Getting a horse used to spurs

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Getting a horse used to spurs

Postby blob » Sat Jul 30, 2022 11:51 pm

I'm really struggling to get RP used to spurs. If I use the spur even once he gets super tense--chomping on the bit, dropping his back, losing his rhythm, swapping leads in canter if I use my leg at all. It becomes a total mess. At first I thought maybe I was using the spur too much by accident, but even I take them off part way through he's like this. And then it takes me about 2 rides without spurs to get him back to normal.

I would like to get him used to them, especially as we start looking towards more collection and lateral work and obviously his intolerance of them is a training issue, imo. But it doesn't seem to be getting better.

I've been trying for awhile now and I don't mind it taking time, but it seems to not even be progressing.

Any suggestions?

I've been using very very tiny children's spurs that have about 1/4 inch nub, but they are flat/not rounded

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Re: Getting a horse used to spurs

Postby StraightForward » Sat Jul 30, 2022 11:55 pm

I like the Spursuader spurs. They are like a flat knob so the don't feel pointy on the horse's side. Obie would buck if I touched his sides with a regular spur in the canter, but the Spursuaders were perfect. I think they also make some that are like a rubber knob. I bet you could even make something like that by putting a hole in a superball or something and stuffing it onto a regular spur.
Keep calm and canter on.

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Re: Getting a horse used to spurs

Postby exvet » Sun Jul 31, 2022 2:09 pm

I know you do in hand work. How is he when you ask him to bend when he is in hand? I use the handle of my whip when on a small circle to first introduce the idea of bending in the rib cage/moving the rib cage away from the pressure and stepping under with the inside hind. Brandon at first got upset with this but now realizes it's an aid and that I'm not trying to beat him LOL. I have yet to use spurs on Brandon and anticipate that he's going to be a wee bit tense at first too. I'm hoping that by asking him to bend regularly in hand the way I've been taught to do will eventually translate into acceptance of the spurs when applied appropriately. I use large knobs to start with because they seem smoother and disperse the pressure over a slightly larger area. Mine seem to be a century old so I don't even remember what they were called when I bought them, nor do I see them advertised anymore; but I find them to be well tolerated.

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Re: Getting a horse used to spurs

Postby Chisamba » Sun Jul 31, 2022 3:50 pm

I gently lay the spur against them and just hold my keg there with no pressure until the horse tolerates it, then remove. This at the halt. Then still at the halt I take a but if extra inside bend. Touch with the spur and ask fie the hirsebto yield the hind end. I'd turn on the forehand. We have nit even taken one step forward yet. Lol. If the horse gives the wrong reaction, I simply continue to quietly ask for the TOF until I get a relaxed step then I remove my leg.. I will then do my ten minute warm up at the walk, touching with the calf and adding the spur to get leg yield, quarter TOF etc. I use a short prince Edward spur.

I was trained in the old tradition, spur for lateral, leg and whip for forward. Both are simply a touch.

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Re: Getting a horse used to spurs

Postby Lipsmackerpony88 » Sun Jul 31, 2022 5:01 pm

Chisamba wrote:I gently lay the spur against them and just hold my keg there with no pressure until the horse tolerates it, then remove. This at the halt. Then still at the halt I take a but if extra inside bend. Touch with the spur and ask fie the hirsebto yield the hind end. I'd turn on the forehand. We have nit even taken one step forward yet. Lol. If the horse gives the wrong reaction, I simply continue to quietly ask for the TOF until I get a relaxed step then I remove my leg.. I will then do my ten minute warm up at the walk, touching with the calf and adding the spur to get leg yield, quarter TOF etc. I use a short prince Edward spur.

I was trained in the old tradition, spur for lateral, leg and whip for forward. Both are simply a touch.


I just started using a spur on Lynx and my understanding is how you described (spur for lateral not forward.) Is this something you feel should be introduced fairly early for the horse or later on?

