SupaStuds - anyone else had problems?

In response to this thread

The only time SupaStuds come out is when they have not been locked into place against the shoe, this is a basic engineering principle - the same that stops your car falling to bits. SupaStuds have to be inserted into the shoe and tightend, ensuring the stud is locked into place against the shoe and that there is no gap between the head of the stud and the shoe.

If the stud hole put in by the farrier is not square to the shoe this can present problems as the stud cannot lock into position. We recommend that SupaStuds are tightened with a spanner until it stops, then put an extra part turn on it, making sure that it is really tight and locked. (Most people are told not to tighten up studs as they will be hard to get out... ) This does NOT happen with our SupaStuds as already stated they lock into position and cannot be overtightened, )unless you are incredibly strong and rip the thread !

SupaStuds have been extensively tested and are subject to an ongoing regime that has most of the top riders in this country and many others (Australia, New Zealand etc.) using and feeding back to us any problems that they encounter. In France they even use a larger hole 10mm with our standard 3/8" stud and we have had no reports of studs coming out.

It is important to note that SupaStuds are NOT self tapping and will NOT cut a thread or damage the thread in the shoe. The patented design has moved the cutting edge so that is just scrapes the dirt into its one slot, if you have more than one slot they are NOT SupaStuds and are likely to be self tapping.

We have had a couple of instances within the last 6 months where customers complained to us that a 'SupaStud' fell out but on investigation it was found that they had not been sold SupaStuds but the dreaded self tapping studs and not our patented product. Once we established this and sent some samples they have not had a problem since.

As you can tell, We take our product and image very seriously and we try to look after our customers and have contacted Smurf by email. We shall be sending a SAE envelope to her so that she can hopefully return the remaining stud/s to us for evaluation etc.

I can assure you that neither quality or reliability has ever been an issue with our product and we will of course do our best to ensure that customers continue to have trouble free studding.

I hope this has answered some inaccuracies posted on this forum and hope you dont mind us posting direct to the forum.
 
As some people may be aware, I do have a connection with SupaStuds (used to work for them part-time) but I am not replying on their behalf but merely to relate my own experiences with using their studs.

I have used SupaStuds on a variety of horses and ponies, from 13.2 to 16.2, complete babies to Advanced, ever since they were launched. I have racked my brains and as far as I can remember, I have only lost studs cross country when I have lost the whole shoe, other than one occasion when we knew the thread in the hole was knackered but put a stud in anyway and hoped for the best.Just like Kirstyhen, I have only ever lost studs when I've dropped them while inserting/removing them and even that has improved since I've used a StudStasha.

I know for a fact that, as well as Matt Ryan who is sponsored by them and has a lot of input into the design etc and would not stand for an inferior product, SupaStuds are used by all the following: Mary and Emily King, Clayton and Lucinda Fredericks, Bill Levett (winner of Hartpury *** and **), Daisy Dick, Ollie Townend, Emily Llewellyn, Austin O'Connor - I could carry on but you get the idea... Does anyone seriously think that these people would use studs which were always falling out??

I feel desperately sorry for smurf, it sounds like a nightmare, but I think to blame SupaStuds is unfair and inaccurate.
 
TableDancer said:
I feel desperately sorry for smurf, it sounds like a nightmare, but I think to blame SupaStuds is unfair and inaccurate.
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All I can say is that I have lost fewer studs in the last 20 years than I lost in those 7 minutes. I have competed that horse for 7 seasons, he has always been shod the same way, he has always been ridden the same way and has been round that track twice before. The size of stud I used was the same as I have always used. The only thing that was different was the brand.

Perhaps you think it is unfair and inaccurate to conclude that the change of stud brand caused me to lose studs but as it is the only thing I changed you can see why I have made the assumption that I did.

Perhaps if Supastuds need to be used/tightened in a different manner to regular studs and that it is important that the stud holes meet the exact requirements to use Supastuds then it would be a good idea to sell them in packets with instructions?

I'm no Daisy Dick/Mary King but I'm also not a numpty doing my first event.
 
I have no connection with Supastuds whatsoever, other than being a satisfied customer for the last 5-6 years.

I think it's great that Supastuds have come on here to put 'their side' of the story - often threads like this, although sometimes enlightening, can also be very damaging. Good on them for offering excellent customer support.

