The horse I competed on knew me inside out and I him. I can 100% relate to your comment about something simply becoming a thought because I could "think" how I wanted to approach a jump and my boy would read me equally I could read him the same way. He was very special as was our relationship but it is indeed a wonderful thing and a privilege to be a complete team of two and equals.

[@shannonkerr968]

Beautiful, as usual. Keep sharing 💛

[@yoravee]

Awesome. Understand your point. Thanks

[@catherinegoode4445]

So right!!

[@lillycatcerisedolls268]

❤ 🙏

[@benwatson5211]

My instructor makes a very clear point. The spur is a postural aid. It is asking the horse to use their abdominal muscles. It is not there to back up the dull leg. So the correct riding with spurs is separate the leg - move hind quarters (left, right or forwards) from the reach forward and use abdominals. I think that dummy spurs in most cases don't convey the use your abdominals message. One of those things of trying to be kind has lead to a misunderstanding. This creates an issue when you get sharper spurs and the horse backs off the leg. Using the spur at this point to make the horse forward of the leg is incorrect use.

[@SabinaCampbell]

If they have self carriage, they are already using their abdominals so no, spurs are still not right.

[@dianethomas9384]

I normally did not ride any horse with spurs. My horses did hunters, jumping and dressage. However, I had one horse who would not move if the rider was not wearing spurs, so I wore a very short Prince of Wales spur. Neither I nor am other rider ever had to use them. Britt just wanted it for dome reason. He also insisted you carry a crop. I could figure out why he wanted that - if a pesky fly was irritating him, he wanted it smashed, now! I had he horse until he died and it never changed. Rider up he would swing his head to check for crop and spurs and we were fine. Just don't forget the crop and spurs.

[@myronschabe]

Full stop the rules need to be changed such that spurs are optional as well as type of 'headgear' bridle with a bit or bitless, certainly double bridles should be optional..extreme harsh bits, certainly, should not be allowed, which is already covered. There is no logical reason that spurs and bits need to be required. Let the competition sort it out.

[@nadjaberyl1487]

Klaus Balkenhol is really great. 🙃 I know, this sentence alone doesn't say much...but then, on the other hand, it does...

[@mathewmurray5071]

Firstly, I really appreciate the podcast and have enjoyed every episode.. As a fellow Aussie who started riding on cattle property's. I was yelled at early "use those f##king spurs!!!" If a days mustering and having the cattle to show for it requires you to step up and preform your place in the team, any means fair to foul on what ever you have been given to ride. Get the job done. And mostly, like a young person entering the workforce for the first time it can come as a shock🤣🤣. But riding stock horses with lots of natural ability one also has to learn to leave them completely alone when everything is going fine. If the horse is any good , and spurs are used with timing and correctly. Eventually instinct takes over. A good horse should be to busy doing his job and you to busy trying to stay in the middle to worry about them to much. But I firmly believe that without them they can bludge. No harm in having them. Now, as an urban horseman traversing round about, traffic, bikes, footpaths noise, dogs and bins in a city environment I am 110% down with spurs. I simply often don't have the capacity for horses to have much choice. When there's gaps in the traffic they MUST step over the curb. They MUST step across to.let folks through. There's no choice in this environment and often no place for lunging or manuvering around to practice some training method of acceptance. Just because you wear them doesent mean you use them constantly. One thing English riders don't get. The bigger and closer the points on the Rowell the softer ther spur. Less prong . If you ever get a chance to wear a 2" or bigger buckaroo Rowell.spur. They are great for younger horses. They just roll with 0 prong effect. Just my bit. Cheers.

[@69Zuzzie]

I don’t really know how to express my thoughts in proper words. But if you ride in such areas maybe it’s not fair to do so? A horse should not have to do their exercise in that environment? So find someplace else to ride, and don’t use spurs. Unless you feel you have to dominate the horse with metal and/or wanna show off just because you can. The horse is a living, feeling creature that don’t deserve that treatment. 💚

[@katiesmith5862]

This totally reaffirms how I look at it despite people thinking I'm ridiculous. One horse was very bulky, reared, etc. Had someone even offer to chase him with a lunge whip while I rode because it had worked for them in the past. Horse stopped being dangerous and became a willing and happy partner without the spurs and other crazy motivators.

