My young eventer I have been wroking on for a year. I've had him all his life, I've backed him etc. He's now 5 and is going amazing, jumping well and has got amazing muscle structure. He also shows great performance in dressage. The problem it, I want him to be more consistent to the leg. I was planning to start him on spurs but do not want him to become out of control. I've used spurs before but already on horses who have been trained with them. Please help!

A GP dressage horse and rider are both trained correctly and have great leg aids, but the reason they use spurs is to REFINE the leg aid. They don't sit there and jab at the horse to get them to move, they touch to their sides to get them to perform the tempi changes and other higher movements. For simple things like transitions they will use their leg and not the spur. So sorry to those that think spurs are the source of all evil, they 're really only evil when they're used by riders that can't control their legs properly. pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com

If you have an instructor to help you transition your horse to spurs, I would talk to them first. You can get ones called 'dummy spurs' which have a rubber ball on the end of them instead of the metal end. They're a lot softer, though it is possible to cut your horse with them. I've seen it done before, though it was a freak thing. This chick had been using them on her horse for 9 years without anything happening.
Start out by asking him to move away from the pressure while you're on the ground and then slowly start using them on him. Put them on towards the end of your session and only use them for 5 or 10 minutes at a time until he's happy with them and then increase the spur time slowly. Take them off if he's going to get upset about it.
That's what I would do anyway:)

Start with the most basic spur you can find - and even then maybe add rubber tips to it - just start slowly with it - apply pressure when you walk so he feels the difference in the leg aid - when hes comfortable with this (he might bolt off in shock at the extra prod he gets!) just practice your walk aids and then bump up into trot and so on - it shouldnt take him that long to get used to them pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
xx

If you are doing it for the purpose of training for leg cues, I would go with bumper spurs. They have two different kinds, one with rowels and one without. You can get them cheap too. That way, you can still use the pressure with your legs the right way as well. And you don't have to worry about him bolting with you, as I have seen in the past . It's just gonna take some time for him to get used to the spurs either way. Try it in a controlled environment first. One that he does not have a lot of room to run in.

Like the other answers just find a nice easy spur if anything when you first introduce them ... start on the ground just by applying it where your leg would be then once you see his reaction try them in the saddle first at the walk then trot , ect. Just because you want to use spurs doesn't mean your horse is not properly trained! I use a very light spur on my 2yr. old just because he is SO dead to the leg with out them! I think spurs only become an issue when someone who doesn't know how to properly use them does

pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com

This would be an easier spur to start with:
http://www.horseloverz.com/Centaur-Stain ...

Jude is totally correct. Don't use spurs. Why can't you just improve your leg aids. Sounds like that so far you have done a good job with your horse. Don't spoil it now. Ride, ride, ride until he gets consistent with your leg. Why use artificial aids when you've got legs. Improve yourself. What is another 6 months? Winter will be nearly over by then and you'll both be ready for next season in the ring.

just take him for an easy ride in an arena with the rubber tipped spurs. Don't use your full leg pressure on him, just let the spur lightly brush his side so he gets used to it slowly before you start asking for direct commands off of the spur.

Why? Trained properly, you never need a spur. It is not difficult but takes some time, patience and ability. Spurs are totally unnecessary and a crutch that I do not need. My horses would be insulted.

DONT USE THEM! If you train him right you should never need them!

40 years in the saddle!