Spurs 101

[Tyrel Cody]

Before I jump in with a pair can y'all tell me the basics.

 

1. Are they really hard to walk in? Why?

 

2. Recommended type for CAS?

 

3. Budget Source?

 

4. Nicer Source(Lindholm Bros. is no more)?

 

 

Thanks ahead of time.

[Randy Saint Eagle, SASS # 64903]

Not that bad to walk in but a little rough going down steps.

 

Randy

[Hoss]

Unless you want to look like. “Rexall Wrangler” buckle them on the outside!

[Tyrel Cody]

1 minute ago, Hoss said:

Unless you want to look like. “Rexall Wrangler” buckle them on the outside!

I don’t know who that is, but I’m going to go ahead and assume that is not the look I’m wanting.

[Texas Bart]

18 minutes ago, Hoss said:

Unless you want to look like. “Rexall Wrangler” buckle them on the outside!

 

I assume "Rexall Wrangler" = Drug Store Cowboy

[Cliff Hanger #3720LR]

About spurs.

My dad was an Oklahoma cowboy.

All through my life, I looked at spurs ever once in a while.

I like the look of some.

This was before finding cas. Way before!

 

Any way, my dad would ask what I was going to with a set of spurs?

I said, wear them.

He asked, you going to ride horses?

I responded, nope.

You know I don't care to ride. (can and have)

 

Then he said this, "If you ain't riding, you don't need spurs. If you get off you horse make sure you hang your spurs on the saddle horn or put then in the saddle bags. Ain't no reason to wears spurs while your walking. Just makes it harder."

 

Just my opinion and I have never worn spurs.

====================

I do have pair of my dad's hanging on the wall.

 

[Dantankerous]

If'n you ain't riding a hoss, you can wear yore spur straps any which way you want to wear 'em. Some will say the buckle will rub a horse's side so you wear the buckle on the outside. Well, maybe. I know when I used to ride large critters my boots were no where near the horse's side, but then again I am 6'3, (6'6 in boots and cowboy hat ) so I never had a problem with that AND my horse was closer to 17 hands than 16 and 16 is a tall pony.

 

Spurs are NOT hard to walk in. Just might catch on sumptin' when you turn around fast.

 

Stairs take a little caution but are very doable.

 

Budget source? Colorado Saddlery.

 

Nicer? You'll spend a lot more. Watch out as spurs is addictive.

 

I have 5 pair of Colorado Saddley spurs. LARGE rowels cause I like 'em. Jingle bobs too. Ain't no spurs complete without jingle bobs. I wear spurs every time I shoot.

 

This is SASS, nothing else. Wear 'em how you want to. I am sure either the inside or outside method was and is employed.

 

 

 

 

[Yul Lose]

I won me this pair of spurs one time and I thought it would be cool to wear them at a match before even trying them out. So I get to the match, onload my gun cart and guns and strap on my spurs and then  all my leather and start pushing my gun cart over to where the match is. I don’t know how many steps I took, it wasn’t many, and the jingle bobby thingies locked up and I did a face plant. I kinda walk like a duck and wearing spurs ain’t real conducive to duck walking. So that was my only flirtation with spur wearing. TC if you walk like a duck you may want to practice wearin yer spurs prior to showing them off in a crowd.

[Sedalia Dave]

From True West Magazine

 

 

[Sedalia Dave]

 CABINET PHOTO VINTAGE OLD WEST COWBOY SPURS & WHIP

 

 

 

[G W Wade]

Most of our ranges up here are not bermed to allow down range movement. Wearing spurs I tend to rake the rowels across the toe of the other boot when moving laterally.    Only were them on walking around on vendor days when not shooting.  Yah, also a little duck foot when I walk too     GW

[Hoss]

Wear them buckled on the outside because the buckles can snag as you mount/dismount or snag on each other as you walk. 

 

When I was a kid I lost one of my spurs. I asked my dad to front me the money to buy another pair, as I had lost one. He told me I only needed one spur, If I got one side of the horse going the other side was naturally gonna go too 

[PaleWolf Brunelle, #2495L]

Buckles in or out? Depends on the type of spur strap, stirrup width, and somewhat on regional custom.