Smurf - so sorry to hear of your fall at Blair. It must have been completely gutting, not to mention painful :o

I do hope that, after the studs have been examined, a reason for what happened becomes clear - and that one or both parties will be big enough to report back to us to set the record straight? :)
 
I don't tap mine every time before putting my supastuds in. I use cotton wool and vaseline to plug my holes, and then the night before I pick it out, wire brush it and just screw in the travel studs. Like I say I've never lost one. I love mine. The only problem I encountered was with the Supa spanner! It was rubbish and chipped round the edges making it very difficult to remove anything. My hubby owns a garage so now I have a few snap on spanners with one open and one closed end. I definitely wouldn't recommend anyone to buy the spanner!
 
Mini TX has only ever used them and cant praise them highly enough. The only times we have had (twice) where she has lost a stud seems to be when the shoes are coming to the end their life - our mare is shod every 6 weeks, and if she has been out competing on grass a lot, we find the threads in the shoe can sometimes not be as good as it was. Lost one at WW recently, but she did have a fall (not connected with stud), and lost one at Homme as well. However, she is booked to be shod next week. Also lost one earlier in the year at Pontispool, but again shoes were booked to be re-done in the following week. Sorry, this is 3 times, but only 2 are connected to a worn thread in her shoes.

Poor you. Do hope you and the horse are feeling well again soon. Mini TX sends her hugs as do as, as her last event ended 3rd from home xc. Thankfully she was not hurt, nor was the horse, but it does shake you up all the same.
 
Hmmmm I think I might just stick with my normal stud this winter after reading this. My mare hasnt been wearing them as we havinet needed them but I have a set sitting and farrier more than able to come out to sort her shoes out if needs be (maybe I have been lucky with the ground) but I think i will stick to the way Ive always done it and just use normal studs if these let you down when needed most.

Smurf i hope your healing ok and your head nd other hurts are feeling better soon. Its not cheap to compete and if this was the cause you both yours and your horse's injury and subsequent elimination then I honestly feel terrible.

Take care I hope your back to normal and your horse is back to full fitness soon :)
 
I have never had a problem with supastuds and used them this season for the first time. I had no idea they had to be locked into place and have just screwed them in like normal studs and have never lost one and I am quite lazy about studs.
 
I've been using SupaStuds for 4 years and never had a problem. I have lost odd ones when my horse has been due for shoeing and the stud holes have had alot of use, but this has probobly happened about 4 times in all the time I have been using them. I personally wouldn't use any other stud brand!
 
I have lost more studs this season than I have in the last 10 - equally supastuds and normal studs. However this has been with a horse I don't own and who is shod by a farrier I don't use for my own horses (good farrier though :)). I've never been totally happy with the threads on his stud holes and suspect that I'm getting neither sort of stud in tight enough. It's an expensive problem!

On my own horses cannot remember losing a susastud.
 
LEC said:
I have never had a problem with supastuds and used them this season for the first time. I had no idea they had to be locked into place and have just screwed them in like normal studs and have never lost one and I am quite lazy about studs.
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Agree that I am not the most conscientious about keeping studholes clean, but have used supastuds for quite a few years now. The only time I have lost studs, without the shoe, was at Bishop Burton where the ground was horrendous - I didn't have big enough SS dome ones for the very, very deep going so used normal studs, which were awful to get in and lost all of the back ones by the time I got back to the lorry park.

Very sorry to hear about your fall at Blair - very frustrating, so close to home - and hope you are both not too sore.
 
sorry to hear about your fall and hope that there are no lasting injuries to you or your horse :)

As for Supastuds I have used them for two years now and never had a problem. I hadn't been told you had to lock them but personally I always have with my studs anyway so it wouldn't change anything if I had known before reading this thread!

I have never lost one even when I have partially ruined the thread like today :o (ruined thread retapping with tap not stud, whoops!)
 
smurf, as you know (and as per text on Friday), I am truly gutted for you and H as the pair of you were indeed flying and looking great. Hope you and H are both on the mend.

Have to say I've only ever used SupaStuds and never lost one, but given the ground conditions at Blair this year I would hazard a guess at there being many studs being lost, no matter what the brand- it was very soupy in places! :( I'm sure you put them in properly but it could be a combination of bad threads (on either/or/both shoe or studs) and ground conditions that caused them to come out.

