Order of the Spur The Order of the Spur is a Cavalry tradition within the United States Army . Soldiers serving with Cavalry units ( referred to as " Troopers " ) are inducted into the Order of the Spur after successfully completing a " Spur Ride " or for having served during combat as a member of or with a Cavalry unit . Traditionally , each Trooper is presented spur s by his sponsor at a ceremonial dining in commonly referred to as the " Spur Dinner " . The spurs are to be worn with the military uniform during Squadron or Regimental ceremonies and events or as designated by the Cavalry unit commander . In some units , gold spurs are awarded for combat inductions while silver spurs represent having completed the Spur Ride . Within the tradition , silver spurs and gold spurs hold a similar relationship for the cavalry as the Expert Infantryman Badge and the Combat Infantryman Badge hold in the U . S . Army Infantry . There is no Military Occupational Specialty ( MOS ) requirement for the Order of the Spur and the order is open to members of foreign militaries serving with U . S . Cavalry units . History . 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 . Spur Ride . The Spur Ride is the only means of joining the Order of the Spur , aside from a wartime induction . The conduct of a Spur Ride varies but it is generally an event held over multiple days during which a Trooper must pass a series of physical and mental tests relevant to the Cavalry . Some of the tests evaluate leadership , technical and tactical proficiency , physical fitness , the ability to operate as part of a team under high levels of stress and fatigue under both day and night conditions , though the specific tests vary by unit . A written test is often also administered , with questions that cover United States Cavalry and unit history . During the Spur Ride , candidates are also often required to recite from memory the traditional cavalry poem , " Fiddler ' s Green " , or other traditions or historical information pertaining to the Cavalry . The criteria for participation in the Spur Ride are set by each Cavalry unit , usually at the Squadron level . Many units require demonstrated leadership ability through planning and conducting unit - level training events such as gunnery ranges , soldier task training or other non - commissioned and commissioned officer - level tasks . Some examples of minimum criteria are : Upon successful completion of the Spur Ride , new spur holders are welcomed with a formal induction ceremony . The ceremony is a dining in , called the Spur Dinner , that often includes other military traditions such as honoring lost comrades , a ceremonial punch ( called a grog ) , and a roll call of the successful candidates . Some units also hold a " hero ' s breakfast " immediately following the end of the Spur Ride . During the breakfast , the unit commander presents a toast welcoming the successful candidates to the brotherhood prior to the formal induction ceremony . Regulations . The U . S . Department of the Army classifies the Order of the Spur as an Army tradition , so regulations for induction into the Order of the Spur and the wear of cavalry accoutrements are set by each cavalry unit commander . Lacking any Army - wide regulations , standards differ from unit to unit , but the tradition remains the same . What follows is one example of a Cavalry Squadron ' s policy on the wear of Stetsons and Spurs : Department of the Army Regulations . While the regulations governing the order of the spur are set by each cavalry commander ( and so do not appear in the Army Regulation governing wear and appearance of uniforms and insignia ) , the practice falls under what the Army officially recognizes as a tradition . The following is from Field Manual 7 - 21 . 13 ( The Soldier ' s Guide , dated 15 OCT 2003 ) : Relationship with the Cavalry Stetson . Like the Order of the Spur , the Cavalry Stetson is an Army Tradition and regulated by a soldier ' s unit commander . However , unlike the Order of the Spur , the Cavalry Stetson is usually worn by a Trooper immediately upon their assignment to a Cavalry unit . Which is to say , while the Cavalry Stetson is holds a similar status to the Order of the Spur , for members of the cavalry the awarding and wear of the Cavalry Stetson is distinct from the awarding and wear of spurs . Army 2011 April Fool ' s Gag . On April Fools ' Day , 2011 , the U . S . Army released a humorous statement that the official black beret of the Army would be replaced by stetsons . Below is an excerpt from the full announcement : The statement was supplemented by pictures of soldiers with stetsons photoshopped over their berets , including an Army dog toting a stetson .