 

Found this post on a horse forum:

"In Nevada where I lived most of the guys that I cowboyed with wear the buckles on the inside. They always thought it was very "horse trainer-ish" to wear them on the outside. Also they found it easier to put them on and off when the buckles were to the inside. You can put your foot up on your opposite knee and easily buckle them. This may seem slightly lazy but it is proper etiquitte to take your spurs off before going into the cookhouse (3 meals a day) and going into someone's home. Plus it is easier to drive the pickup without them. So if you are taking them off and on several times day you could see why this would be the way to do it. I realize that this is not everyone's situation. I am just explaining why you might see someone with the buckles to the inside.(But this does not apply to pull-through straps)"

 

This is from an ROC "rowel-size" discussion back in 2013:

"...back when I worked on the Whitehorse Ranch (SE OR), we actually DID wheel one of the buckaroos out of a bar/café on his spur rowels...IIRC, they were about the size of a two-bit coin.
 

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

Hoss, you can call me a Rexall Wrangler if'n ya want.  I mean, I haven't been on a horse in 50 years (and it weren't pretty).  

 

When folks see me in my CAS duds and ask if I'm a real cowboy, I say no but I portray one on weekends.  

[Sawhorse Kid]

Jiggle Bobs: Depending on your preference....... can get real annoying to listen to when you walk.

- annoyance may also come down to rowel style or environment ....not sure.

 

I have asked about buckle in/out.

Answer given:

- Buckle out for plain straps.

- Buckle in for fancy straps.  (see Dantankerous photo)

 

Stairs:  When you step, angle your feet at 45*  to the left or right (both feet in same direction)

 

Shank:  length and shape can add or reduce mobility issues

 

 

 

 

[Major BS Walker Regulator]

Weather you can walk with no problem or trip and fall flat on your face is an individual thing. I am one of those people that spurs don't effect much. First pair I bought had short shanks and small rowels to test for that. Had no problems so next pair were a little larger and so on. I now own 7 pair of spurs and 6 pair of spur straps. Have never tripped but as others have stated, you must angle your feet to go down steps and I don't own a pair of boots that I haven't had to slap some polish on the toes of  from an occasional toe scrape with lateral movement. I wear my buckles both inside and outside depending on the strap or just because that's how I want to wear them that day Jeremiah Watt Spurs are upper class made to order. Colorado Saddlery are lower end.   

[Three Foot Johnson]

I'm horribly duck-footed, so I took an old pair of spurs a few days ago, cut the rowel slot deeper, drilled a new hole, cut the spur shank off and re-mounted the rowel. Hopefully I won't trip on these.

[Tyrel Cody]

3 minutes ago, J Bar Binks, #47015 said:

I'm horribly duck-footed, so I took an old pair of spurs a few days ago, cut the rowel slot deeper, drilled a new hole, cut the spur shank off and re-mounted the rowel. Hopefully I won't trip on these.

 

I like that!

[Major BS Walker Regulator]

Mr. Tyrel go to www.Tough1.com and in the search box put in spurs and click.

[Tyrel Cody]

1 minute ago, Major B. S. Walker said:

Mr. Tyrel go to www.Tough1.com and in the search box put in spurs and click.

 

http://www.jtidist.com/sweet-iron-spurs-with-praying-cowboy-design.html

 

I really like those, thanks for the link.

[Griff]

Depends on strap, spur, what you're doin' & where you're doin' it.  

 

Whether you can walk in spurs is an individual thing... Stairs can be a hazard for a lot of folks.

I'm a little partial to Garcia spurs... but bust out your big bills...

[Bull Skinner]

Hey Hoss, here's a working Texas cowboy in 1908. Note spur buckles in.

 

http://www.cartermuseum.org/collections/smith/collection.php?asn=LC-S59-176&mcat=4

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

I've only ever had one pair of spurs, but have worn them to most every match since I got them in 2000.  They are Garza spurs, copper washed when new, which wore off quickly.  Anyway, when I bought them they were too tight to fit around my heel.  So the guy I bought them from put them over the jaws of his vice and opened it to spread them.  But only one side actually bent.  Result was that they fit the boot but the shanks angled inwards.  I don't walk duckfoot but I kicked and tore the $#&@% out of the toes on both of my Buffalo Runners.  So about a dozen years ago when I got some new boots, I just started wearing the spurs on the wrong foot (silver decorative thingies to inside, and they're so faded nobody would notice) and I've never kicked my toes since!  They originally had chains under the boot that kept breaking so I just removed them.  They had jingle bobs but in the last couple years both sides have fallen off.  But the rowels hit the ground when I walk and make all kinds of racket anyway, so I didn't even notice the missing JBs for a while.  I like the noise, adds to the ambience.  Don't hear 'em with earplugs in, though.   End of story.