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Re: Getting a horse used to spurs

Postby Kyras_Mom » Sun Jul 31, 2022 7:32 pm

No help here. I have never felt the need for spurs on Kyra. I think I put them on her to show(eons ago). She had so much time off for my maladies and since being able to ride again, I just haven’t felt the need for them. However, as our lateral work gets more sophisticated, I may put them on. She has tolerated them fine. Mine have the little roller ball on them. Sometimes, a rowel works better than a knob spur.

Perhaps a session or two as described by Chisamba can get through to him with more relaxation?

Susan

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Re: Getting a horse used to spurs

Postby Chisamba » Sun Jul 31, 2022 9:11 pm

Lipsmackerpony88 wrote:
Chisamba wrote:I gently lay the spur against them and just hold my keg there with no pressure until the horse tolerates it, then remove. This at the halt. Then still at the halt I take a but if extra inside bend. Touch with the spur and ask fie the hirsebto yield the hind end. I'd turn on the forehand. We have nit even taken one step forward yet. Lol. If the horse gives the wrong reaction, I simply continue to quietly ask for the TOF until I get a relaxed step then I remove my leg.. I will then do my ten minute warm up at the walk, touching with the calf and adding the spur to get leg yield, quarter TOF etc. I use a short prince Edward spur.

I was trained in the old tradition, spur for lateral, leg and whip for forward. Both are simply a touch.


I just started using a spur on Lynx and my understanding is how you described (spur for lateral not forward.) Is this something you feel should be introduced fairly early for the horse or later on?


If you are good at using your leg and using the spur separately use as needed. I tend to add the spurs when I want to add oomph to my half pass. Lol.

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Re: Getting a horse used to spurs

Postby blob » Sun Jul 31, 2022 9:57 pm

Thanks for the suggestions, Chisamba and Exvet.

yes, I definitely don't need the spur for the forward, but it is a tool he should be tolerant of, esp as lateral work becomes more sophisticated.

Exvet--I do in hand work with him, but I usually do not need to hold the whip on him. But it's a good suggestion to physically use the end of the whip on him to get him used to feeling different things on his side.

Chisamba--it's a good suggestion, but right now even just that light tough of spur gets him unglued for the bulk of the ride. Perhaps I can start in hand and then move back to under saddle. and maybe I should wear them at first on days when we are only hacking or doing a stretch ride or something else very low pressure.

I know that I can get him used to them, I just would like to do it in a way that doesn't create unncessary anxiety for him and right now it's definitely doing that.

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Re: Getting a horse used to spurs

Postby khall » Sun Jul 31, 2022 10:52 pm

Blob I often use my fingers as pokeys ( technical term there!) when I’m working in hand. I use the whip for energy and activation sometimes direction when needed but once they understand the lateral exercises I use my fingers to help with the exercise.

Joplin I never ride with spurs. Not that I think she would care I just frankly don’t need them. Sideways is way easy for her. Gaila I do if I’m riding with a saddle I don’t if I’m riding bareback. Rip went with them definitely. For the WBs I use the longer ones. Usually blunt but sometimes rowel.

Do you ride with a whip?

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Re: Getting a horse used to spurs

Postby Chisamba » Mon Aug 01, 2022 12:30 pm

blob wrote:Thanks for the suggestions, Chisamba and Exvet.

yes, I definitely don't need the spur for the forward, but it is a tool he should be tolerant of, esp as lateral work becomes more sophisticated.

Exvet--I do in hand work with him, but I usually do not need to hold the whip on him. But it's a good suggestion to physically use the end of the whip on him to get him used to feeling different things on his side.

Chisamba--it's a good suggestion, but right now even just that light tough of spur gets him unglued for the bulk of the ride. Perhaps I can start in hand and then move back to under saddle. and maybe I should wear them at first on days when we are only hacking or doing a stretch ride or something else very low pressure.

I know that I can get him used to them, I just would like to do it in a way that doesn't create unncessary anxiety for him and right now it's definitely doing that.


