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What type of studs should
Help! What studs should I use?
If you ask people "What type of studs should I use for this type of footing" you will get a different answer from every person you ask. Essentially, the studs you will need depend on the type and level of riding that you are doing.
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At the lower levels, you may not need large studs because you are not riding as fast and, if you are jumping, your margin of error in leaving the ground before a fence is much greater. At the upper levels, however, speed is greater and the safe zone to jump a fence from is much smaller, so it is crucial not to slip before a fence.
WARNING: If you are not sure what types of studs to use, when to use them or how to use them you should always try to obtain some professional help from a knowledgeable trainer or farrier. Horses with certain hoof or leg conditions should not wear studs - if in doubt, consult your veterinarian.
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Here are some general guidelines to help you decide on the appropriate types of studs:
Generally flat horseshoe studs are used for roadwork or good grass footing, pointed studs are for hard ground and square or dome studs for soft or muddy ground.
Wherever possible, studs should be selected that will sink fully into the ground, otherwise they may unbalance the foot. Use the smallest studs you can - a little bit of slipping helps to cushion the impact to the foot caused by the stud.
Always use horseshoe studs in pairs, one on each side of the shoe.
Try to use a smaller, flatter stud on the inside of the hoof.
As a general rule of thumb, if a stud looks weird, it probably is. If you can't figure out how or why it would work, then don't use it!
Dressage
Dressage riders generally ride on good quality footing, so studs may not be needed. Road studs, especially conical, small radius studs are often most suitable.
Driving
Depending on the type of surface driven on, horses are often fitted with either small Road Studs or Drive-in studs. Some people prefer using carbide (Borium and Drill-Tek are trade names for mixes of carbide) which is melted onto the shoe to provide traction, rather than studs.
Eventing
Eventers probably have the most complicated decisions regarding studs. In theory an eventer could use up to five different sets of studs at one competition - for Dressage, Show Jumping, Roads & Tracks, Steeplechase and Cross Country at a Three Day Event. Cross Country footing varies tremendously at Horse Trials, even sometimes within a single Cross Country track, and event horses are required navigate the course at a full gallop at some points. In addition, Dressage and Show Jumping can take place on either grass or arenas with commercial footing. For this reason, eventers seem to have the most questions about studs. However, it is almost impossible to make recommendations for eventers unless the location, terrain and level of competition are taken into account.
Hunter/ Jumpers
For Hunter courses, studs are generally only needed for grass arenas. Small Road Studs will generally be sufficient because Hunter courses are not designed for high speeds or sharp turns. Road Studs can be somewhat ineffective for Jumpers on grass or deep footing. Many Jumpers use a combination of Road Studs or small Grass Studs on the front and medium-sized Grass Studs on the hind shoes.
Polo
The US Polo Assocaition defines standards for the type of studs that are permitted in a Polo match:
"Dull heel calks of the standard type are allowed only on the heels of the hind shoes." Rule 6A, US Polo Association, 2006.
Resources and further reading
"The Stud Book" By Michael Kelley is an excellent and authoritative guide to studs.
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In addition you can find additional information on the web:
- Petplace.comarticle on using studs.
- Wikipedia.comdefinition of studsThe Horse Shoeing Book- A general reference on shoeing but with some information on studs.
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© Coventree Consulting LLC, 2006