An idiots guide to studs?

[Snapshot2016]

Hello I’m looking at using studs for the first time this year, I have a 17.2hh who I’ll be doing a spot of eventing with, I have spied the supastuds online so looking at investing in those, but which ones should I go for?
Do I use two in each shoe or just one? All help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[RachelFerd]

Welcome to a total minefield of a question

Short answer is - spiky studs for firm ground, rounded studs for soft ground. As a general principle, use the smallest studs you can get away with. If ground is not at all slippery, don't stud.

You can stud behind and not in front, but never in front and not behind.

I usually put one stud in outside of each hind foot, then two tiny studs in each front foot. I like to allow hind feet to twist. Many people prefer to use two behind as well.

 

[HeyMich]

We started studding my son's superpony last spring/summer as they were dabbling in some ODEs, with all phases on grass (in Scotland, so invariably wet conditions!). We asked the farrier to put just 1 stud hole on the outside of each back shoe. We then bought a stud starter kit from a local tack shop, which had a range of studs, rubber blanks, a stud tool, brush etc all in a handy wee case. By the end of the season, we had used them for all XC events and training, hunter trials and SJ on grass in wet conditions, and were pretty efficient at the whole shebang. My son knows when to use them and how to look after them, so it was a quick and easy learning process. I'd say speak to your farrier and buy a starter kit and go from there.

 

[jnb]

I no longer stud as I have an unshod cob!
However when I did , I have a top ti: SupaStuds travel studs - they're little almost flat square studs you put in the night before / just before you leave for the competition then just swap for your actual studs when you get there, so much less stressful than trying to pick out stones /mud from your stud holes and tap the thread when your hands are shaking at the competition /horses is bouncing around in excitement and you're scared to death they will put their foot down with the tap in their shoe!.
I also used them with my old cob instead of studs on harder less grassy going to give grip on corners. They're brilliant! Don't leave them in on roads or more than overnight though as they will weld themselves into the stud holes.

https://www.supastuds.com/Travel_Stud--product--13.html

 

[Bernster]

Echo the above, I found it quite fiddly to clean the holes so using the supa stud travel ones were great. Did it the night before, put those in until I arrived at the comp, so much easier. I also got a starter kit which had a good range. There were also some handy accessories - a magnetic tray to stop them wandering off, a metal cleaner brush with plastic holder as they popped out of wooden ones, and a good tap recommended by the farrier (Liveryman stud tap).

I tried various things to bung into the clean hole, like cotton wool etc., which were supposed to make cleaning easier but none worked very well.

Bit fiddly to start with but you’ll soon get the hang of it. I did two holes in the back, none in the front. But then I wasn’t at a high level or doing much competing.

 

[SOS]

Good advice above.

Always try to bung the hole with something else you will get perfect sized stones stuck in them. Those rubber stud holder ones are awful if they get stuck so I always stuck to cotton wool with a little water and really shove it in, straight after the farrier has been and every time after removing studs. A shoe nail is the best for unpicking studs. Don’t tap every time unless you need too.

But the best advice? Don’t use them unless necessary. Train lots on different terrains and low level eventing you don’t use many tight lines. It’s the showjumping, if on grass, that is normally the slippier bit.

 

[LEC]

Its very personal - I trot the horse up and slow motion video it to decide how I am going to stud each horse. If they have a twist in the foot then only one stud is going in and its opposite pair. If the horse moves straight then I put two in. The caveat being that you cannot put more studs in than you have put in the hind in the front. So you cannot have two, if the hind only has one.

I have discussed this over and over with FEI vets, renowned trainers and farriers and there is no conclusive answer. I always start a horse new to studs off with only one in each foot. Firstly because its easier for studding them up and getting them out and also because less likely to injure themselves with just a stud on the outside if being an idiot.

I use tiny studs called small dressage if hard ground (supastuds ones) and a dome stud if the ground is softer. I don't use anything else as no need. I always have boots on if they were wearing studs in front. I always removes the studs before I remove the boots especially at the end of xc. Seen too many sliced tendons and horrible accidents after xc with people removing boots first and horses being lively or tired.

I have an adjustable spanner and a magnetic tray. I never put anything in my stud holes in between as find washing the horse and then doing studholes means its easy. I use a tool called a Brawdle for clearing the holes.

 

[01FSC]

I found a pretty good guide here: https://www.elandlodge.com/which-studs-should-i-use-on-my-horse/

 

[Lyle]

Grub screws are great for putting in the night before to keep the holes clean- I would rub a little petroleoum jelly onto them before winding them in with an allen key. They can actually stay in all the time if you are dilligent with taking them out and putting them back in, but if you are doing road work, the shoe can burr a little and trap them in, so I would only pop them in the night before. Always have your horse booted when wearing studs, even when hanging out at the lorry. Better safe than sorry! I liked connical shaped points for the outside of the hinds. I never put large studs in the front, the front hooves need to slide a little when the horse is in movement. The pre-packed case of studs a lot of tack shops sell have super small studs, which are useful in firm yet greasy ground, and then a set of huge mud runners, which are really enormous and I never used. I preferred to buy my studs individually through somewhere like Supa Studs. Better to stud smaller and ride to the conditions that stud too big and strain and jar your horse.

 

[Birker2020]

Good advice above.

Always try to bung the hole with something else you will get perfect sized stones stuck in them. Those rubber stud holder ones are awful if they get stuck so I always stuck to cotton wool with a little water and really shove it in, straight after the farrier has been and every time after removing studs. A shoe nail is the best for unpicking studs. Don’t tap every time unless you need too.

But the best advice? Don’t use them unless necessary. Train lots on different terrains and low level eventing you don’t use many tight lines. It’s the showjumping, if on grass, that is normally the slippier bit.

butt ends of cigarettes are a good idea. Or a bit of cotton wool smothered in stockholm tar.

 

[MagicMelon]

Welcome to a total minefield of a question

Short answer is - spiky studs for firm ground, rounded studs for soft ground. As a general principle, use the smallest studs you can get away with. If ground is not at all slippery, don't stud.

You can stud behind and not in front, but never in front and not behind.

I usually put one stud in outside of each hind foot, then two tiny studs in each front foot. I like to allow hind feet to twist. Many people prefer to use two behind as well.

This. I usually use short pointed studs for harder ground, bigger dome shaped ones for wet. If its not particularly bad then I have just done studs in the backs - I only do 1 in the outside edge, I dont stud on the inside as I feel its riskier for injuries. If its slippy then I'll put one each in the fronts too. I stuff them with bits of cotton wool sprayed with WD40 and ask the farrier for some nails which are great for picking them out.