What were the spurs of ancient knights used for?

Refers to a short spike or barbed wheel attached to the back root of a rider's boot to stimulate the horse to run fast. Spurs appeared in Europe and Central Asia in the Middle Ages. When riding a horse, the knight wears a belt on his ankle and has small spikes on the metal tip.

We can often see descriptions of spurs in novels describing the life of European knights, such as Ivanhoe the Hero by Scott, Don Quixote by Cervantes and Robin Hood. Although it's not about knights, it's also about spurs. In Robin Hood, it's also mentioned that spurs are a symbol of chivalry, and despicable people are not worthy to use them. In the eyes of western girls, the Spurs seem to have temperament and are a symbol of handsome men. Many literary works always mention spurs when describing handsome men (especially soldiers), among which spurs are mentioned when describing Ashley's clothes in Gone with the Wind. The University of Notre Dame wrote that Esmeralda wanted to hear the Spurs versus Phobos. Madame Bovary also used a short paragraph to describe the spurs of old Bovary when he was young. When developing America, American cowboys also used spurs. It was also produced in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China.

Spurs are rarely seen in daily life, and ordinary riding without speed is not needed, including modern equestrian sports. Therefore, it has lost its original function and become an ornament.