Then put them on at the end of your ride. Touch him with them and when he tolerates it get off. I if I have a horse that over reacts to the leg I use it more not less. If you had a horse that over reacted to being girthed would you ride it without a girth? Or take the time to get it comfortable with the girth. Same principle

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Re: Getting a horse used to spurs

Postby blob » Mon Aug 01, 2022 2:07 pm

Chisamba wrote:
Then put them on at the end of your ride. Touch him with them and when he tolerates it get off. I if I have a horse that over reacts to the leg I use it more not less. If you had a horse that over reacted to being girthed would you ride it without a girth? Or take the time to get it comfortable with the girth. Same principle


To be clear, the whole point of this post is that i DO want to get him used to it. I'm not trying to ride without the girth, so to speak. I am just looking for more tools to get him used to it as the usual ones have not been very effective. I absolutely want to take the time to get him used to them, hence the post in the first place.

and as I said in the beginning, I do consider this a training issue.

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Re: Getting a horse used to spurs

Postby blob » Mon Aug 01, 2022 2:41 pm

khall wrote:
Do you ride with a whip?


Sometimes! Most of my rides on RP are without whip or spur. But I have used whip with him plenty and he understands it. Having said that, at first he did not do well with the whip so I spent a long time getting him used to that as well. it's important to me that he tolerates and understands whip and spur even if they're not every day things.

MM goes with whip and spur :lol:

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Re: Getting a horse used to spurs

Postby Chisamba » Mon Aug 01, 2022 4:26 pm

blob wrote:
Chisamba wrote:
Then put them on at the end of your ride. Touch him with them and when he tolerates it get off. I if I have a horse that over reacts to the leg I use it more not less. If you had a horse that over reacted to being girthed would you ride it without a girth? Or take the time to get it comfortable with the girth. Same principle


To be clear, the whole point of this post is that i DO want to get him used to it. I'm not trying to ride without the girth, so to speak. I am just looking for more tools to get him used to it as the usual ones have not been very effective. I absolutely want to take the time to get him used to them, hence the post in the first place.

and as I said in the beginning, I do consider this a training issue.


I did not intended to sound critical. I simply intended to change your perspective. I still think slipping the spurs on at the end of the ride and doing very little would be worth a try

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Re: Getting a horse used to spurs

Postby Ryeissa » Mon Aug 01, 2022 6:10 pm

Hi Blob-We have a similar horse, so I understand the frustrations.
I decided that I would carry the whip every single ride, even on a simple ride, and it was "part of life".
My horse needs to just deal with it. The reaction to spurs and whip means the horse is sensitive but reactive- I want to point out the best dressage horses do have some of that neg. reaction I guess I would use them every ride for 2 weeks and keep getting regular feedback from a trainer. There is a balance there, but sometimes they just need to "get on with it" and have a pity party for 2 weeks and life can go on. I had to accept a bit of stuff- but low and behold, then it went away. Again, don't escalate to the point of real danger but being PO'd isn't the end of the word. you are an excellent rider and can get through it. You know how I am normally very slow and steady to the point of babying my horse. However, that worked against me in times like this when I just needed to expect the horse to adjust as long as I set everything up well. If you want to get over 2nd level they MUST have the ability to tolerate things.

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Re: Getting a horse used to spurs

Postby tlkidding » Mon Aug 01, 2022 8:29 pm

I would definitely try Chisamba's recommendation of putting them on at the end of the ride. Even literally at the end at the halt, then touch and relax and dismount. I'd also try wearing them on hacking days - that's how I introduced the double bridle so the only thing the horse had to deal with at first was just carrying the curb and not have to process me using it at all.

Both of my horses were ridden with spurs and a whip almost from the beginning - once I was sure they wouldn't launch me for using each gently. With both I ended up pulling of the spurs for opposite reasons (one was plenty responsive and the other is easy to make dull). But at least they know what they are and it shouldn't be a shock at PSG when they are required for showing.


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