Studs - all hooves? how many in each?!

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Decision_Tree

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Hey Guys -

I normally ride studless at all events, but I have now gotten stud holes in and a small set of studs (four so far!). I would like to use them when its slippery on grass, for example when there is a light shower before competing and the ground has been dry previous to this. My horse is close in the front and I have been advised to use smaller studs but reading posts on the forum some people only use studs in back hooves which might be better for us? I am looking for advice from stud users on the combos they use and why?

thanks in advance and help yourselves to some cherrios and beroccas!!
 
Have a wee search on previous posts for "studs" and you will manage to thoroughly confuddle yourself with all the different theories/approaches to studding! ;) It's one of the top "no right answer" topics on here I reckon!

With Hopalong I've always used one in each shoe all round (outside) and use as small a stud as possible. On a couple of occasions when it's been very hard I've only used a couple small, sharp studs behind, but tend to use the SupaStud mini sharps in front, which are pretty small but just enough to give a little extra grip for cornering;

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I like the dressage studs for behind;

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As they are nice and pointy to go into the ground easily. If ground a little softer I upgrade the hinds to the "small conical"s and put a normal "sharp" stud in front.

(you can see how small the studs I've pictured are compared to their threads!)

If you're only using one on the outside, you won't have to worry about the close action as no inside stud to strike the opposite leg. :)
 
I've only just started using studs - Casper has 2 in each hoof.

At Kinnaird when it was slippy he had small studs in front and larger dome studs in back - same when I went schooling at Strathallan and this was fine.

For Auckinleck I had small studs all round as it wasn't that wet but was pretty sticky so in hindsight I probably wouldn't have studded at all or just put small studs in back.

I'm keen to only stud if I need to since we've managed so far without studs and would always use the smallest stud I can get away with - hope that helps?
 
Thanks guys - I have gotten Spud studs medium conical and have the small on order (arrived this morning at shop! whoop!). I just worry about hurting Bops legs. It would be really good to see some research into stud use... maybe thats the engineer in me?!

FJ: there is just too may ways! it confuses me so much!?! eeek! (Engineer mind cannot cope!) But I know sometimes I would have benefited from using studs as its been slippery. On the supastud site it recommends those studs for slippery conditions - small in front and med in back, so i have went with that! I then I can always use them for good going too XC rather than those big bullet ones.

BB: I am like you, not experienced with studs as been happy without. I dont want to use them all the time or for DR on grass. Its SJ on grass which I think they would help with as they only time he has slipped in WH on grass. The small stud theory makes alot of sense, I might get a full set of the smalls and just use them to start as that will be more grip than we are used to.
 
My preference is as few as poss and as small as poss. I don't like using front studs if I can as worry that if too big will jar them when they land from a jump. Happily use small fronts when doing dressage on grass.
 
It's an interesting topic, everyone has a different view. For us, personally, 1 horse has 2 in each back hoof, and 1 in each front, using the same sized studs all the way round.

Another horse has 1 stud all round, the back ones being bigger.

It works better for them, one is steadier on his feet, whereas the other is more nimble, Works well for them. Every person studs differently though.
 
2 Small square ones in each front, 2 slightly larger ones in each back - takes bl**dy ages to put them in on fidgeting horse!

I use fronts as hoss has a history of a pulled muscle in his shoulder from sliding in mud.
 
Hi

The stud world is a little complicated and I would be careful with inside studs if your horse is close. I was worried about my mare catching herself when I started so I used pastern wraps (as well as usual boots) she has never caught them however so I dont bother any more but good for peace of mind when you start.

Stud wise look on the supastud website and compare yours to these listed below if it helps have always found this set up to be perfect for me :)

Dry and Hard - Small sharp studs in fronts, small conicals in backs.
Slippy(wet) and Hard - Small conicals in fronts, medium conicals in backs
Relatively wet muddy/soft going - medium conicals in front, arena studs in backs
Very muddy - arena studs all round.

Hope this helps :)
 
As FigJam says ask 10 people and you will get 12 answers. I can only give you my reasoning.

I don't like to use a single stud in each hoof as I think it risks too much twisting on the leg.
To bring up another sport, there are an awful lot of knee injuries/leg fractures in rugby caused by the body twisting and the studs/boots/foot not twisting, I see this as the reverse.

If I have a close moving horse I use small studs and big boots.
I also use a stud girth if I'm using studs in front, and I always use the smallest studs I can especially in front, but always in pairs.

Horses sometimes need to get used to the extra grippiness of their feet too (if you've ever worn football boots after trainers you know the feeling)

Just my thoughts tho.
 
We event only at 100 at the moment and my horse is 17 hands. I just put rear studs in as right now I don't feel I need any more. And if the ground was fantastic like stafford I'd be very tempted to not stud at all. Depending on the ground I obviously change them accordingly but generally I use a small conical outside branch with a bullet inside branch. Or for the dressage I use a dressage stud outside with a road stud inside. Obviously if the ground is wet and sloppy I have round studs. But if sharp I always try to put a blunt stud on the inside. We have evented most of this season and I've never used any bigger than a small conical or small dome stud. fronts I have holes put in as my farrier likes to put them in lol, I think secretly he disagrees with me not putting them in ha! However I've never used fronts yet, and touch wood at this level I've not once had an instance where I have wished I had them in.
 
My take on it is that it depends how the horse moves.

Youngsters only get one in the outside of the shoe because they often get clumsy with their legs.

After that, I trot the horse up and look at how it pushes off the ground. If it naturally twists its feet, then only ever one in the outside, so as not to prevent the twist, if it doesn't, then two all round because any twist is a force it is not used to dealing with.

Small as possible - this year I've pretty much exclusively used the supastuds dressage studs, with occasional small conicals. Always smaller in front if I am using different studs in front than behind.
 
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