Respecting the Spur: A lesson in Feel and Timing

Dennis Cappel
5 days ago
3 min read

Clear Mental Horsemanship with Dennis Cappel

Spurs can be a controversial topic, but I do not believe they should be. Like any tool, it is all in how they are used.

When I think about tools, I think about a rope. A rope is something that also takes time, feel, and awareness to use correctly. Most of the guys I know who can really rope, who can handle a rope like it is part of them who started young. They had a rope in their hand from the time they were little, swinging it at everything around them.

That might have looked a little wild at the time, but what they were really doing was developing feel. Through repetition, that rope became an extension of their body. They were not fighting it, they were learning to flow with it.

That is exactly how I see spurs.

I wear mine all the time. I drive my truck with them; I shoe horses with them. I get teased about it plenty. But for me, it is easier to leave them on than take them off and put them back on again. Because I wear them so much, I have developed a constant awareness of where they are. My spurs are a part of my body, just like that rope is part of a roper’s hand. I know when I am using them and when I am not.

*That is the key behind correct spur use:

*Do not use them when you do not need them.

Before I ever touch a horse with a spur, I always give a signal with the calf of my leg first. The spur is a follow-up to that signal, not a surprise. Without that kind of awareness, it is easy to accidentally bump or jab a horse and not realize it, and that’s when confusion and frustration set in.

If a person is going to use spurs, they need to spend the time getting comfortable with them, learning where they are, how they move, and how much pressure they apply. Spurs, like ropes, are tools that require practice and presence to use correctly.

When used with awareness, they are incredibly beneficial. Even when you are not using them, the horse knows you can. That changes the conversation. The horse becomes more willing, more responsive, and less resistant because there’s quiet confidence behind every cue.

Without that clarity, you end up having to use more physical effort, and that can create resentment and pushbacks. But when you can communicate through subtle signals, seat, leg, and spur, it becomes effortless.

The most effective use of a spur is not when it is touching the horse; it is when the horse feels complete absence from it. That is the space where freedom and understanding live.

When I do need to use them, my process is simple: