„Nimm doch mal Rädchensporen“ lautet häufig ein gut gemeinter Tipp, um dem eher weniger vorwärtsgängigen Vierbeiner „Beine“ zu machen. Das würde heutzutage natürlich so keiner mehr zugeben aber dennoch sehen viele Reiter und Trainer Sporen immer noch als Beschleunigungshilfe. Doch richtig eingesetzt können Rädchensporen viel mehr! Was im tiefsten Inneren jeder weiß: Sporen sind weder Ersatz noch Alternative zum treibenden Schenkel, sondern vielmehr eine Verfeinerung der Hilfengebung. So viel zur Theorie. In der Praxis ist das alles natürlich nicht ganz so einfach, ein korrekter Umgang mit den Sporen will geübt sein. Täglich. Über Jahre. Und gibt man sich noch so viel Mühe, beweist einem eine zickige Stute oder ein sensibler Wallach häufig in Bruchteilen von Sekunden, dass man das mit dem gezielten Sporeneinsatz noch immer nicht perfekt drauf hat. Zu schade, dass man in der Reitlehre keine Punkte für die Fähigkeit eines Pferdes sammelt, dem Reiter unter den Absatz oder, in besonders gelenkigen Fällen, sogar unter die Fußspitze zu treten.
To ensure that the required mobility is not expressed by stepping on the thigh, but rather from back to front through the body and under the center of gravity, the rider must of course continue to work on himself first and foremost. Nevertheless, the choice of more suitable spurs can be helpful in many cases. Many riders initially opt for blunt spurs because they consider them to be more horse-friendly . There are now even real softies among the wheel spurs and sometimes it can even make sense to use a stronger spur that you have to use less.
The different versions of Sprenger wheel spurs
Let's take a closer look at the different versions of Sprenger wheel spurs. In general, there is a basic rule that can be applied to the degree of sharpness of the wheels:The thinner, more pointed/jagged and smaller the wheel, the sharper the impact. The more rounded, thicker and larger the wheel, the softer the effect of the spur. The wheel must never be tight, but should always be able to turn freely to avoid injury. Hair and dirt can get stuck between the wheel and the spur, especially when the coat changes. Wheel spurs should therefore be cleaned thoroughly on a regular basis.
Spurs with fine-toothed wheel
It's hard to believe nowadays, but as a beginner rider I used spurs with a fine-toothed wheel. In 1990, of course, that was the worst possible spur to give to beginners and children. In my defense, I can say the following: I was ignorant, 6 years old and did not reach under the saddlecloth with the spurs. So this case is not relevant to animal welfare but still alarming enough to make it better. That's why I'm now saying very clearly: spurs with a fine-toothed wheel can cause puncture injuries if handled incorrectly, belong exclusively in experienced hands and should only be used temporarily as training spurs.
The sun wheel
The sun wheel has a significantly larger diameter, larger and rounded teeth and is slightly wider than the fine-toothed wheel. These spurs have a stronger impact, but the rounded teeth and the rolling wheel mean that they cannot cause any injuries if used correctly. These spurs are suitable for horses that react only slightly to the leg aids and for whom impulses with blunter spurs are not effective enough.
The Soft Point wheel
The Soft Point wheel is a serrated wheel with a rather soft action. It is particularly thick with a width of approx. 4 mm. The points are rounded in all dimensions. Due to the wide wheel, the spur has a more extensive and less punctual effect than thinner spur wheels and is also gentle on the coat. This makes the Spurs with Soft Point particularly suitable for horses that do not react sufficiently to blunter spurs, but are too sensitive for sharper spurs.
The ball wheel
Round spur wheels are also available in different versions. The smaller ball wheels have the smallest diameter and are also narrower than the larger ball wheels. The smaller ball wheels therefore have a more punctual effect than the larger ones. The degree of impact is naturally lower compared to spur wheels because we have a smooth surface with which we touch the horse. These spurs are therefore ideal for horses that are a little too much to ask with rounded spurs.
The Comfort Roller
In contrast to the narrow disk-shaped ball wheels, the comfort rollers are significantly wider and therefore softer to work with. They are ideal for "twitchy" and thigh-sensitive horses.
The Comfort Roller Horizontal
Incidentally, spurs with a horizontal wheel shorten the distance between leg and horse. They therefore enable faster contact and support a calm leg position. To prevent injuries, the wheel must be relatively thick. If this is the case, such spurs have a soft effect and are particularly suitable for sensitive horses.
The Super Soft Roller
Even wider and correspondingly softer is the Super Soft Roller, where the wheel is approx. twice as wide as the Comfort Roller. The thicker wheels of these models are also Perfect for changing coats or Clipped horses. They have a large contact surface and roll off when touched. This means there is much less friction on the coat than with spurs without a wheel, preventing coat loss.
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