United States Eventing Association

It was time for the big move up. After spending my entire eventing career at the lower levels, my pony and I had finally reached the point where we were ready to move up to Training. Moving up to Training brought with it some added expenses including the dreaded studs.

I had groomed at many events for friends doing the upper levels so had a decent amount of experience putting in studs – and boy did I hate it. I despised digging out the stud plug, cleaning out the holes where the plug had fallen out, defiantly holding onto a leg that the horse is desperately yanking away, and worst of all – dropping the stud in a pile of fresh manure.

I wanted to move up to training though, so I knew for the safety of my horse and myself that I would have to give in to the detested studs. I began to query everyone that I knew had any sort of knowledge about horses about what I really needed in my “kit”.

My first concern was that I was a poor college student, and could not afford –well- anything. Especially if I was having to pay the farrier and extra $50 to drill and tap. After lots of research and a little innovation, here is what I put together:

1. Studs – I searched the web high and low for the best deal. My trainer recommended that I get a set of eight of road, grass, and mud studs. I found that Dover had the best deal and when you buy a set of 10 studs, they are even cheaper. I quickly became the proud owner of 30 studs.

2. A Wrench – I bought a 99 cent wrench from Wal-Mart that has done the trick quite well. Make sure the wrench is able to be adjusted small enough for the stud size.

3. Tee Tap – This was my big splurge. I would definitely recommend the Safety Spin Tee Tap. Not only is it safer for the horse, it is actually much easier to tap the shoe with.

4. Stud Hole Cleaner – I invested in the $3 wire brush/pick combination, and it has held up well so far. I am a nut about keeping in plugs though so not much cleaning is required.

5. Stud Plugs – I bought one set of the “Easiest Plug Yet” for about $5 and they have lasted me through multiple shows, cross country schoolings, and farrier visits. You have to be vigilant with them however because they are quite easy to use. My best friend swears by the foam plugs, but I find them a little harder to dig out, and they are virtually impossible to reuse.

6. A Magnet – I recommend going to your local sewing/fabric store and buying a magnetic pin cushion. They are very sturdy, come in bright colors, and are cheaper than the magnetic dishes and wrist straps produced specifically for studs. Mine was around $7 and the best part – it came in purple!

7. WD-40 – A can of WD-40 will last you a long while if it used just for your stud kit and will prevent your studs from rusting. After scrubbing my studs clean with my hoof-pick brush and water, I just spray a bit of WD-40 on each stud and store them.

8. Stud Kit Container – I searched high and low for the perfect container for my studs. I looked at Home Depot, Lowes, Wal-Mart, Target, Michael’s . . . you name it I was there. Finally, I gave up looking for the perfect divided container and hit up the supermarket for a variety of plastic containers. I put each type of stud in a small see-through container and then stored my entire kit together in a larger container. It is so simple at events to pull out the kit and have everything together. I then just bring the container into the stall with me and have everything at my fingertips.

If you have any other cool ideas for a stud kit, let the eventing world know by leaving a comment.