Whips, crops, and spurs?

Question

Someone had asked questions on how to make a slow horse fast. Most people answered crop, or spurs. If the horse is truly lazy and a strong steady leg is not working that would really be the answer. I notice that every one who answered with spurs or crop got thumbs down. My question is why? Horse people, who use crops or spurs know how to use them, are people judging answers on something then know nothing about. Do they think crops and spurs are mean?

Answer 1

Spurs are not necessary, are they? Then how do you explain the requirement that they be used in ALL of the Olympic horse sports- and the penalties, including elimination and loss of a medal, which can be imposed for failing to use them when mandated to?? Come on, people- spurs and whips are NOT cruel, not abusive, and are VERY necessary aids in horse training. They were intended to be used as signalling devices, much like the turn signals on a car, and are NOT meant to cause harm or pain to the horse.

The only time spurs or a whip become a problem is when they are used by people who have no business being around horses in the first place- namely, those of the "lets show the horse who's boss" mentality which is common in places like some of the ranches and farms out West.When whips or spurs are used appropriately, in the way in which they were intended to be, then no one gets scared or hurt. The people who have trained horses at places like the Spanish Riding School in Vienna have used whips and spurs for CENTURIES, folks, and there has never been a case of abuse there that I have heard of- and that facility is over 600 YEARS OLD !!! If these people, who train, breed, and work with horses for a living, can do this without hurting the animals they work with, then that should tell you something about the correct use of such devices. I carry a whip and wear spurs when I ride my own horse, because she has a tendency to be lazy and unresponsive to my leg at times. Has she ever suffered because of this? Hardly !! I couldn't teach her even half of what I have without wearing spurs- it would require far too much work on my part, because it takes a lot to keep her going. With spurs, she's much more responsive, and I have to work far less hard to get what I want- and there is less stress for both of us. How can something which produces this be considered cruel, I'd like to know?? She's not in pain, and has no wounds or scars from being ridden this way. My spurs are not sharp-and they do not have rowels on them which pinch.

I think there are some young, ignorant people on here who don't know what they are talking about when they say spurs are cruel. They aren't cruel- it's the people who wear them who are cruel.

Enough said.  

Answer 2

I don't think most people on here are educated in the use of these tools. That is why the people who do say when to use them get thumbs down. Just ignorance! I use theses tools when the time calls. There are a lot of kids on here, during summer.

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A.A. & BarebackB  are some of these uneducated kids!!!!! Can't wait for school to start!!!

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AA~~ First your spelling is at a 4th grade level. I can't argue with a grade school child!!

Answer 3

i have actually had expirence with this same problem with my horse when i first started riding her she wouldn't move anyfaster than a slow walk because of the rider before me. the girl use to ride her with spurs and sugested them but I strongly dislike spurs. I do use them ocasionally for lessons but I am instrusted under one of the top 5 barrel trainers and he teaches me how to use them correct but still I hold a grudge against them unless they are bumper spurs becase they cant draw blood. But I have to use them sometimes otherwise I avoid them. I tried a crop but I strongly dislike the way you have to have the end in your hand and being a barrel racer you have to let go and it's a pain to grab the end in a hurry so I was introduced to a quirt it goes around your wrist and works weather you have a hand or not all you have to do is act like your hitting them on the butt and it will it's not a whip it kinda like a crop. also riding more and more and rewarding them for doing what you tell them riht away helps too. I would ask her to lope for 5 minutes when she actually did though I loped half a circle and stopped and praised her and didn't ask agian.

Answer 4

Spurs are necessary when riding my horse. He is a spur trained western pleasure horse that has a spur stop. He gets his cues from my spurs and seat. He can be ridden bridle less (which I know isn't a big deal, most wp horses can be ridden bridle less) and still maintain perfect pleasure horse form because all I use is my spurs to cue him. You can hardly tell I'm even doing anything and he looks absolutely happy and relaxed. Without spurs he doesn't ride nearly as well. Spurs aren't evil, horrible, torture devices some people say they are. They are used as an extension of you leg and when somebody that knows what they are doing uses them they are great.    

Answer 5

I have both - I don't use them very often but when I do they are invaluable.

The same people who squeal about spurs and crops are the ones with the biting, barging, mannerless animals who can't possibly smack them.

Horse gods preserve us.

Answer 6

I am sure I will get thumbs down for this, but here goes anyway.  I agree with most of the previous posts that there are a ton of younger people on this list that are probably not very experienced with horses and  many posters answering questions do not want to give advice that would get someone hurt.  As for spurs and crops being mean, they are only mean in the wrong hands.  When used properly, they are very useful aids in many ways, not just with stubborn horses.  For instance, you cannot ride sidesaddle properly without a crop.  Crops and whips are used by many trainers as an extension of their hands (watch pat parelli, clint anderson).  Spurs are used quite commonly in the show ring (especially horsemanship) where leg movements need to be minimal.  To say that any real horseman would not have to use such aids is just plain wrong.  They were derived by horseman and serve a purpose.  Spurs and crops have been used for centuries. As for the purity of some of the advocates of natural horsemanship, my horses haven't seen the videos or read the books, so I will continue to use my spurs correctly and we will continue to get along fine. Thank goodness they don't have internet access.

