Angie:
In your recent post to RC, you wrote:
"I give up. Why safety? It's pretty hard to picture a person using
spurs in self-defense."
With all due respect, spurs do have a bearing on safety when riding. A
well-trained rider knows that spurs are like power steering, and can be
a real help in guiding a horse from side to side, backwards, forwards,
etc. Many a time at the start of a race, in the chaotic muddle of
eager horses on a brisk morning, my spurs (blunt, short, English type),
have saved me from a wreck by helping me get my horses attention and
being able to leg yield, side pass or back out of the way of a kicking
of bolting horse. Although I have strong legs without spurs, there are
some times & situations where having spurs on can get you out of a tough
situation in that split second that can save you and/or others from
injury or worse.
Ever been up front at the start of Tevis????
Spurs are not just for speed.
Sarah Zegers
"Good horses Make Short Miles." @