'Fraidy Cat Eventing Learns About Studs

Have you ever noticed that there are certain things in horses and riding that people only really talk about as if it was the most normal thing in the world? Like, let's take studs - a common fixture in eventing where horses are jumping at speed on variable terrain.

Every time I hear someone talking about studs, it always seems like they have a sort of casual air about it. As if expert knowledge of studs is just second nature. To put it in other words - I've rarely, if ever, really seen people talk or write about the process of getting started with studs. Like you're either a stud aficionado or just, idk, totally out of the loop lol.

Maybe people don't really talk about it in much detail bc somehow everyone else in the world already knows everything about it except me. Tho, in my experience, just bc some aspect or another in horses is well known doesn't mean horse people haven't wanted to keep talking on and on about it lol...

Another reason why there might seem to be this perceived lack of candid discussion (at least as it seems to me from my perspective in the circles I'm most involved...) could be bc a lot of people just kinda... wing it when getting started with studs.

somebody, not naming any names here, but somebody was a little careless in reading the item descriptions (esp vis-a-vis quantity) when placing this order lol...

My close riding buddies Brita and Rachael first started getting their horses' shoes drilled and tapped for studs last year. And as far as I can tell, they've gotten along by chatting with other riders and a fair amount of experimentation, trial and error.

Personally I haven't really felt the need for studs in the past. It seemed pointless for Izzy since she was only shod up front. And it felt a little presumptuous with Charlie at the lowest of low levels. Plus he's kinda an awkward guy and I have what feel like legit concerns of him managing to disembowel himself somehow with newly weaponized shoes.... And with him being such a big guy that novice isn't really much of an effort for him... Ya know, I just didn't see much point.

Lately tho, my mind has been wandering a little bit. Charlie never really had an issue with confidence before Plantation. And I'm not really ready to say that he's lost confidence exactly, either. But he did learn a hard lesson about just how much more difficult it is to jump a bigger fence (like, say, a maxed novice table) when he's kinda sluggish and behind my leg.

That newfound knowledge in him, combined with his feeling somewhat shaky going downhill I believe are part of why we struggled with the rolltops in our recent schooling. Especially after he had that nasty slip down the hill on our second attempt, it really seemed like maybe some added traction could help him feel more confident.

i saw plenty of normal wrenches in the vet box at MDHT a week ago, but this bionic wrench seems most popular

So I talked to trainer P about it. And then talked to Charlie's farrier about it. And then also talked to my friends about it haha. Lots of talking lol! Also, yes, of course, a fair amount of reading. This article from Dover Saddlery is especially nice and straight forward. And the consensus is: we're going to try studs for Charlie.

His next shoeing appt is this week, and the farrier will drill and tap Charlie's shoes and plug up the holes for me - presumably with cotton. For my part, I've gone about the process of amassing my "stud kit" based on what I've observed Brita and Rachael using this past year as they've gotten familiar with the process.

poke-y thing and spin-y thing. both considered essentials according to everyone i asked

There are plenty of 'starter kits' available online that supposedly have all the important pieces. But a lot of the reviews seemed like some of the kits had extra unnecessary stuff or like the stud collection included in the kit weren't the most useful, or like some of the included tools were really cheap or whatever.

So I opted to collect my kit piecemeal. This isn't to say that I shopped for the absolute best deals or top notch equipment - it's entirely possible that maybe you could stock a similar kit at a better price point. I'm just sharing what I got and why.

It seems like the tools involved in getting the studs in and out of the shoes are just as important as the studs themselves. Esp when my friends first started using studs, it could take them a long time to get the studs in securely - which can be stressful if you're in the middle of a show and are pressed for time. So tools that break or don't work very well only create more anxiety.

pointy for hard firm ground, longer and fat for deeper ground, shorter and flat as more of an in-between

The basic process with studs is: collect your tools (hopefully they're already organized in a handy kit) and select your studs. The small magnetic tray will help keep the studs safe and together as you have to move around from leg to leg on the horse, often on grassy surfaces.

Doing one hoof at a time, start by removing the plug from the stud hole with the spikey end of the above red handled tool. The plugs I ordered (not pictured bc they haven't arrived yet) are rubber, made by Nunn Finer. There are also cotton or fibrous type plugs, but I've heard mixed reviews on them. Then use the metal brush end of the same tool to clean out any dirt, grass or debris from the hole.

Next comes the Safety Spin gadget (mine is also by Nunn Finer). This was the #1 piece that seemed to help my friends the most with getting the studs in quickly and easily. You just screw this spinner into the hole, then unscrew it. This process ensures that the threads are aligned and clear, so the stud itself can then be placed into the hole and tightened by hand.

Last step is tightening the stud with a wrench. I've seen all manner of wrenches but this Bionic version seems most popular. It tightens to fit whatever size stud you use, just by squeezing the handles.

From my observations, a lot of riders prefer to have their horses booted up before the studs go in, and keep the boots on until studs come out. Tho this doesn't appear to be a hard and fast rule, as some of the FEI riders coming off the CIC1/2* course last week (when I was volunteering in the vet box - post on that coming soon!) felt it was more important to get their legs cooled down asap vs waiting for the studs to come out. And since not every horse is ready to stand for stud removal fresh off an FEI course, that meant taking the boots off before the studs came out.

this tackle box is maybe unnecessarily large. i'm sure i'll figure out how to fill it lol... also that magnetic tray is key

So. With all this in mind, I went ahead and ordered all the above tools of the trade, along with my first couple sets of actual studs.

Tho naturally I was a bit of a bonehead in ordering them. Bc uh.... there are eight stud holes, two per shoe. And most of these sets were sold in 4packs, which I noticed but didn't really connect the dots. So I only ordered four of each for two types. And then the third type I somehow only ordered one single stud. I guess it really was too good of a price to be true lol.....

From what I understand, it's pretty normal to mix and match studs. Like having a bigger set behind than up front. Or having a bigger stud on the outside of a shoe and a smaller one on the inside. Tho I think for just getting started I'm going to keep things pretty simple lol. And yes, I did go back and order additional studs for a little more completeness lol.

unrelated: the move is finally happening. many many boxes, so many boxes

The longer fat ones are better for mud or soft deeper ground, and narrower pointy studs are better for harder ground. The very short flat ones are better for paved or very hard packed surfaces. I'm not sure yet how well my current selection stacks up, or what will end up being our favorite or whatever for different ground types. But this is where we're starting!

So we'll see how it goes haha. I'm sure there will be more trial and error involved, and possibly some additional stud shopping. But I'm hoping that the kit itself is stocked more or less fully for our purposes.

Have you used studs before? What did you find the most useful in getting started? Are there any tools you absolutely can't live without? Or any mistakes you made early on that could have been easily avoided? Or maybe you're in the process of thinking about studs soon or sometime in the future?

Do you go about learning this stuff mostly by trial and error? Or is there a more formal education process - either via something like Pony Club or maybe as a working student? Do you have a a fairly lean stud collection - maybe just three main types? Or a vast array of slightly different shapes and sizes for a completely custom approach to any ground condition?