[@mariarnliasi2513]

Nobody rides with spurs on Islandinghorses

[@jobond3317]

Horse has more nerve ending humans. So it feels

[@jobond3317]

What a bit Is that taking away the horses choices

[@jadam-2024]

Appreciate your thoughts. If it’s of any value to anyone, spurs unfortunately have been used as a “more” aid over the last century. This was never their intent from original Vaqueros or cowboys. (I can’t speak to knights and what not). But in the original cowboy culture they were only there as a last ditch emergency. Vaqueros entire life goal was to get their horses as light and responsive as possible. So the thought that they needed to kick on them with heel pokers is incorrect. If you were in a narrow shoot with a Bull that decided to turn around and run back at you and you needed to MOVE NOW, this was their use. I’d agree with this gentleman’s sentiment that they’ve become too much of a weapon vs. a tool. Because I have longer legs I tend to use a rounded rowel so that I can actually reach the horse without a huge exaggerated movement in the 3rd position thus getting him to move his hind end around. More a western thing than an English.

[@ankymrn]

I’m not sure how spurs are used in English riding, but yeah, I’ve been delving into reining and so far spurs are used for framing a horse or actually slowing it down (never to speed up a gait or anything like that).

[@carolineratcliffe8723]

Such a fascinating and clear discussion. Thank you.

[@susanwalters9795]

Thanks for the talk Tristan. You always push my mind to think further about how I deal with horses, so inspirational and as another commenter said hopefully your way will be the norm in time. Just to add I am also not a fan of drop nosebands and would like your thoughts on that subject.

[@TheOldandslow]

Good morning from California

[@evelynbagnasco7293]

Wow, I so needed this translation!!!

[@EmmaEklund-q7l]

Interesting question. How have you taught your horse to ignore "Brett Kiddings" 100 cues? And only listen to your "real" cues for trot etc.?😂

[@Weltenseglerin]

Beautiful 🙏

[@seanorth]

Very well expressed and precisely hitting the nail on the head. Desired attentiveness from the pupil is sprung from the mentors own ability to only use subtle whispers in the communication. When the own expressions is toned down to a minimum of whispers… Then the mentor may discover that that was also the key to an ever lasting bond of rock solid trust, understanding and mutual respect.

[@jujucarroccio]

Love this! I haven’t used spurs in a very long time. I also believe ground work and balance in hand is absolute. Working and allowing the freedom of liberty movement has been eye opening. Still working on me more than him in clear communication has been challenging as well as under saddle. It is a journey. But the bond has grown to what I never thought could be. Thank you for sharing. I need to work on alignment from the ground to the saddle. 😉

[@Tina62261]

Thank you so much Tristan for sharing these podcast on why you do what you do with the horses I enrolled in your online courses mid December and it has been so enlightening and rewarding to have this map laid out, yet it includes the freedom to be creative in the moment I have been training with 7-10 different horses a week since I started and they are all doing so much better What drew me to you is that you believe a horse can have “self awareness and self management “ I was so relieved to learn how and more and more I am feeling my need to control them or make them slip away . The “Awareness Exercises” are life changing for the horses Thank you soooooo so much!😅❤😂

[@priscillaselden]

I think you're a magician. Wonderful! 👍🏾👍🏾

[@candidapratt3675]

That was so good your so wise its brill listening and, understansding, because you put things in such a easy way.

[@MariekeHollander]

It is soooo helpful to hear you explaining my thoughts. I'll send this video to the people who don't understand the way I treat my harness horse

[@jacquelineege7705]

The difference of indepent thinking vs learned helplessness. Great discussion.

[@PriscillaOberreiner]

Great podcast Tristan! ✨

[@annepettit2433]

Does FEI permit “dummy” spurs? (They have the look but no pointy parts.). USDF does. I can imagine that if a horse anticipates being poked they will brace, as we would if we were going to be poked or hit. A whole ride of that is no fun for either partner

[@ankymrn]

I wonder too... I guess You’d have to check out the official FEI rules and regulations, probably available on their website. But there’s also a brewing discussion about the use of the double bridle in dressage competitions.

[@evelynbagnasco7293]

How do I contact you? Please.

[@christinafragis7224]

Well said and well explained.

[@michellep9303]

Something to aspire to, I so appreciate this way of seeing, being. You challenge me to think better do better. for my horses. Thank you.