Spur

Description

A spur is made of two U-shaped branches with a stem at its base and maintained by a belt on the level of ankle rider, on the boot or the shoe.

The rider carries the spur as soon as it reached a level allowing a fixity of the legs and as soon as it needs to mobilize the hips of the Cheval to the raising. In Jump of obstacles or cross-country race, the spur makes it possible to maintain the impulse while making it possible to more finely control the incurvation of the horse in the turnings. Contrary to an generally accepted idea, the spur is much more one tool of precision that a means of coercion. Its precision and its effectiveness made say to François Baucher: “the spur is a razor in the hands of a monkey”.

The spur is also used by the knight and goes up from there American. In this last case, one also uses it like tool of precision for example for the reining and the pleasure western , where the figures ask for detail. The prejudice according to which one uses the spur at corrective ends is false.

Form spurs

There exist the various shapes of spur. The length and the shape of the stem determine its action as well as the presence of a serrated roller with teeth or of a smooth serrated roller.

; Length of the stem

For a traditional spur the stem is generally of 20 or 35 Misters the stems of the American spurs for Western horsemanship are often longer. In fact, plus the rider fits long and more its feet, from their lower position, are found far from the body of the horse. Also, to preserve a fine contact, it is more adapted to be equipped with spurs with long stems.

; Presence of a serrated roller

the serrated roller is a metal disc turning freely around an axis on the level of the stem of the spur. It can be smooth or toothed. The smooth serrated rollers soften the action of the spur while making it possible this one to slip on the hair in the event of badly proportioned action. The larger the smooth serrated roller is and the more it softens the action. The serrated roller with teeth proportions slightly or hardens the action of the legs according to the length and the smoothness of the teeth as well as size of the serrated roller.

Accessories

Belts

The belts are used to maintain the spur fixed at ankle.

Sheath rubber

A rubber sheath can be adjusted on the branches of the spur. Its role is to hang the boot to prevent that the spur slips and goes down in bottom from the heel.

Models of spurs

General information

There exist many models of spurs on the worldwide market. Some are adapted to a equestrian Sport particular of other are more “generic”.

In a very general way, the choice of the spurs depends on three principal factors: the practiced discipline, the temperament of the horse and the level of the rider (fixity of the legs).

practiced Discipline: the more the discipline requires to fit short, the more the stems of spurs are short.
Temperament of the horse: more the horse is sensitive and reactive with the actions of legs, more the effect of the spurs will have to be proportioned. The softest spur is that with large smooth serrated roller.
Level of the rider: the more initial the rider is, plus its spurs must be soft with a short stem.

Models

Spur with round ends : spur runs whose stem ends in a ball.
Spur swan neck : spur whose stem goes up vertically then directs gradually towards the horizontal one with its end, giving to the stem the shape of neck of swan. This form is useful for the riders with the long legs which practice a horsemanship requiring to fit long (raising, Western horsemanship, etc).
Spur hammer : spur with long stem whose end is widened to increase the surface of contact with the body of the horse. If it is employed in horsemanship of jump of obstacles, it requires a fixity without fault of the leg, in particular during the jump.
Spur Pessoa : spur of all forms whose branches are covered with rubber and whose passers by of belts are in form of " S" to limit the maladjustment length. The illustration below watch a Pessoa spur provided with a short stem with a large smooth serrated roller. This type of spur is particularly adapted to the jump of obstacles and the cross-country race for the hot and sensitive horses.
Spur prince de Galles : spur of 20 or 35 Misters the stem is slightly tilted to the bottom and its end more or less has forms varied according to the effect required “attacker”.
Spur Schultheis : spur with long stem and toothed wheel whose points of the teeth are round for a better proportioning of the action.

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