When you can't use studs. Traction control

[runNjump86]

I’m curious to see if anyone has advice on this. My horse goes in this type of shoe on one of his front feet. After 2 years of hit or miss, this has kept him comfortable the longest, so we are not looking to change things any time soon.

However, at our event in July we had a slight slip. Today on XC I was super careful and aware of turns, but on one rather tight turn to avoid a brush, we had another slip. Not bad, but I definitely felt him lose a bit of traction. We are currently going Novice, eyeing a move up to Training later this year or next spring. I want us to be safe. I know riding carefully is paramount. I asked my farrier if there’s anything we can do and he said he would only be able to stud the LF (normal shoe).

Has anyone had this problem, where they can’t use studs? What do you do?

[Highflyer]

Do you have studs behind?

[vineyridge]

Horses are gonna slip; before you leap into studding other than the back feet or studding at all, please read the article that was posted and discussed here about the dangers of stud use.

[gnu]

Flip flops! For my horse, we used an aluminum shoe. I have found aluminum shoes to be less slick than steel. Horse competed P and I. Another option would be to place a small spot of borium on the end of the branch (size of one half a garden pea). 3rd option would be to use an ice nail in one or two holes.

[runNjump86]

[QUOTE=vineyridge;8828949]
Horses are gonna slip; before you leap into studding other than the back feet or studding at all, please read the article that was posted and discussed here about the dangers of stud use.[/QUOTE]

Thank you for this. I’m really hesitant to use them because of things I’ve read/heard. For the record this horse is barefoot behind currently. I would strongly prefer to leave him that way as his hind feet (and LF) are rock hard and awesome, but if hind shoes would help with traction I’m not opposed to adding them.

@gnu;8828969

Flip flops! For my horse, we used an aluminum shoe. I have found aluminum shoes to be less slick than steel. Horse competed P and I. Another option would be to place a small spot of borium on the end of the branch (size of one half a garden pea). 3rd option would be to use an ice nail in one or two holes.

The “shoe” part is aluminum. I’ll ask my farrier about an ice nail, thanks for the tip!!

I’m worried about circles, and also up banks that are not level. Our local Training level course has an up bank that frankly, makes me nervous. It’s not level, more of an incline right after you jump up.

[goodmorning]

That’s interesting what is its purpose? It reminds me of a pad I had under one of my horses shoe at one point, however he had an aluminum eggbar or regular shoe that we could drill & tap.

[FitToBeTied]

The article on studs is interesting and I remember reading it last year. I think one of the most important passages was this one:

’ We need to educate people to think about the number of studs, the height of studs, the ground conditions in which you are jumping. Is it slop? Then studs are not going to make a very big difference. If you put too big a stud in are you going to hurt the horse? Are you going to alter the stride? A lot of fences are done as a permanent fixture with hardcore in front to keep it safe, if you have studs in and the horse is coming from clay, you have to think about this. You can train your horse better without studs. If you lose shoes on a regular basis, then you don’t have studs!’"

My horses are only in studs in two situations - fox hunting and XC. Sometimes, depending on the conditions, stadium/jumpers. I have seen horses go down in fox hunting for a lack of traction and we are not talking winter conditions, although I’ve seen that too. Some of the worst traction conditions in fox hunting and XC occur at this time of the year. In the fall, when the ground is dried out and hard, covered by grass. It can be very slick and I’ve seen horses go down on it.

When we are at home and doing jump training we are without studs. This morning I will be doing some jumping on grass and hard ground. Not much but we do have to stay in training. I can guarantee that there will be slippage marks in front of the jumps of several inches. That’s OK because it gets them used to slipping a bit and if you are studded properly there is still a bit of slip. I am also a believer in never using really big studs. If I need that then there is no reason to ride.

It’s all about education and need. When I have hunted or gone for training down south in SC, I’ve never used studs for hunting or XC. The ground doesn’t require it. When I hunt in Virginia, they are always in studs. My hunt horses have lasted into their 20’s without leg issues despite the "horrors’ of using studs.

