I've always had trouble with getting spurs adjusted to my boots. They're generally too wide and slide up and down my heels too much. I much prefer spurs that stay in place a tie down button usually cure the problem but not many spurs except rough stock rodeo types have them.
I have several pair that I like to wear but just don't feel like the fit. Any ideas besides a big hammer and anvil?

Some boots have really wide ledges on the top of the heel to keep spurs from sliding down.

However, I don't ride with spurs more than once or twice a year.

I would think Mr. Atkinson could help.

BH63

A good pair of spurs should never ride up on your heels, they should stay put, but they are expensive...I use expensive custom spurs however. A proper spur should be weighted so its loose but stays down on the heel..Some boots simply wont take a spur as the heels are not made for horsemen. A walking heel is best for a spur, the old cowboy high heel lost more spurs than you can imagine..

A number of ways to keep a spur down, cut bicycle strip of tubing, heavy rubber bands, bailing wire, leather straps..stretch the under the heel and over the spur shank..

If you handy take a heavy hammer and shape the spur to the heel of your boots, that usually works..A spur ridge on boots probably works but I wouldn,t run out and buy a pair of boots unless I needed a new pair..

Remember a spur is not to make a horse go forward as much as its made to move your horse laterally right or left..or side pass. You want him to run, lightly whup his ass!

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
Remember a spur is not to make a horse go forward as much as its made to move your horse laterally right or left..or side pass.

Unless you are an advanced rider, spurs can cause more trouble than good, but in the hands (feet??) of an expert they can be a great aid when used on the right horse.

BH63

Your correct about that, improper use can getcha head stuck in the dirt! but spurs work on any horse, its a process of slowly teaching a response. Desensitising is a better word used today...I seldom use the reins on my team roping horse and if so ever so lightly, when I make the cornor to rope the heels and the horse is in the wrong position I move him over with a spur...A lot of horses will sort of hump up and slow down if your banging them in the rib cage. to make a horse run his fastest, spank his but, what we call "over under him with your rope" Do that about twice and from then on all you have to do is lean forward a little and talk to him.

I seldom wore spurs. We bought a palamino mare that had been spoiled by girls that didn't know much about horses. Goldie was a stubborn bitch, refusing to do anything she didn't want to do herself. Hard to play that "run away" game with their heads pulled around to the riders knee's.

Heading out, rode 50yds to a walk thru gate. When I started getting back on, just swinging my leg over she cut loose. Somehow I landed in the saddle and buried the irons. She never tried to buck with me again after that. I did feel guilty seeing blood running from the holes in her ribs. Dad said: "it looks like you were using those hooks to hang on with". Her first lunge before I got set, the horn hit my belt buckle and bent quite a curve in it.

At first she tried that nonsense of standing up on rears to dump me off. Old cowboy bought me a quirt with a steel rod in the handle: "hold this by the stingers and bust her between the ears hard as you can with the handle end. Took three times to break that crap. Knocked her out once and down twice more. Almost caught my leg one time when she tipped over.

I hate to be cruel to animals but, sometimes they need to learn your the boss, they're not.
I never beat 'em like some guys did.
After about a year, she got to be a decent rider. By the middle of the second year I had her, never wore the spurs again and almost never had a problem. She never liked it, but, we even packed elk out on her a few years.

I sure don't like the taste of dirt very well though.

George

quote:

Originally posted by georgeld:


At first she tried that nonsense of standing up on rears to dump me off. Old cowboy bought me a quirt with a steel rod in the handle: "hold this by the stingers and bust her between the ears hard as you can with the handle end. Took three times to break that crap. Knocked her out once and down twice more. Almost caught my leg one time when she tipped over.

George

As a young lad, I tried that "trick" with an ex-racehorse that had a bad habit of rearing.

I whacked that horse between the ears so fast (I had really quick reflexes back then) you couldn't have hardly seen it.

Unfortunately, that hardheaded horse had even faster reflexes, and headbutted me so hard, I flew backwards off that horse and literally saw stars.

I never tried that "trick" again, and instead went to a really mild snaffle bit and learned to soften my hands.

The horse would still rear a little bit occasionally, but it was only half-hearted, and actually improved my seat.

BH63

As to spurs, I only use them when teaching a horse to move laterally on his forehand or his hindquarters.

And then on a horse that is fairly well behaved (i.e. well started).

I would never use them to start a young colt, or on a horse that is too jumpy, or given to bolting.

BH63

I wear them on colts, in fact on anything..I would use them if the horse bucked, but only to hold my butt in the saddle..Ive never used a spur that would punch holes or cut a horse, my rowels are very rounded and blunt. I use them to send a signal, not punish..I put pressure on the rib cage to move them laterally, and when the move I release that pressure, spurs are not a weapon they are a training aid..

I fail to see any mystery about fitting a pair of spurs to boot heels.

If the boots have a spur shelf, get out the hammer and beat the spurs in or out til they fit with a little resistance on the heel.

Unless you only have one pair of boots, spurs will fit differently on every pair of boots. So unless you want to bend the spurs every time you wear a different pair of boots, it's easier to buy some cheap spurs for every pair of boots. That's what I do anyway. FWIW

Mr Atkinson is correct spurs are only to provide motivation and occasionally helping keeping your feet in position on a bucking horse. I do have some nice spurs most are pretty too with silver, copper,or jewelers bronze inlay or over lay designs not all are very expensive but none are cheap. All brand name American or Mexican made hence the resistance to beating on them with a hammer. I do have more than 1 pair of boots I understand a perfect fit on each pair is impossible. My latest brain is to try to make a wooden block the same approximate size as my boot heels secure that to a larger board put it in a vise and gently beat on my least favorite pair of spurs useing some thing less harsh than a steel hammer and see if i can get the heel section a little more narrow.

That's exactly what I was doing with those spurs that day.
Hanging on for the ride!!
It worked too apparently, she never got me off.
She was so damned ornery we didn't care whether we hurt her or not.
Had to get her attention and that seemed like the only way she'd notice.

George

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
I would use them if the horse bucked, but only to hold my butt in the saddle.

At my age, I don't willingly get on a horse that I know likes to buck. LOL

BH63

I don't ride without spurs.
My riding boots have a pr attached to them 24/7.
I only use them for correction & may not need them on some rides, but if I need them I got them.

I use spurs as steering wheels, not gas pedals. I also have two pair of riding boots that spurs stay on. Use a soft faced hammer.

My spurs fit all my boots, they are loose so they can move up and down on my heel, but that is the reason they don't climb up, if they move up a little for whatever reason they fall back down to position, if they were to pinch the heel, they usually stay hung up around the ankle from what I've seen..I would use a lead hammer to fit them if need be, but the custom spurs I buy today fit any boot and stay down, part of that is I don't buy a boot with a rounded on the side heel, my boot heel is flat from the walking heel to the leather tops if you know what I mean.
I buy older spurs, as I also collect them, but my best spurs are from custom spur makers and run around $250 to $400. but a spur will last 20 lifetimes so how ya gonna beat that, and resale will double almost every year or so. I use Tom Balding bits and spurs..I like a little silver on all my spurs and bridles like the buckles or a brand, not too much but some.