My local tack shop has a bunch of horseshoe studs on sale, so I was thinking I should pick some up, but then I realized I don’t really know which ones to get! I know there are different road studs, grass studs, and deep mud studs, but there are so many darn sizes I’m not really sure which to get!
Which ones are staples in your stud kit?
It would be a good idea to ask your trainer first because stud use will vary depending on the type of footing you’re riding in as well as the horse’s comfort level with them.
Your trainer should know what tends to be most useful at the venues you frequent, as well as what might work best for your particular horse.
Certain studs will generally be useful to have around, such as a small road stud, some grass tips (if you compete on grass), etc., but whether you’ll be needing giant mud blocks or huge bullets will be more individual. Certain trainers also prefer much less stud in front vs behind, and specific types on the inside branch vs the outside one, so which sizes and types you choose will really depend on your program, unless you want to get them all.
I used studs for the first time during a jumper derby last year. My mare usually has great back hooves that don’t need to be shod but in this case, I wanted to be prepared in case the ground got torn up. I went to my local tack shop and picked out a handy kit that came with the tools and some studs and then some heavier duty grass studs. I put one larger grass stud on the outside of each horse shoe and smaller basic one on the inside, however you can have your farrier drill and tap more holes than just two on each shoe like I did.
Make sure you ask your farrier what he charges to drill and tap or if he even does it. Mine charged me 25 extra per shoe. You have to keep them plugged up with rubber plugs. Stud holes are a pain in the butt! Make sure you always keep your horses legs protected when using studs.
I know I’m really tired today- skimmed the title and first thought was “when you want to get your broodmare in foal?”
Damn.
I was trying to find you a chart for studs and then google found me some nice horse shoe shaped stud earrings and then I saw some nice cuff earrings and one thing led to another, I’ve bought a nice set of pearl ear crawler/stud.
Thank you Venice. Thank you…
I’m done googleing, so I’m just going to tell you that you should buy at least 4 of each type of studs so you can mismatch as needed.
Bigger studs to the outside.
Bigger studs for back shoes.
Never ‘‘over’’ stud.
Here’s a chart. You also need a tap (get the expensive rubber safety one) and plugs or blanks and a little pick thingy to pick out the holes and an adjustable wrench and a magnetic dish and one of the plastic boxes to store studs in and a bigger box or bag to put everything else in. It’s a fairly substantial investment, in other words.
http://www.bitofbritain.com/Studs-p/10112.htm
The bit of britain chart posted by Highflyer is a great place to start. I would avoid getting one of the pre made kits, and buy what best suits you conditions instead. I second the idea of buying the rubber safety tap. It’s much better than the cheap one. Make sure to plug the holes when not in use and clean well before using.
Perhaps a stupid question to those of you very comfortable with studs, but here goes… Is the reason behind having a large stud on the outside branch of the shoe and a smaller one to the inside for safety so the horse isn’t as likely to cork itself, or is it to do with the actual way a horse moves that it requires more traction on the outside branch?
My horses wear a small permanent caulk and don’t jump big enough for me to have ever had to learn about corks so far. 
[QUOTE=Small Change;8585962]
Perhaps a stupid question to those of you very comfortable with studs, but here goes… Is the reason behind having a large stud on the outside branch of the shoe and a smaller one to the inside for safety so the horse isn’t as likely to cork itself, or is it to do with the actual way a horse moves that it requires more traction on the outside branch?
My horses wear a small permanent caulk and don’t jump big enough for me to have ever had to learn about corks so far. :)[/QUOTE]
You should always use boots with studs and not cheap brushing boots like well made boots. But yes the hope is if a horse did brush itself the smaller stud would do less damage. Personally for a “average day” I would use a small grass spike on the outside and a flat hex road stud on the inside.
[QUOTE=Small Change;8585962]
Perhaps a stupid question to those of you very comfortable with studs, but here goes… Is the reason behind having a large stud on the outside branch of the shoe and a smaller one to the inside for safety so the horse isn’t as likely to cork itself, or is it to do with the actual way a horse moves that it requires more traction on the outside branch?
My horses wear a small permanent caulk and don’t jump big enough for me to have ever had to learn about corks so far. :)[/QUOTE]
You should always use boots with studs and not cheap brushing boots like well made boots. But yes the hope is if a horse did brush itself the smaller stud would do less damage. Personally for a “average day” I would use a small grass spike on the outside and a flat hex road stud on the inside.
[QUOTE=pacific_jumper;8585795]
I would avoid getting one of the pre made kits, and buy what best suits you conditions instead. [/QUOTE]
I think the only thing I bought at the tack shop were the studs, tap, pick thing with the brush on one end (I know, super technical) and plugs. I got the magnetic dish, wrench, WD-40, and small container with compartments for stud storage at a hardware store. The tack shop actually recommended that to me, saying I would get exactly what I wanted and it would be cheaper than what they had.
As an eventer, I will say a lot depends (which is the case for most things horses). Some horses are very sure footed and balanced and can comfortably go in less than perfect going with little to no studding. My own horse is very cat like, and always needed very little in studs. I was often a step or two down than a lot of people. Some horses absolutely can not tolerate losing their footing, and need a lot more help. It’s a bit of a trial and error, guessing game until you figure your horse out. I always recommend the “less is more” approach when you’re starting out. Even just studs on the back or just on the outside (most Europeans, at least in eventing, don’t stud on the inside). Sometimes all you need is a little something pointy on the outside of the hinds.
I inherited my old boss’ stud box when he retired, and while I have a HUGE assortment, I can say that, even when I was eventing seriously, I used mostly the same three or four types, all relatively small, all the time. Once and awhile, I’d go a bit bigger for mud, but I have HUGE mud studs that I’ve never taken out of the kit. My feelings on those were always “if I need that much stud, why the hell am I riding?!”
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