Tell me about spurs.

With a spur, your leg moves slightly and the use is correct. With the whip you have to change body position to use it correct.

Spurs yes, whips no.

I too think that spurs are not for forward.

I reschooled a totaly dead to the leg horse so that he would go from a tiny shift in my calf muscle or movement in my hip.

My principle was along the lines of squeeze with calf, then if no response squeeze and smack behind my leg with a crop (simultaniously). No asking nicely a second or third time as that just teaches them that they can wait untill you've asked a few times!
Took a few sessions of squeeze and back it up but the horse now goes instantly from a small squeeze and we've never had to resort to it again and i've no need to ride him in spurs either.

I going to respectfully disagree. When whip is used correctly only the wrist works not compromising (or changing) the position (including fingers on reins).

A bat you would need to change your position to use it correctly. Maybe they were confusing a whip with a bat.

The problem with using spurs to ask for forward is that the instinctual reaction is for the horse to lift it's belly. This gets them more 'up' but rarely more forward.

I use spurs when I am showing, one, for that extra 'up' into my seat and hand, as well as for lateral movements (the classes I do involve rollbacks and haunch turns).

I don't use them on trails. If I need more go, I teach the horse to bs sensitive to my leg as others have said - ask once nicely, then WHAM with the end of my split reins. I wouldn't use spurs on a horse that was dead to the leg.

Re. Dummy spurs or roller spurs - it's a common view that I agree with that rollers are nicer on the horse. A dummy spur pokes, and especially if used for forward instead of refinement, can easily cause bruising. A roller spur moves on the horses side, skimming over the skin. My horse goes great in blunt rowel spurs, but he detests dummy spurs and will jump his back when they are applied. (Of course I'm talking about smooth/blunt rowels, not big spiky ones).
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Wildspot what do you mean by dummy spurs
To me these are dummy spurs:


They are for use in the showring when you are required to wear spurs but your horse doesnt need/like them.

These are prince of wales spurs:

If your horse isnt going forwards off your leg then you have far bigger problems then worrying about whether your body changes position when asking the horse to go forwards.

Better to change your position to get the horse infront of your leg then to constantly jab with a stronger and stronger leg and then start jabbing with spurs!

Bat yes. I was referring to the dressage whip.

Agree with Faye; more important to get the horse forward off the leg than how your body is positioned while applying the crop/whip.

Another thing. AlexS mentioned that the horse is the same way on the lunge line. This is kind of odd, considering he is an OTTB, isn't he?

If you have a round pen, then I would go there. Because this horse isn't giving you an honest forward.
I would free lunge him in there and do whatever it takes to make him move briskling off the "go!" signal. If he just gives you the bare minimum, then really go bonkers in there and make him leap forward to save his own life. Let him go bonkers and leap forward, you do NOTHING .
Next time, try to see if you can get forward or a change in gait from a lazy canter to a whizz canter, using much less of a cue, but do NOT stop until that horse moves out honestly, holding NOTHING back. When he does leap forward do NOT chase him . YOu stop right where you are standing and let him cruise in peace. It is not that he sustain forward that you are looking for (at first) but that he move honestly and freely and promptly off of your cue to Go! After that let him carry himself . The place of freedom will be when he is out there cantering. When he slows down , then pressure comes on. Really important to take the pressure off when he goes forward correctly, even if he can only carry that for a few steps.

How long of a whip are you using?