Combat Spurs – Order of the Spur – Gold Plated w/straps aka Prince of Wales Spurs

Description

The Order of the Spur is a Cavalry tradition within the United States Army as gold spurs are awarded to Soldiers for having served during combat as a member of, or with, a Cavalry unit. The spurs are to be worn with the military uniform during Regimental ceremonies and events or as designated by the Cavalry unit commander. Within the tradition, gold spurs hold a similar relationship for the cavalry as the Combat Infantry Badge in the U.S. Army Infantry.

The tradition of having to “earn your spurs” reaches back to the beginning of the cavalry. When green Troopers first arrived at their new cavalry assignments they were assigned a horse with a shaved tail. This led to the nickname “Shave Tail” for newly assigned, spur-less Soldiers. These new Troopers were in need of extensive training, especially in the area of swordsmanship from atop a horse. The horse with a shaved tail was given extra space in which to operate since its rider was marked as an amateur. During this phase of training, the Troopers were not allowed to wear spurs because this would only serve to compound their problems. Only when they were able to prove their ability to perform with their horse and saber were they awarded spurs.