By David Seal
The primary reason behind studding up is to improve a horse’s balance and grip over uneven or slippy terrain; we aim to make him move more easily and jump confidently on less than perfect footing.
Studding up can increase the safety of you and your horses, but it can also be dangerous or damaging, if studs are used incorrectly.
The most fundamental thing to remember when you decide to use studs is to maintain the balance of your horse’s foot. It is nearly always essential that you put two studs into each shoe; I will talk about the exceptions to this rule in a moment.
The reason we use studs is to enable the horse to grip on grassy or infirm surfaces, but you should always take care as the use of stud’s increases concussion to the foot.
When you decide studs are necessary for your horse, ask your farrier to tap or drill the shoes on either side of the heel, these holes are know as stud holes. You will now be able to apply different studs as needed and change according to the conditions and the type of work performed by the horse.
You should clean the stud holes out as soon as the stud has been removed, and fill with either a rubber stopper or cotton wool.
Studs come in several sizes and types, there is a huge range available on the market, and it is important to know which stud to put in- as the wrong stud could cause damage to the horse’s legs.
Too small a stud and the horse may slip and possibly fall. Too big, and the horse may jar, as the feet cannot naturally slip- bigger studs also increase the chance of a shoe being pulled off, a good test to make sure the stud is not too big, is to check that the whole thing sinks into the ground easily. It is best to learn how to apply and choose studs from your trainer or farrier, if it is your first time using them.
From my experience, the most common mistake people make when using studs is screwing them in too tight- be careful that you don’t screw the studs in so tightly that you prise the shoe off. Another blunder that many people make is to travel in studs- this is highly dangerous and could result in injury.
Another priority when you are using studs is to put protection on your horse, in the form of boots and stud guards, to prevent injury.
As I mentioned before, sometimes you will only use one stud, and in some circumstances you will not use studs at all. For example, if a horse has particularly bad confirmation, i.e. has week/ low heels, you may decide that studs are not suitable. Remember, an unbalanced horse is better than a potentially seriously injured one.
I would also recommend when you are using studs on a young horse, you should first put them into the outside, as young horses are prone to brushing or treading on themselves and may be easily injured. Once the horse is used to the studs you will be able to use two in each shoe, to ensure the foot is balanced.
On a final note, use studs only when it is absolutely necessary, as they put pressure on a very small surface area of the foot, and you don’t want to do more harm than good.