[G W Wade]

Actually have a pair of spurs that were given to me by a bull rider.  The shanks are angled in at about 15 degrees for more purchase and when worn on opposite foot give us duck foots a little more room, plus are shorter shank with smaller rowels.   GW

[SHOOTIN FOX]

Tractor supply is another source.

[Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646]

Tyrel I have a pair of spurs that dad wore, Im a classic duckfoot. I'll bring them to the Jan match if you want to try them. If you dont like them, no problem, if you do we can work something out.

 

Imis

[Tyrel Cody]

5 minutes ago, Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646 said:

Tyrel I have a pair of spurs that dad wore, Im a classic duckfoot. I'll bring them to the Jan match if you want to try them. If you dont like them, no problem, if you do we can work something out.

 

Imis

Can't hurt to try them

 

It may be mid month match before I make it back down though.

[Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646]

Tyrel I'll put them in the car. 

Imis

[Branchwater Jack SASS #88854]

 

[Guest Grass Range #51406]

Wore spurs all my life and still do when I ride. buckles in as did all the old pokes I knew. tied down with baling wire under the instep so they won't be up on your ankles. They definitely do not hit the horses side or any part of your saddle unless your legs are 12" long. Lately I use vaquero style straps on one set of spurs

[El Hombre Sin Nombre]

The only thing I can add that hasn’t been said about spurs is you just got to be a little more careful picking up brass if you’re like me and prefer to kneel down. If you’re not careful, you might end up with a couple of extra holes on you backside. 

[Tyrel Cody]

13 minutes ago, Branchwater Jack SASS #88854 said:

 

 

LOL. I have at least ridden a horse. Actually helped break a few and rode quite a bit in high school and immediately after. Never wore Spurs though.

 

 

[Totes Magoats]

Tyrel,

 

There are some options to help someone new to walking/running in spurs.  I am a huge fan of Jeremiah Watt spurs and they accommodate heel chains.  You can choose the band, shank and rowel to meet your taste.  For me, I always choose their LIFT shank that lifts the rowel the highest from the ground.  Lower shanks and you can feel the rowel hit the ground as you walk (assuming you like a big rowel).

 

I like a big rowel and jingle bobs so you can hear me coming.

 

You will need to adjust how you take stairs (going down).  But you should adjust quickly.  I don't even think about my spurs now and they don't affect how a shoot a stage.

 

Pic below to show the lower/higher shank / rowel

 

IMG_1456.HEIC

[Hoss]

12 hours ago, Bull Skinner said:

Hey Hoss, here's a working Texas cowboy in 1908. Note spur buckles in.

 

http://www.cartermuseum.org/collections/smith/collection.php?asn=LC-S59-176&mcat=4

Is that from broke back Mountain 

[Sedalia Dave]

22 minutes ago, Totes Magoats said:

Tyrel,

 

There are some options to help someone new to walking/running in spurs.  I am a huge fan of Jeremiah Watt spurs and they accommodate heel chains.  You can choose the band, shank and rowel to meet your taste.  For me, I always choose their LIFT shank that lifts the rowel the highest from the ground.  Lower shanks and you can feel the rowel hit the ground as you walk (assuming you like a big rowel).

 

I like a big rowel and jingle bobs so you can hear me coming.

 

You will need to adjust how you take stairs (going down).  But you should adjust quickly.  I don't even think about my spurs now and they don't affect how a shoot a stage.

 

Pic below to show the lower/higher shank / rowel

 

IMG_1456.HEIC

 

Beautiful Spurs

 

For SASS I would skip the heel chains / straps. They are there to hold the spur in place and will keep the spur from moving up if it does hit something like stairs as you walk.