Spurs!

A whip is ouchier then properly used spurs!!! Teehee...

agreed!

I don't use spurs, never have. But the whip is a good idea... ;) Just a light tap or 2.

I use spurs with buck because he is very lazy and its the only way I can get him to go :) I tried the wip but I swear everytime I tap him he just stands there like a Dummy I swear if I beat him with it he would never movejust look at me stupid! But I could never do that to him :)

There isn't anything wrong with spurs... they fine-tune your aid so that your horse can give you better, precise movement with less pressure.

Yes I have used a whip, however I tend not to use it much anymore as he is always concerntrating on that and when the whip moves a little he rushes away from it. I have tried 'desensitising' him and I got to the point where I could crack a stock whip off him, but he still rushes away from a dressage whip or crop. Also, the main reason for me using the spurs wasnt to make him more forward, it was to make him move off my leg and when he is rushing away from the whip he totally ignores my leg.

Do you have a trainer, do you have lessons? If not, I think that might help you and your horse :)

I have just never liked spurs, I know, if I were a horse, I would rather have a tap with the whip to wake me up than have a piece of metal in my side, that's just what I think :)

I think spurs are acceptable if used properly and not abused. And it teaches them to listen to your legs

I don't use my spurs to go... I use them to stop....

I employ an "ask-tell-demand" system, and so far it has worked very well.
If you want your horse to do something (ANYthing) then you "ask" nicely first (i.e. If wanting them to move forward, ask with your voice and light pressure from your legs). If there is no response, I "tell" the horse, by getting more aggressive with my voice and squeeze or bump harder with my leg. If there is still no response, I get mean and nasty with my "demand" phase, where I will bump with a spur or give a tap with the whip.
With this scheme, the horse will learn that it's better to just do things at the "ask" phase rather than get demanded to do it. This ensures that the horse doesn't become dead to the whip or spur, and starts listening to your leg the first time.

Also, I honestly think that spurs are great tools, they make that "demand" phase all the more important - but shouldn't be used before that phase, give the horse a chance to react to your leg cue without using the spur.

Hope this helps!