I put 4 SupaStuds in for someone SJ-ing today in ground that was more mud than grass and they came back with all four (I also managed to break their spanner trying to take them out as I'd got them in so tight! :o Quick trip to tool stand for new one!), so sounds like you juts had really bad luck. :(

It will all come together for you there one day... next year?! (maybe it will even be sunny one year?!)
 
I've used Supastuds ever since they 1st launched, & have never lost a stud, but TBH i don't think i've ever lost a stud full stop..... :O (will now loose endless studs & regret previous comment ;)
 
I'm new to studding - only used them maybe a dozen times or so - have only ever used Supastuds, but have never lost one yet - despite managing to wreck the thread with my tap. I'm not very good at putting them in and seem to have to retap every single time :confused:
 
Yet another satisfied supastuds customer here! I have a mixture of both supastuds and normal and do find the supastuds easier, I have also never yet lost either type of stud though? I do screw them in pretty tight though, always have done. Am also a bit lazy and tend not to plug holes between uses as I probably only stud once or twice a month, and find that the cotton wool breaks down and becomes more awkward to remove than mud! I always clean out initially with harriers nail, then wire brush, then tap them with a spanner, then put in the travel studs and once at comp just swap them over. Am no expert but getting better with practice definately!
 
ecrozier - my top tip would be not to plug with cotton wool as you say it breaks down, use instead small squares of sponge. Once you have cleaned the hole squirt in some WD40 and then put the sponge in. It does not break down and lasts for weeks.
 
I was very surprised to hear of Wendy's problems, I can only speak for myself in that we've been using SupaStuds for at least eight years during that time we've raced over 300 times using SupaStuds and have only had a couple of studs come out unexpectedly during a race, the reason for that was almost defiantly due to oversize holes in the shoes to start with which results in insufficient threads in the holes in the shoes which can result in stripping of the threaded hole or not enough area of the thread for the studs to “lock” into.

We fit 32 studs each time we race, that’s two studs per shoe in four ponies, and we reach speeds of up to 30mph so we need studs that are totally reliable as we wouldn't want a fall over at those speeds,

My husband Paul who is a qualified mechanical engineer with 35 years experience swears by SupaStuds as he has found them to be the best produced studs on the market for quality and consistent tolerances in their manufacture.

He or I wouldn't use anything else on our ponies.

www.orchard-scurry-team.co.uk
 
smurf said:
ecrozier - my top tip would be not to plug with cotton wool as you say it breaks down, use instead small squares of sponge. Once you have cleaned the hole squirt in some WD40 and then put the sponge in. It does not break down and lasts for weeks.
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Thanks for the tip - farrier this weekend so will try that!
 
what a blooming shame for you!
I have used both - lost normal and never lost supastuds - but then i have used normal one for far longer and only just been convertedf to supastuds
 
I've used Supa Studs for years, never lost one that I've put in properly. Used to lose the normal ones all the time cos I could never get them to go in all the way. I'm Dyslexic, which causes poor hand eye co-ordination and they are the only studs I have been able to get in regularly without swearing or messing up the thread in the shoe with the tap as I cross the threads etc..

I do clean out the holes the night before and put in travel studs, makes them quicker to do at the show.

Also found out that you need to remember to clean out the 'grooves' after you use the studs or the dried mud will make them hard to put in.

OP: I hope you feel better soon!
 
Also never had any problems with supastuds. I tap and clean out before every event as I also have mixture of studs and decide what to put in when I get to event.

Sometimes if I cross tap the hole becomes too big, if this happens I wrap insulation tap round stud then screw in, makes the stud fit! only a short term solution though. Thanks to my farrier for that tip!
 
From what I can see ,if there is a problem ,its due to the studs being a lot harder than the thread in the shoe. The stud is held in by that last tightening against the face of the shoe.The moment that grip is broken there is nothing to stop the stud unwinding except luck.Apart from failing to fully tighten (more than you would expect with a normal stud) hitting a stone could also stretch the thread in the shoe causing the stud to loosen.The tough thread of the supastud is not goung to bind as well against the shoe steel as the rather more agricultural versions do. The softer conventional studs tighten up and lock easier also the thread would give a great deal more grip due to dirt particles bedding into the steel on both faces.The very factors that make the supastud so easy to use must also make them easier to fall out once "unlocked".
In engineering,very few threads are used without some form of locking device,(Split washer,nylock, etc)The two examples that dont are the highly machined very accurately made very tough,cylinder head bolts on some engines. The other example is where the thread is so coarsely cut and soft on both parts that the materials bed into each other and lock tightly.
It seems to me that what we have here is an attempt to combine these two extremes. A well made very hard threaded stud in a soft steel shoe and a coarsely cut thread. Of course they can work loose.
 