Answer 7

Crops and spurs can be mean if you use them wrong like for example when you are using spurs you should turn your foot outwards and the spur squeezes your horses stomach, never kick! whips and other crops work the same they only hurt if you use them wrong, so crops arent mean, just a little thing to tell your lazy horse that your serious eg, 1 leg 2 squeez 3 spur 4 squeez. as soon as your horse starts doing what you want you stop the procedure.  then soon your horse will go with just a squeez with the leg!

Hope it helps.

Answer 8

using spurs can be mean if the horse has been abused by them but some horses i have ridden were trained with spurs so you can't get them to do anything without using spurs.

i used to think that whips and crops were mean but again i have ridden horses that wouldn't move if you didn't use a whip or crop and i have ridden others that were terrified of them because they were beat with them.

So i guess it all depends on the horses.

Using whips, crops, and spurs can be both mean and nice, it just depends.

But to make a slow horse fast i would say train them first without using any of them. but some horses are so lazy that you have to use them.

so to the ppl giving thumbs down maybe you should all go and read about horses and horse training before you judge ppl

Answer 9

To GhoSt in ur EyeS~  

Spurs are not harmful to the horses so dont say that spurs are unessasary

they can only be harmful to the horse if you dont use them properly you give the horse a light tap instead of giving them a full blown kick which in some cases can nock the wind out of them i have seen it happen before

which would you prefer a horse getting the wind nonked out of them or them getting a light tap

Answer 10

i think crops are ok if your horse needs the extra nudge but spurs are unnecessary no matter how stubborn the horse is.

Answer 11

They can be, but most of the time people don't beat the horses to a pulp with these devices as some people seem to think.  If used in the wrong way, like punisment or somthing, that's when they become bad.  I wear spurs and am sometimes acompanied by a good ol' crop, but that's because my horses need them.  So no, I don't think they are mean.

Answer 12

people are too sensitive these days. A pair of spurs used correctly are not going to hurt your horse. emphasis on used correctly. however, many riders become lazy and rely to heavily on artificial aids which can be a problem. So if you can ride without them, so much the better, but if your horse is refusing to listen to your aids, then hes gonna get what he asked for- stronger aids. All this natural horsemanship c**p is turning peoples brains to mush, and when their horses start taking advantage of their spineless riders the riders get all confused and go use the same methods that got them into this mess.If that last sentence didn't make any sense, sorry..it came out kinda weird....

Answer 13

I totally agree! I use spurs on my paint-I don't jab! I gently nudge to keep her moving! I do use a crop when I jump in case she stops. But I do know how to use both the aids correctly-so I think people on Yahoo Answers are stupid!  

Answer 14

Yes they are mean. My horse is plenty freakin fast and I use no tack whatsoever. Answer this: would you want someone on your back jabbing you with spurs and whipping you?

Answer 15

Spurs and crops were meant to be used AFTER the initial training where the horse already understands what is being asked- they are not a training device. They were intended to be used as bits were intended, to smooth the lines of communication so less force and nagging can be used to acquire what is being asked.

It is the same as people saying, my horse head tosses, my horse balks, my horse roots, my horse won't stop. The uneducated answers would be, tie-down, spur, whip, and get a harsher bit.

There is normally a reason and rhyme to every problem. Whether it be health wise- i....teeth, eye, ear, back, joint problem in horse or the rider is not being clear on what they are asking- it...hands are saying stop, legs are saying go. Contraptions and whips and spurs are not suppose to be an aid to fix an issue. They are to help define the lines and make clearer what is being asked.

^^^sorry had a momentary brain f**t and edited the rest in.

Answer 16

I will get slammed for this, but my observation is that the bulk of the members who post in this section are younger.  They are in that group of people who believe that having a horse in their back yard or taking a few lessons makes them horsemen.  You can't tell them anything, they already know it all.  These are the same people who have to ask how to find a diagonal.......

For almost 4 decades I have worked with show jumpers and it blows my mind to see some of the questions/answers in this section.  My education has come from some of the best in the world, and I am often afraid to answer here.

Answer 17

That's just it, though. Some people think if the horse is too slow you can just throw on spurs. And actually, if just leg doesn't work, use voice cues. If that doesn't work, a crop. Still nothing? Spurs. If spurs don't work, something is wrong with you and/or your horse. Spurs are an aid, but that doesn't mean everyone uses them properly.  

Answer 18

spurs crops and mean bits are NOT necessiary IF u own a horse...a horses enegry level depends on their diet and exersize program and a horse owner can control that so therefore if u are smart(horsey smart)then u would know that.and u would also know that they are not necessary because if a horse is sensitive to ur leg then u dont need them and its ur job as a horseman to know how to get a horse tht is dead 2 the leg, sensitive to ur leg.so again spurs crops and mea buts are not necassary UNLESS u take riding lessons and can not control the horses diet,training program etc.

okay well then if im so "uneducated" then whats wrong about my answer?!

