How many studs should I use?

With the eventing season about to start many of you will be asking your farrier to put stud holes in. But how many stud holes should you get?

Stud options

This is a tricky one. As with so many things in equestrian sport there are numerous opinions about what is best for the horse and your performance so there is no definitive answer.

There is a growing consensus however that over studding can cause problems as they restrict the movement of the hoof. In fact many experts including six-times Badminton winner Lucinda Green now say you avoid using studs altogether unless absolutely essential.

Preventing concussion

At the recent International Eventing Forum at Hartpury College, farrier Andrew Mahon explained that the hoof has evolved to deal with strain and concussion on landing and when travelling at speed. So fixing the foot with too many studs means it is unable to slide as it naturally would which helps prevent concussion.

Lucinda is a big fan of keeping the horse as natural as possible. She conducted research into using one stud per hoof and found it allows more hoof rotation but provides less grip.

“Horses need to learn to cope with different going and how to regain their balance” she said. “When I have used studs I’ve fitted one outside one per hoof. This allows the foot to turn freely and prevents injury to the opposite leg.”

Avoiding twisting

Farrier Scott Topham agrees if you restrict the hoof when galloping or jumping it can cause torsion (twisting) in the tendon. However he doesn’t recommend using one in each foot in front as this can make the hoof unlevel. His advice is to go for two in the front and one on the outside of each hind.

BE coach Linda De Matteo also backs the ideas that less is more when it comes to studs. She advises using them in training sessions before you compete to find which works best for your horse.

“At the lower levels I tend not to use them in the front feet as long as the ground is OK as they can jar the horse if there is too much grip” she says.