English Spurs For Sale

English Spur Savvy

English spurs differ from Western spurs. While most Western spurs have a shank that ends in a rowel (a free spinning wheel of some type), most English spurs have a shank that ends in a variety of fixed (non-spinning) styles. English spurs also usually have shorter shanks than Western spurs to accommodate the leg position of the English rider, which is usually shorter and closer to a horse's sides than a Western rider's.

Shank Length and Shape
For English (or Western) spurs to be ideally suited to a rider and horse, the length of the shank can be important. You will want the shank to be long enough to easily reach the side of the horse without being overly long and making it too easy for the rider to bump the horse with the spur by accident.

If a rider's legs happen to be the right length to make their heels fall even with the horse's sides they won't need a spur with much of a shank. Their heels are already in the right place and they won't have to "reach" for the horse. Beginning riders still learning to control their leg position may want a shorter shank in order to help avoid spurring the horse unintentionally. Riders with long legs that hang low on a horse's sides may want longer shanks so it takes less movement on the part of the rider to close the distance gap.

Common English Spur Terms

Prince Of Wales - A highly popular and common style of English spur.

Le spur - A style of English spur that usually does not have a shank. Instead, it has ridges or bumps called "teeth" (the number of teeth will vary on different models) on the inside of the spur.