Answer 19

Most people think using something to hit or jab an animal with is to inflict unessercary pain, which can be avoided by so called friendship with a horse. What people can't seem to realise is a horse is not a human it doesn't communicate in the same ways we do, so therefore we cannot simply tell the horse that its doing something wrong as it won't understand. crops and spurs are extra aids to show a horse right from wrong and also reinforce the aids when riding. If a horse is being lazy then yes i'd use a crop for everytime it slowed down back to a plodding pace, doing this would teach the horse that the pace is not the required pace as he doesn't get tapped when responding to the requirements of the rider. So really i think it is narrow minded people who think crops and spurs are mean, they can be if used inapprobably. But if the horse is not doing as required or is mis behaving then they are helpful aids to put them back in line, once in line respect comes, and then good horsemanship and friendship with the horse.

Answer 20

People think its mean to give a horse a tap/smack with a crop or a nudge with a spur. They are large animals and if using these extra "add on" aids properly, will not harm the horse at all. Yeah there are riders out there that probably just throw on spurs without learning how to use them and use them improperly and harm their horses. But most riders know how to use these things properly and for the right reason if they're using them.

I don't use a crop or spurs on my TWH because he is really sensitive to my aids and responds great. But my appaloosa is very stubborn, has an attitude and needs extra motivation to get moving. I use a crop and wear spurs. If he is not responding to my legs, I give him a tap with the crop or a nudge with the spurs, and he's like "oh ok im going" and that's the end of it and he'll be more sensitive to my leg and seat after that.

Answer 21

Whips and spurs were initially designed to mimic the teeth and hooves of other horses, to tap into a horse's natural herd communication from within a human perspective. The whip can mimic a kick from the hoof of an insistent, more dominant horse, a kick that wasn't designed to cause damage, but rather to say, "Get your body moving!"

Spurs mimic the teeth, a sharper communication, with the same end result in mind.

Because most humans don't think like horses ;^), they sometimes get confused and think that the purpose of whips and spurs is to "let the horse know who's boss" or "teach the horse respect" or "create submission" - in a roundabout way these attitudes have truth to them. But horses are very sensitive and are generally happy to respond to the lightest cues when they are taught with fair methods what it is we're asking for.

Just like the bit and reins, whips and spurs are aids of communication. When used as such, with compassion and an understanding of the horse's perspective, they can be effective tools to maintain a great working relationship between horses and their riders.

Most of the time, when horses are sluggish or disobedient, they are saying something closer to, "I'm not sure what you're asking and I'm not going to spend excess energy when I can't trust your plan", than, "I don't care what you want and you can't make me."

If you want to make a slow horse fast, put together a fun plan, one that is not only fun for the horse, but fun for the rider, too! If it's fun, it's no problem! Horses will naturally conserve their energy - they are prey animals and their instinct keeps them prepared to fight or flee, no matter how much domestication and training we ask of them.

It's important to remember that horses think like horses and they are always communicating their perspective. As we open our own minds and hearts to the horse's way of life, we make ourselves more and more available for true partnerships with the horses we love!

Answer 22

If used properly, artificial aids are fine. But used improperly or on a horse that doesn't need it can be dangerous

Answer 23

The fact of the matter is that the people who think these tools are cruel are simply uneducated on how they really work and what they're for.... Sometimes people see these aids used improperly by idiots, and then 'assume' that's how EVERYone uses them.

Spurs, crops, draw-reins, every aid out there can be positive if used the right way. These tools are NOT supposed to be used to force a horse to do something or make a horse listen. They are there to improve communication and develop suppleness and responsiveness.

I own 3 different pairs of spurs, crops whips, draw reins, a running martingale, and many other tools that have been deemed 'cruel' by these new age NH and uneducated children... I don't use them all often, but when I do I know WHY I'm using them and I use them as they are intended.

Answer 24

I guess I would ask you to define what training, and how extensive it should be, before one is qualified to use aids such as spurs?  Should you know the nature of the tissues that are contacted by the spurs when they are engaged?  When are they engaged?  The physical and mental messages the horse receives when they are engaged?  The different massages from different spurs?  If you can answer these questions, you probably have the necessary training to use them.

Answer 25

You defiantly need to know how to use them and the horse will respond to your aids. I rode a veryyy slow,lazy horse one day in my lesson and I had to use spurs. One fight he gave me and then the lesson was great! Spurs help a lot,and so do crops also.If people give my answer a thumbs down, never mind them.

Answer 26

spurs and crops are merely an aid, and not to be used incorrectly.

i have seen horses with scars all over their sides from spurs.

but if used correctly, and merely as reinforcements to your leg aids, they are not cruel.

they are not mean if used correctly.

i occasionally school my horses with a crop, but i dont use spurs.

crops are in no way mean unless you use them without empathy, and you use them correctly.

Answer 27

Well my horse has VERY soft sides so i dont need either mut my other hor is the laziest thing ever and crops or whips always make him buck lol. So i found that spinner spurs or just regular spurs (depending on the horse) like maybe round nubs are fine but sprurs are not creul and neither are whipps.