i68 SPURS, ANCIENT AND MODERN 



(6) Very often a lady wears a spur with a 

 single point, covered by a spring cap until 

 pressed against her horse's side, when the cap 

 retreats and bares the point. 



The rowels in vogue have ten points, and their 

 length and sharpness should depend on the 

 wearer's skill as a horseman, and also on the 

 character of the horse. 



Guineas have been used in military spurs as a 

 substitute for rowels, but very rarely. Box-spurs 

 came into use about seventy years ago. Their 

 inventor was Mr. Henry Maxwell. He was 

 grandfather to the world-famed spur-maker, 

 who carries on the business now. Before their 

 introduction, spurs were screwed on to the heels 

 of boots when their wearers wished to avoid 

 using buckles and chains. The best steel box- 

 spurs are "forged solid" — i.e. out of one piece of 

 metal — to avoid screwing in a spike that is liable 

 to break. Of course brass and compound metals 

 are cast. Whoever is foolish enough to try and 

 forge them will find the task about as interesting 

 and nearly as difficult as endeavouring to make 

 ropes out of sand. On reflection, it will strike 

 an observant person what a neat discovery Mr. 

 Maxwell made when he cleverly hit upon the 

 idea of holding the spur in a spring socket which 

 is built into the boot-heel. Cavalry officers wear 

 the same kind of box-spurs for undress and for 

 mess as the original pattern. But for mounted 

 duties they have jack-spurs, which are worn with 

 buckles and chains. As regards foreigners, they 

 use box-spurs, if the expense does not deter 