Another satisfied supastud user - never lost one but their spanner is not good.

Sent one back which was promptly replaced but soon rounded off again.

Use a small adjustable now.
 
Mike007 said:
From what I can see ,if there is a problem ,its due to the studs being a lot harder than the thread in the shoe. The stud is held in by that last tightening against the face of the shoe.The moment that grip is broken there is nothing to stop the stud unwinding except luck.Apart from failing to fully tighten (more than you would expect with a normal stud) hitting a stone could also stretch the thread in the shoe causing the stud to loosen.The tough thread of the supastud is not goung to bind as well against the shoe steel as the rather more agricultural versions do. The softer conventional studs tighten up and lock easier also the thread would give a great deal more grip due to dirt particles bedding into the steel on both faces.The very factors that make the supastud so easy to use must also make them easier to fall out once "unlocked".
In engineering,very few threads are used without some form of locking device,(Split washer,nylock, etc)The two examples that dont are the highly machined very accurately made very tough,cylinder head bolts on some engines. The other example is where the thread is so coarsely cut and soft on both parts that the materials bed into each other and lock tightly.
It seems to me that what we have here is an attempt to combine these two extremes. A well made very hard threaded stud in a soft steel shoe and a coarsely cut thread. Of course they can work loose.
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Interesting .... my farrier was so fed up when I told her what happened, She had tried them in her daughters horse with the same problem. She said if I had asked her first she would have cautioned against them for similar reasons to the above. She also said that if you buy shoes with ready made stud holes then the holes are machined and 100% uniformed so the stud has a better chance of locking in but since my stud holes are done by hand they will never be 100% flush to the top of the shoe and therefore the 'locking mechanism' less reliable.
 
How strange.

My farrier swears by Supastuds. He is so convinced they are better than normal studs that he now stocks and sells them.

He also punches stud holes in the shoes himself and doesn't buy ready punched ones.
 
Finally, some feedback regarding Smurf's problems at Blair.

Apologies for the slow response - we wanted to extensively test the studs that Smurf returned before we came back to you all so that we could be sure of our conclusions.

To start with, we examined the studs carefully in the workshop. Of the 15 studs, most had clearly been used at least once, as the black coloration given to the studs by the nitrotech process which hardens them had been rubbed off. There was little or no wear, however, so they were obviously still relatively new. There were no flaws to be seen in the threads, slots etc which would indicate any faults in the manufacturing.

We then divided the studs into three batches for field testing, sending one lot to Muriel Colquoun MBE, one to an eventing colleague, Katie Williams, and one to Matt Ryan. We have now had the results of all three tests.

Muriel was unable to test hers in a competition situation, but has used them extensively on the Scottish hills on the banks of the Clyde, where the ground has been extremely wet, and has had no problems.
Number of studs lost in testing: Nil.

Katie gave the studs to her 14 year old daughter to use competing at Novice BE level at Monmouth one day event. Her daughter inserted and removed the studs herself and had no problems, going on to win her section with the fastest XC round of the day.
Number of studs lost in testing: Nil.

Matt has used the studs repeatedly on a variety of horses at a number of different events. His grooms reported that they were the same to insert and remove as any other SupaStuds, and Matt has noticed no difference in grip riding XC.
Number of studs lost in testing: Nil.

We can only conclude that the studs returned to us are not faulty and the problems Smurf experienced at Blair, while very unfortunate, cannot in all fairness be attributed to SupaStuds.

Thank you to everyone for their comments.
 
That is very impressive and thorough testing.
I've used Supastuds many many times on all sorts of horses over all sorts of terrain, and never had a problem, whether they were inserted by me or by a (stronger, male) friend.
The only time I have EVER lost multiple studs (and this was years ago, before Supastuds were on the market) was when my farrier did the threads in the shoes from the wrong side...
I strongly suspect human error here, either farrier or whoever put them in!
 
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