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49-444: A spur is a metal instrument fastened to the heel of a horse rider. Spur or Spurs may also refer to: Spur A spur is a metal tool designed to be worn in pairs on the heels of riding boots for the purpose of directing a horse or other animal to move forward or laterally while riding. It is usually used to refine the riding aids (commands) and to back up the natural aids (the leg, seat, hands, and voice). The spur

98-579: A medieval knight was said to have "earned his spurs", the awarding of spurs has continued in the modern era as an honour bestowed upon individuals in organizations with military heritages, and among motorcycle riders. Members of the Papal Orders of Knighthood receive gilt spurs direct from the hands of the pope ; members of the British Order of the Garter similarly receive gilt spurs from

147-508: A form of spur in certain orders of dress which is known as the box spur, having no spur strap, but a long metal prong opposite the neck, extending between the arms of the heel band, which is inserted into a specially fitted recess or "box" in the base of the boot heel. Due to the prong, such spurs can only be worn with appropriately equipped boots. This construction is shown in the photos of the swan neck and Waterford spurs below. Spurs seen in western riding may also have small curved-up hooks on

196-504: A full sweep with the spurs from shoulder to flank with each jump, requiring great concentration, and any error in balance puts the rider in a position to be quickly unseated. Bull riders are allowed a position that is the closest to that of classic riding, they are not required to spur the bull, but if they choose to spur, may do so with their legs down in a style that resembles a normal riding position. Spurs are divided into men's, women's, and children's, according to width (which must fit on

245-684: A university . Courtrai was the first city in Belgium with a pedestrian shopping street, the Korte Steenstraat . The Latin name Cortoriacum means the settlement near the curb in the river. There is also mention of 'Cortoracum' in some literature. Its name later evolved to 'Cortrycke', 'Cortryck' and 'Kortrijk' (19th century). In French and in English, the city is called Courtrai. Findings from an archeological dig in 1950 in which remains of three Roman funeral pyres were found suggest that

294-457: Is a refined tool, designed to allow the rider to transmit very subtle signals to the horse that are nearly invisible to any other observer. No matter the discipline, it is important that a rider has a correct position before using spurs, with a deep seat, legs lengthened to the extent allowed by the stirrups , heels down, with knees and thighs rolled in so that the rider has a solid base of support. A swinging or unstable leg may inadvertently jab

343-494: Is also a campus of Ghent University . Even though Courtrai is a Dutch-speaking town, it borders Wallonia , and is only 9 km (5.6 mi) away from the border with France. This has created an urban area that extends across linguistic and national borders. The mayors of Lille , Courtrai and Tournai met in Courtrai on 28 January 2008 to sign a document creating the first European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation within

392-645: Is just south of Courtrai. Courtrai originated from a Gallo-Roman town, Cortoriacum , at a crossroads near the Leie river and two Roman roads. In the Middle Ages , Courtrai grew significantly thanks to the flax and wool industry with France and England and became one of the biggest and richest cities in Flanders . The city is often referred to as City of Groeninge or City of the Golden Spurs, referring to

441-478: Is one of the largest car-free areas in Belgium. The béguinage, as well as the belfry , have each been recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites . Interesting highlights are: Museums in Courtrai include: Courtrai lies at the intersection of three highways: Kortrijk has an extensive web of public transport lines, operated by De Lijn , providing access to the city centre and the suburbs (city lines, Dutch : stadslijnen ) and to many towns and villages in

490-411: Is recorded in English from circa 1390. The parts of a spur include: Spurs are usually held on by a leather or leather-like spur strap that goes over the arch of the foot and under the sole in front of the boot heel. Some western designs have a leather strap that goes only over the top, with a heel chain or a rubber "tiedown" instead of a strap under the boot. Also, some styles have no straps, where

539-481: Is those used on motorcycles . They are characterized by rowels worn as foot jewelry, hung off of boots. They can be similar in appearance to spurs worn by equestrians. Their bright material attracts motor vehicle drivers to the presence of motorcyclists, especially to their feet where riders are most vulnerable when stopped in traffic. Their owners may further customize them by adding miniature strobing LED lights. They are also awarded by motorcycle clubs. The spur

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588-438: Is used in many equestrian disciplines. Most equestrian organizations have rules covering spur design and use, as well as penalties for using spurs in any manner that constitutes animal abuse . This very old word derives from Anglo-Saxon spura, spora , related to spornan, spurnan , to kick, spurn ; cf. Medieval High German Sporn , modern German Sporn , Dutch spoor . The generalized sense of "anything that urges on, stimulus"

