Anatomy of a spur

Button: This is the part the slips into the spur straps to hold them on the spur. Swing Arm: The swing arm hold the button to the heelband and, if hinged, allows for some movement. Bronc spurs typically have the spur bottom directly on the heelband and do not have a swing arm. Heelband: The heelband is the part the slides onto the back of your boot. It is sized to fit the rider and can be made of different weighted material for different preferences. Overlays can be placed on this part of the spur to dress it up. Other terms for this part of the spur are 'Yoke' or 'Branch'. Shank: The shank is the contact between the heelband and rowel. It is offered in many different lengths and angles to ensure the rider is able to use their spurs to the best of their ability. Overlays are also often placed on this part of the spurs. This part is also sometimes referred to as the 'Neck' of the spur. Rowel Pin: As the name suggests, this is the pin that holds the rowel onto the shank. It can be attached in many ways with the most common being to weld the end of the pin to the outside of the shank. Rowel: The rowel is the part of the spur that comes in contact with your horse. Rowels come in many shapes, sizes, and materials. Rowels typically spin on the rowel pin that is attached to the shank.