Spurs are a training aid to assist us to get a horse to go in the direction we would like it to go. We are looking for a well trained horse, whether we want the horse to be an eventer, a dressage horse, a reiner or just a good trail horse. You can look at spurs as the training wheels on a bicycle. At first the wheels are on the ground but as the rider becomes more proficient, the wheels are raised and eventually removed.
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I see a lot of rude, pushy horses. Probably 90% of the horses brought in to the barn for training are pushy and do not respect our space. As owners, we usually spend more time riding than dealing with ground issues. There is nothing wrong with riding and having a good time.
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Head tossing and pulling on the bit is a very common problem and one that can be easily solved. Sometimes with this type of problem there can be a physical reason behind the behavior. Before we address changing the behavior through training, I believe firmly in ruling out any possible physical causes. With this particular type of problem,
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Hoof care is an important element in the care of a horse. With a young horse it is really important to start foot care early. Handle the feet as soon as a foal will allow it. You can prevent a lot of conformation problems by trimming early. Sometimes a hoof grows upright and boxy instead of at an angle like a normal hoof. This is called a clubfoot.
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We need to set standards and have expectations for our horses. There is always a pecking order in a herd. When a horse is a member of a herd, it knows how to behave and what is expected of it. It is no different with us. We are obviously not going to kick our horse if it doesn’t do what we want as a boss mare would do. However, we can duplicate that leadership by controlling the feet and putting pressure on the horse,
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