637-611: The Battle of the Golden Spurs (Dutch: Guldensporenslag ), between the Flemish people , mostly commoners and farmers, and Philip the Fair 's knights took place near Courtrai on 11 July, resulting in a victory for Flanders; the date is commemorated as a national holiday by the Flemish community . Following a new uprising by the Flemish in 1323, this time against their own Count Louis I ,

686-673: The Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302, where the French cavalry suffered a humbling defeat, the victors hung up bushels of knights' gilt spurs in the churches of Kortrijk as trophies of what is still remembered by the Flemings as the Guldensporenslag (the battle of the golden spurs). The English named the French rout from Thérouanne as the Battle of the Spurs , due to the rapidity of the French cavalry's flight. Prick spurs were

735-460: The Roman Empire . The spur also existed in the medieval Arab world . Early spurs had a neck that ended in a point, called a prick, riveted to the heel band. Prick spurs had straight necks in the 11th century and bent ones in the 12th. The earliest form of the spur armed the heel with a single prick. In England, the rowel spur is shown upon the first seal of Henry III and on monuments of

784-608: The vicus was used as an encampment by the Romans during their invasion of Britain in AD 43 . Cortoriacum was a larger Gallo-Roman vicus of civitas Menapiorum at an important crossroads near the Lys river of the Roman roads linking Tongeren and Cassel and Tournai and Oudenburg . It was first mentioned in a document from the 4th or 5th century called Notitia Dignitatum where

833-401: The 13th century, but it did not come into general use until the 14th century. The spurs of medieval knights were gilt and those of squires were silvered. To "win his spurs" meant to gain knighthood, as gilded spurs were reckoned the badge of knighthood. In the rare cases of ceremonious degradation , the spurs were hacked from the disgraced knight's heels with the cook's chopper. After

882-697: The 15th century was prosperous under the Dukes of Burgundy , until the death of the Burgundian heiress Mary of Burgundy in 1482, which ushered in renewed fighting with France. The 16th century was marked by the confrontations engendered by the Reformation and the uprising of the Netherlands against Spain. Louis XIV 's reign saw Courtrai occupied by the French five times in sixty years and its former fortifications razed. The Treaty of Utrecht assigned

931-682: The Battle of Courtrai or the Battle of the Golden Spurs which took place on 11 July 1302 on the Fields of Groeninge in Courtrai. In 1820 the Treaty of Kortrijk was signed, laying out the still-current borders between France and Belgium. Throughout the 19th and 20th century, the flax industry flourished and remains important within the Belgian textile industry today. Courtrai is the largest city in southern West Flanders, with several hospitals, colleges and

980-615: The EU. The purpose of this organisation is to facilitate the movement of people within this area of nearly 2 million people. The city is host to some sizable cultural events such as: Also, trade shows and events such as the international Design Fair Interieur , Busworld and the Eurodogshow take place in the Kortrijk Xpo event center. These fairs attract numerous visitors to the city. In July and August there are various boat tours on

1029-401: The French invaded again. These Flemish acquisitions were consolidated by the French at the Battle of Cassel (1328) . Louis I's son Louis II lost the city to a Flemish uprising led by Philip van Artevelde in 1381, but the Flemish were later decisively defeated at the 1382 Battle of Roosebeke by Louis II with French support, resulting in a new wave of plundering and destruction. Most of

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1078-709: The area to the Austrian Habsburgs. After the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era, the textile industry, based on flax , and the general economy of the city prospered again. Courtrai was heavily bombed in the summer of 1917, but was liberated by the British Army the following year. During World War II the city was an important railway hub for the German army, and for this reason was

1127-442: The city is made up of: The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, also consists of Kuurne, Wevelgem, Zwevegem and Harelbeke. Although these municipalities have strong morphologic ties with Courtrai, they aren't officially part of the city. Kortrijk has an oceanic climate ( Köppen Cfb ). Much of the city's medieval architecture remains intact and is remarkably well preserved and restored. The city centre

1176-578: The cortoriacenses (cavalry) troops were mentioned. In the 9th century, Baldwin II, Count of Flanders established fortifications against the Vikings . The town gained its city charter in 1190 from Philip, Count of Flanders . The population growth required new defensive walls , part of which can still be seen today (the Broeltorens , Armory, Kortrijk ). Several local places still refer to physical parts of

