The Ethics of Riding a Horse
The Ethics of Riding: A Brief & Informal Discussion
Ethical: Of, relating to, or dealing with ethics.
Ethics: Moral principles, as of an individual.
According to those definitions, my sense of ethics is my own sense of ethics, and not someone else's. What I perceive as ethical, you may perceive as morally wrong and absolutely unethical. I cannot ( Read more... )
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"Instead, the purpose of a spur is to provide a reminder. If you have asked for something and waited a few moments with no response or the wrong response, a quick nudge (not a stab or a kick) with your spurs provides the necessary enforcement."
What you have described here is the correct use of the whip. Spurs should never be used to reinforce 'forward' aids. It's counterproductive!
You correct yourself later on, however,
"The ultimate goal of spurs is to aid in collection and lateral work..."
The spurs act as an 'up' aid requesting that the horse please engage his stomach and back muscles. This is why spurs are mandatory at the upper levels of dressage. It is also why it is unfair to ride an uneducated horse with spurs -- every time you ask with the spur and he doesn't know what you want and just goes faster... you are ruining his training and making it more difficult for anyone who would potentially wish to further his training in the future. AND it is also why it is ( ... )
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That, ladies and gentlemen, is the problem with posting something that is entirely unedited.
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