Stud Holes in performance horses

The use of Studs in Polocrosse

Polocrosse Vs Polo

Unlike polo, polocrosse horses are stopping and turning on much tighter circle than polo ponies that run a fast long line, this tighter game has a huge effect on what happening inside the limb.

Wants happening inside

When a polocrosse horse dose a sliding stop with studs in, the outside of the shoe will have more grip over the inside twisting the limb through the lower joint and hock placing an naturally high twisting force through the joints and ligaments all the way down to the underlying bony structures., where a shoe without studs will still twist out this is because of the hocks and not the stud in the shoe.

The Effects

Because of the uneven loading that one stud places on the biomechanical structures of the lower limb Studs can have detrimental effects on the horses foot and the ligaments & tendons of the Distal interphalangeal joint (Fetlock Joint) and Proximal Interphalangeal Joint (Pastern Joint). This can result in ligament damage or even broken bones.