Why do Western actors rarely wear spurs on screen?
Charles “Spade” Phillips
Odessa, Texas
Mostly because of animal welfare concerns. Audiences don’t want the horses hurt. Leaving out spurs may be excessive, since spurs aren’t intended to cause pain or injury. Even the actors who do wear spurs often use rubber duplicates for riding scenes or stunts. Any good cowboy will tell you spurs are not there to hurt the animal; a slight touch is usually enough to get the horse to respond.
Marsh
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