1225-430: The defensive structures around Kortrijk (Walle, Waterpoort, Menenpoort, Gentsepoort, Brugsepoort, Kasteelkaai); Most of the physical parts have been overbuilt or destroyed. In the 13th century, the battles between Fernando of Portugal, Count of Flanders and his first cousin, King Louis VIII of France , led to the destruction of the city. The Counts of Flanders had it rebuilt soon after. To promote industry and weaving in

1274-593: The design changes were used because of barding , the use of barding had fallen out of fashion by the time the most elaborate spur designs were created. More likely, the elaborate designs reflected the increased abundance of precious metals, particularly silver , that followed the European exploration of the Americas that began in 1492. Spur designs in Spain and colonial Mexico were particularly elaborate. For example,

1323-675: The entire region. There are 55 schools in Courtrai, on 72 different locations throughout the city, with an estimated 21,000 students. The city also provides higher education. The KULAK , a campus of the Catholic University of Leuven , is located in on the south edge of the city, in the Hoog Kortrijk quarter. Other institutes of higher education include the VIVES University of Applied Sciences and Hogeschool West-Vlaanderen (HOWEST) university colleges . There

1372-553: The foot moved. Rowels can vary in size and number of points. In the history of veterinary science , the word "rowel" described a small disk of leather or other material that was used as a seton stitch . The spur was used by the Celts during the La Tène period, which began in the 5th century BC , and is also mentioned by Xenophon ( c.  430  – 354 BC). Iron or bronze spurs were also used throughout

1421-461: The heel band is simply very tight and slips on wedged between the sole and heel of the boot. Some spur designs have a slot for running the spur strap through, others have "buttons", sometimes on the heel band itself and sometimes attached to the heel band by hinges that allow a strap with buttonholes to be attached. When used in military ranks, senior officers, and officers of all ranks in cavalry and other formerly mounted units of some armies, wear

1470-403: The heel of the rider's boot). Spurs are further divided according to the length of the neck, with 0.5 cm ( 1 ⁄ 4  in) being relatively small (and a common size in children's spurs), with some being 5–7.5 cm (2–3 in) long. Many competition rules limit the length of the neck. Kortrijk With its 80,000 inhabitants (2024) Kortrijk is the capital and largest city of

1519-452: The historic centre of Courtrai or Park&Ride parking outside the town centre. Large parts of the historic centre are car free. The city is historically connected with the flax and the textile industry, and still today the textile industry remains important in the region. Major companies which have headquarters in Courtrai include Cisco and Barco . Courtrai serves as an educational centre in south West Flanders, attracting students from

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1568-441: The horse or bull at every stride. This requirement is designed to resemble the behavior of old-time horse-breakers, who would deliberately provoke a horse to buck. In modern times, riders are required to use spurs in a manner that is merely encouraging a horse that is already predisposed to buck; they are not to produce pain. Spur design and use is strictly defined by rodeo rules, spurs are dull, and rowels must turn freely. In fact,

1617-399: The horse with the spur as the rider sits, thus irritating, harming, and frightening the horse, and chronic misuse may deaden it to the leg aids. Improper use may also provoke dangerous or undesirable behaviors such as bucking or bolting. Spurs are rarely used in sports such as horse racing , where the rider's leg is not significantly in contact with the horse. Most spurs are activated by

1666-519: The judicial and administrative arrondissement of Kortrijk . The wider municipality comprises the city of Courtrai proper and the villages of Aalbeke , Bellegem , Bissegem , Heule , Kooigem , Marke , and Rollegem . Courtrai is also part of the cross-border Lille-Kortrijk-Tournai metropolitan area. The city is on the river Leie , 42 km (26 mi) southwest of Ghent and 25 km (16 mi) northeast of Lille . Mouscron in Wallonia

1715-522: The monarch. Inductees into the American Order of the Spur receive gold-coloured (usually brass) spurs if they have earned their membership through combat, or silver-coloured (usually nickel) spurs if they have not seen combat, but complete a rite of passage . Spurs are worn with the tip of the neck pointed downward, sitting on the spur rest of the riding boot , if there is one, with the buckle of

1764-466: The region around the city (regional lines, Dutch : streeklijnen ). The river Lys (Leie) is an important way of transporting goods through inland navigation . The Bossuit-Kortrijk Canal enables in the city centre a direct connection with the river Scheldt . Within the City, the river briefly splits in two, to re-join about a mile further. From the 1970s on, the planning and later the execution of

1813-435: The rider flexing the heel slightly up and in. A roweled spur permits an additional type of action: a rider can roll the spur lightly against the side of the horse rather than being limited simply to pressing inward. The exception to the use of spurs in a subtle fashion is in the rodeo events of bull riding and saddle bronc and bareback riding , where the rider is required to spur in an elaborate, stylized fashion, touching

