Need a "dummies guide to stud"

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Sheeny88

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So I done my first ODE yesterday, went really well but came away feeling like I ought to have studs put in as she slipped in the dressage (on grass) which then made me very nervous where we were cantering.

She currently just has road nails and these small pins (no idea what you call them) that my farrier drills into the corners. One of my instructors has said to me before I might want to have studs put in but as I've never used them (this is our first year out competing) before I didn't want to just put them in for the sake of it but we obviously we need them! Although now I actually think it would be good for our confidence as she's never been the most sure footed horse and I always feel uneasy cantering her down even the slightest decline!

I mentioned to my farrier about them recently and he said if I feel I need them to make sure I am clued up....so can everyone clue me up please! I don't know anyone else (that I see often enough) that has/needs to use them. How will I know which ones to use??

I've had a look on google but its not that helpful when you know nothing about them, what's a tap?!

I've read a lot of posts saying SupaStuds are good, but again as I know nothing about them I cant work out what's different!

All advice welcome!
 
first of all on't be too daunted by studs, its not a huge deal and they are really helpful when used correctly.

A tap is the thing that you use if you need to clear the thread on the inside of the shoe but you will need to pick out all the debris first if you havent packedles with cotton wool first.

I haven't used supa studs so couldn't comment, i just use the normal ones. The basic rule is soft squishy ground big fat studs, hard ground small pointy studs.

For me and the conditions and level i compete in i generally just use a couple of the E's in this picture;
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=h...rsREVM:;eXqFNuheXdNIwM:&imgrc=KC4GtsUIrsREVM:

At the moment on a young inexperienced horse i just use one in the outside of each hind, big debates over whether 1 or two in each foot is best, but this works well for us and the level we are at at the moment
 
Another thing to consider is are you working her over a variety of terrain inc cantering down hill while out hacking. I don't like doing it either but the more you do it, the more sure footed the horse will become and the less you will worry.

I've been schooling on grass for a year now, and the difference in my horse is significant. My field isn't even level and it's often raining as I'm in Scotland but she is a lot better.
 
This is my first year competing too, I had stud holes put in for the first time in March. I only have back studs and I've got some multi ground type ones, they are only small, but they are for soft and hard ground.

I did dressage in the sunshine yesterday and XC in the rain and they were perfect.

I was worried where to start, but just spoke to the girls in the tack shop, explained what I was doing, and why I wanted them and haven't looked back
 
Thanks so much Ffion Winnie that's really useful, yes you're probably right - as I try to avoid it I'm not really helping her get better. Admittedly I am a wimp and my friends always joke when I say no to cantering on the slightest incline!

I was planning to use cotton wool as think that would be easiest for me. I'm going to ask my farrier what he recommends, I think she should have them in front too even if just small ones as that's why I had the pins drilled in as she sometimes slipped on front out hacking - her own fault as she's sometimes very lazy!

Do you recommend a starter kit?
 
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mrsh2010 that's useful to know, I was worrying I would have a massive kit with lots of choices and no idea what I should be using. Did you just buy a small kit or just one set? I didn't know you could get multi ground type ones!
 
Sheeny88 said:
mrsh2010 that's useful to know, I was worrying I would have a massive kit with lots of choices and no idea what I should be using. Did you just buy a small kit or just one set? I didn't know you could get multi ground type ones!
Click to expand...

No I didn't buy a kit. Just bought a pack of four studs. My farrier recommended using a spanner rather than the stud kit tool, and he gave me a few nails for digging out the holes.

I bought a plastic tub from poundland, it contains my studs, spanner, WD40, cotton wool and my nails. My horse is out 24/7 so the cotton wool falls out, but so far so good with digging them out and being able to stud up

I have the ones in the top of this picture http://www.shiresequestrian.com/hor...-studs-pointed-for-varying-ground-and-jumping
 
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