“Yippee-ki-iy-ay
He shouts and he sings
When a cowboy trades his spurs for wings” (When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs)
24 4 Legs & a Tail
Earning your Spurs Sue Miller - Sharon, VT
I
feel spurred to write about the equestrian equipment known as spurs. (Sorry for the pun) I recently picked up three different publications that mentioned: “earning your spurs” in riding. As a young rider, I often heard the term, “earning your spurs”. I admit that as a young impressionable rider I wondered when that day would be. I think I mistakenly believed that one of my riding instructors would one day say, “That’s it, you’re doing great! Today you’ve earned your spurs!” Or something to that effect. The sad reality is, no one presents you with spurs and deems you a worthy rider. You have to make that decision on your own. Unless you’re in the cavalry. Many traditions in horseback riding come from the military. Such as leading and mounting the horse from the left-hand side so a soldier could navigate around their saber. It should come as no surprise that the term, “earning your spurs” also comes from the military. It
originally started in days of yore with chivalrous knights. Gold or gilded spurs were only worn by knights or royalty. Spurs were a symbol of a knight’s status. Spurs became an integral symbol of chivalry and were one of the tokens given during a knighting. It’s believed that this practice is the origin of the term “earning your spurs.” The cavalry, a division of the United States Army also has an “earning your spurs” challenge that tests one’s mettle over a grueling contest that can take 3 days to complete. One is awarded spurs for completion of a spur ride or combat service in a cavalry unit. A trooper is tested performing such tasks as operations, call for fire, first aid, medical evacuation, communications proficiency, and individual movement techniques. Upon successful completion of this series of mental, physical, and leadership tests, a trooper will be awarded silver spurs. Troopers who have earned both silver and gold spurs are known as “Master Spur Holder.” The Gold Spurs, often referred to as “Combat Spurs” are awarded to Troopers during their combat deployments. The dictionary defines the term as: To have shown that you are capable of doing something well and that you can be relied on to do it well in the future. In reality, YOU decide in horseback riding when you’ve earned your spurs. Early spurs were simply a tool for armies to guide their horses with their legs, while leaving their hands free to fight. While we no longer have to wield swords while astride, the goal in most riding classes is to ride effortlessly off the leg, just like the ancient cavalry riders had to do. A spur has a more precise point of contact with a horse’s side than a heel or leg aid, they can offer more precision of control of a horse’s movements. A well-trained horse will learn to move off the subtle pressure of a spur, which can save time and effort for the rider. A misconception of spurs is that they are worn to make the horse go faster. If that were the case you would see jockeys wearing them in horse races. Spurs are an aid to help elevate your horse into your hand and engage their hindquarters. Used correctly with finesse spurs can help to get lift, collection, and a nice frame. Spring 2022