1862-477: The rider's leg a bit farther from the horse. Spurs in English riding tend to be very sleek, slim, and conservative in design, with a shorter neck, as the saddle and leg position are closer to the horse. They usually have a rounded or blunt end. Rowels are not as popular as the plain blunt end, although some types include a rowel or smooth disk on the end. When used in sports requiring finesse, such as dressage ,

1911-802: The river. The following bridges were built during the period of 1997 and 2012: More recently (2018), the banks in front of the Broel Towers were lowered to allow the public to enjoy the historic river banks along both sides of the River Lys (Leie). This area is now known as the Leieboorden (or Banks of the River Lys ), a place for pedestrians with bars and restaurants. Several small streams or Beken in and around Courtrai were of significant topological, historical and Geological value. Cars are required to give way to pedestrians and cyclists. In general, cars are led to large underground car parks in

1960-400: The shank in front of the rowel, called "chap guards", that were originally used to prevent the rider's chaps from interfering with the rowels of the spur. The shank angle from the yoke can vary from "full" to "one half" to "one quarter" to "straight". Some cowboys also added small metal pajados, also known as jingo bobs or jingle bobs, near the rowel, to create a jingling sound whenever

2009-496: The so-called Leiewerken ( Leieworks ) started. These construction works comprised the deepening and widening of the river. This would enable ships with 4400 tons to navigate from France to the Scheldt. At the same time, this project included a thorough urban renewal of the riversides in the city. Seven new bridges were to give a new architectural impulse to the river quarters as well as the construction of several new parks along

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2058-428: The spur strap worn on the outside of the foot. Spur styles differ between disciplines. Spurs for western riding tend to be heavier, often decorated, and have rowels that rotate. The neck of western spurs is usually longer and the rowel wide in diameter, to accommodate the leg position of the western-style rider, where the stirrup is adjusted long, and the heavy leather used for the saddle 's fenders and stirrups places

2107-570: The spur's purpose is not to speed up the horse but to give accurate and precise aids in lateral and complex movements such as pirouettes, travers , and renvers , and the airs above the ground . Dressage riders tend to ride in Waterford-style spurs with a rounded knob at the end. Conversely, show hunter and jumper riders may use a flatter end to encourage forward movement, such as the Prince of Wales design. Another type of modern spur

2156-664: The spurs of the Spanish conquistadores were sometimes called espuela grande, the "grand spur", and could have rowels as large as 15 cm (6 in) around. In northern Europe, the spur became less elaborate after the 16th century, particularly following the Stuart Restoration , but elaborate spur designs persisted, particularly in the Americas, descendants of which are still seen today, particularly in Mexico and

2205-496: The standard form until the 14th century, when the rowel began to become more common. The prick design never died out entirely, but instead became a thicker, shorter neck with a dulled end, such as the modern "Prince of Wales" design commonly seen in English riding . Though often decorated throughout history, in the 15th century, spurs became an art form in both decoration and design, with elaborate engraving, very long shanks, and large rowels. Though sometimes it has been claimed that

2254-478: The target of several Allied airstrikes. On 21 July 1944 (the Belgian National Day) around 300 Avro Lancasters dropped over 5,000 bombs on the city center. Many historical buildings on the central square, as well as the old railway station, were destroyed. Battles fought there in 1302, 1382, 1580, 1793, 1794, 1814, 1815, and 1918 have each been called Battle of Courtrai . After the 1977 fusion

2303-478: The town, Joan, Countess of Flanders exempted settlers in Courtrai from property tax . From that time, Kortrijk gained great importance as a center of linen production. In 1302, the population of Bruges started a successful uprising against the French, who had annexed Flanders a couple of years earlier. On 18 May the French population in that city was massacred, an event that could not go unpunished. The famous ensuing Battle of Courtrai in 1302, also known as

2352-415: The way spurs are to be used in bucking events generally makes it harder for the rider to stay on; in bareback bronc competition, the spurs must be above the point of the horse's shoulder at the first jump and remain forward at all times, deliberately creating a very awkward position for the rider that requires both strength and coordination to stay on the horse. In saddle-bronc competition, the rider must make

2401-498: The western United States , where the spur has become an integral part of the vaquero and cowboy traditions. The spur as an art form, as well as a tool, is still seen in western riding , where spurs with engraving and other artistic elements, often handmade and using silver or other precious metals, are still worn. Collecting of particularly beautiful antique spurs is a popular pastime for some individuals, particularly aficionados of western history and cowboy culture. Just as

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