Educate yourself and know the riding conditions you will be experiencing.

[Hilary]

It is the pad that is causing the slip. My horse wears pads because I live in NH, land of rock, and pads remove the natural grip the frog and hoof provide, especially on wet grass, side slopes and going downhill. Front slips are disconcerting for sure.

In your case I would work on making sure your horse is balanced and will come back to you well. Knowing the type of footing that will be slippery for him will give you a chance to ride safely. You won’t always be able to avoid wet grass, but that’s the worst, in my experience, for this kind of slipping.

But also, with only one front shoe that’s slippery that’s better than both. When I was hunting In Ireland one of the guys said after a slip, so he’s got 3 other chances to stay up -meaning his other legs.

[Highflyer]

This time of year, in this area, there are very few horses/ places I would run Training without hind studs-- it’s basically concrete right now. My Novice horse is ok barefoot behind and with plain steel in front but it requires a little bit more caution on my part-- and he is smaller and close coupled with good balance-- a bigger horse might have issues. Using studs is a little bit of a trade-off risk wise (like everything with horses) but IMHO a small additional chance of a soft tissue injury is worth the larger risk of a bad fall.

[Sticky_Situation]

[QUOTE=vineyridge;8828949]
Horses are gonna slip; before you leap into studding other than the back feet or studding at all, please read the article that was posted and discussed here about the dangers of stud use.[/QUOTE]

Horses do slip under “normal” conditions and that isn’t necessarily a completely bad thing. However, while stud use has some risks, I felt the article to be fairly one-sided and not take into account the unique challenges that Eventers face as opposed to, say, steeplechasers or flat racers on turf.

Also, a pad like that one is going to result in more slip than a horse that is barefoot or has a plain shoe on where the frog is exposed and able to provide traction. My horse wears pour pads in the front, so while I don’t use studs for everyday riding or schooling, he needs something to help give traction when he’s galloping up and down hills and around turns on grass or else he’s sliding all over the place … His frog is covered by the pad and unable to arrest the slip. So if we’re schooling or competing XC, he wears at least small front studs.

As far as any ways to add traction with that particular shoe, I’m not really sure … You could probably use small studs in the other front shoe to at least give him some traction to “catch” himself with. Did the farrier have any other ideas? But despite what that stud article says, I don’t know that allowing completely free slippage of the feet is necessarily the best idea (or most conducive to soundness) when you’re dealing with a plastic pad on grass.

[malinda]

I found the stud article to be very one-sided as well. Of course there are risks in over-studding a horse! Though, if my horse is slipping, I’d really want the option to give him a bit more traction!

As for your flip-flop pad (that’s what they’re called) and aluminum shoe, you can have your farrier use drive-in pins. They’re tungsten carbide and stay in for the life of the shoe. They’re small enough to use for everyday, can be put in the toe of the shoe, and will give a bit more traction than just an aluminum shoe. Another option is to continue the crease through the toe (if the shoe isn’t already designed like this, your farrier can forge it into the shoe).

[Lady_Eboshi]

[QUOTE=runNjump86;8828997]
Thank you for this. I’m really hesitant to use them because of things I’ve read/heard. For the record this horse is barefoot behind currently. I would strongly prefer to leave him that way as his hind feet (and LF) are rock hard and awesome, but if hind shoes would help with traction I’m not opposed to adding them.

The “shoe” part is aluminum. I’ll ask my farrier about an ice nail, thanks for the tip!!

I’m worried about circles, and also up banks that are not level. Our local Training level course has an up bank that frankly, makes me nervous. It’s not level, more of an incline right after you jump up.[/QUOTE]

I used to use “Mud Nails.” They have big, sticking out heads on them but are soft enough that one hack on the road will wear them down to the shoe. Your farrier will be happy to give you a handful. Before loading for the event, pull out your nails at 10 and 2 o’clock and tap these in the same holes. You’ll need a pair of clinchers, too of course. Easy-peasy, and MUCH safer than studs! Just let them wear off naturally post-event.

[runNjump86]

[QUOTE=Lady Eboshi;8830267]
I used to use “Mud Nails.” They have big, sticking out heads on them but are soft enough that one hack on the road will wear them down to the shoe. Your farrier will be happy to give you a handful. Before loading for the event, pull out your nails at 10 and 2 o’clock and tap these in the same holes. You’ll need a pair of clinchers, too of course. Easy-peasy, and MUCH safer than studs! Just let them wear off naturally post-event.[/QUOTE]

His shoe is only held on by 3 nails on each side, so I’m really not comfortable pulling any out! Otherwise that would be a great idea!

[malinda]

Most horses are shod with 6 nails (3 on each side). That is not unusual. I (and many other farriers) shoe some horses with only 4 nails (2 on each side).

[runNjump86]

[QUOTE=malinda;8832341]
Most horses are shod with 6 nails (3 on each side). That is not unusual. I (and many other farriers) shoe some horses with only 4 nails (2 on each side).[/QUOTE]

Then it’s probably only 4. I know he doesn’t have as many as normal. Either way, I’m still not comfortable pulling them out!

[subk]

Let me see if I have this right: horse is barefoot behind and has a right front shoe that can’t hold a stud and you’ve had a couple slips on xc?

I can’t think of any situation I would stud front shoes then go barefoot behind. In all likelihood the loss of traction is coming from behind and the “slip” is coming from behind. Increasing traction up front is probably not going to solve your problem anyway. I would also suggest that even if the “slip” is coming from the front (highly doubtful) increasing traction behind–because horses carry more weight behind and it is the engine–could still be very helpful.

If he were mine and I thought traction was beginning to be a problem I shoe him behind and use studs. Probably ones smaller than you think you need. I’d skip studs in front all together (especially if you are only using 3 nails!) If that didn’t totally address the problem you might talk to you farrier about borium on his front shoes. Although great for increasing traction on roads I’m not sure it would give you much on turf, but it would certainly be worth the discussion.

I would not increase traction on the front and leave him shoeless behind. That’s asking for trouble.

[runNjump86]

[QUOTE=subk;8832704]
Let me see if I have this right: horse is barefoot behind and has a right front shoe that can’t hold a stud and you’ve had a couple slips on xc?

I can’t think of any situation I would stud front shoes then go barefoot behind. In all likelihood the loss of traction is coming from behind and the “slip” is coming from behind. Increasing traction up front is probably not going to solve your problem anyway. I would also suggest that even if the “slip” is coming from the front (highly doubtful) increasing traction behind–because horses carry more weight behind and it is the engine–could still be very helpful.

If he were mine and I thought traction was beginning to be a problem I shoe him behind and use studs. Probably ones smaller than you think you need. I’d skip studs in front all together (especially if you are only using 3 nails!) If that didn’t totally address the problem you might talk to you farrier about borium on his front shoes. Although great for increasing traction on roads I’m not sure it would give you much on turf, but it would certainly be worth the discussion.

I would not increase traction on the front and leave him shoeless behind. That’s asking for trouble.[/QUOTE]

Thank you for the info. The couple slips, while not major, did feel like they came from up front, not behind. Why is it highly doubtful? Both times were while pulling up for a sharp turn.

I guess I’m not sure why the traction loss is more likely to be behind if people are running XC barefoot behind and all the way around successfully. I’m not opposed to having him shod behind, just not wanting to do it unless necessary.

[Huntin_Pony]

Two of my fox hunters go barefoot behind and they both use front studs in some conditions. I only use road studs or small squares, so just enough to prevent those front slips on corners and sidehills and steep downhill tracks. They both have done very well with that setup for several years.

[EventerAJ]

I’m with Subk on this one. If I have a horse that needs traction, I shoe all 4. I was taught the hinds are most important for grip, so start your studding there and go a little smaller in front (or nothing in front, in your case). I would investigate the possibility of more aggressive nail heads, too, or perhaps your farrier can drill in a small drive stud at the edge of the half shoe.