Thanks!
So my mare is trying to have the last laugh as she pulled a shoe today and of course I do not have a second one laying around to put on before the show this weekend. Thankfully she wasn’t significantly more comfortable with the shoes on but now I have to find the shoe and decide if I’m going to try to glue it back on with the last little bit of glue I have in the tube or just pull the other one. 🤦🏻🙄
Horses. They do like to do that 
Retention is a learning curve, but it only took me a reset or two to figure it out. Trying this right before a show was probably tempting fate though (cause horses) lol!
I learned to have a set on the horse and the next set ready to go - I also keep used shoes in case I lose one in the pasture after some shenanigans. Mostly, they stay for a full cycle and I don’t need them. Taking a set off, cleaning them, trimming, and resetting is just TOO much for one day no matter what, so the extra set saves my back.
Yeah, it was more of an experiment than anything. This horse used to have shoes but she’s been barefoot for a few years and has made leaps and bounds of progress with my farrier but I was curious to see if she would be even more comfortable with shoes. She was maybe slightly better but the footing at the show this weekend is excellent so it really doesn’t make a difference. Plus we are doing two classes at .60m so not like we’re out there jumping 1.60m lol
Definitely like the idea of having a spare set laying around. They will always do this at the most inopportune moments won’t they?
So I chatted with my farrier yesterday and while he’s a bit skeptical, he’s not opposed to me trying my hand at the glue ons. He’s only used the type that you glue a metal shoe directly to the sole, so really didn’t have any recommendations for the Easy Shoe Versas that I’m looking at. I’ll plan to order two pairs so I can have the spare ready to go (besides, I have that $50 SmartPak coupon that needs to be used).
Basing off the list @fivestrideline put together, it looks like I need to accumulate:
Definitely intimidating to try, but if it’ll keep my boy more comfortable doing what he loves to do, then I’ll figure it out!
For a first attempt I’d get:
It looks like a lot on paper but I watched a ton of videos and it really isn’t. I also suggest NOT starting off using some of the “hacks” to save time or glue or make it pretty. (Yes use a gun and tips, maybe don’t count on resetting the same pair right away, get more glue than you think you need, don’t try to save tips by glueing all 4 in one go, etc.) Get your method down and have consistent retention before you start getting fancy. I think people struggle because they are using methods that the pros use to shoe multiples or save XYZ, but those pros have the basics nailed down already.
Only if the feet are wet for some reason. I don’t find that torching dry feet helps much, but sanding and wire brushing does!
If the feet are wet from dew or whatever, I just let them dry while I do other things. I’ll torch them if it’s just been raining forever or someone went swimming in the trough . But otherwise, the other steps to prep make more difference for me. YMMV!
If I think they have moisture, I use the heat gun on them. I tried my little creme brule torch and my mare was like “aww hell no, mom’s trying to set me on fire!” 
My last set (Duplos with WB tabs and super glue) were on tight when I pulled them at 5 weeks. Put new shoes on on Wednesday, come out tonight and a shoe is lost to the pasture. Because I have a show tomorrow, of course. So +1 for having spares on hand. I had to run home and build a new shoe and then back to the barn to glue it back on as it was getting dark. My girl’s lost turnout privileges for the weekend.
My farrier swears by the butane torch. I’m 50/50 with retention using the torch so 🤷 lol
Gloves are a must. I was trying to keep glue off of the ground so I kept wiping it with my fingers - NOT something you do with bare hands. Here was my tool kit - not pictured was the hoof stand (not needed but certainly helpful for prep).
The topic came up with my farrier, and she is very down on glue-ons, whether owner-applied or not. I don’t think it’s just a matter of her not wanting to lose business because she has coached me on trimming, given me old tools, and skipped trims on my barefoot horse when she checks and I’ve done a good enough job. These are her reasons:
Sigh. I don’t think I can try this without risking our relationship.
I’m back at it after a winter off. I set my first shoes yesterday and so far so good. I’m trying the Easy Care Rollers instead of the Versa Glues. They are a bit more per pair, but I prefer the frog support on these and I don’t have to spend time removing the debris guard or shaping the shoe. My mare is super super comfy in them. https://www.ridingwarehouse.com/EasyCare_EasyShoe_Roller_Pair/descpage-EERLP.html
I also switched adhesives to the Grand Circuit Fast Patch - so far I like it much better than the Equilox, but we’ll see how it performs over the next few weeks.
That’s too bad. I understand her first point, especially if she’s immunocompromised - the fumes aren’t great. I disagree on her other points. The heat from the glue curing lasts 10-15 minutes at most? Definitely not long enough to cause any long term issues. If you prep correctly and start with a clean hoof wall, I don’t see how trapping fungus and bacteria against the hoof would be an issue. Nail holes from traditional shoes are more of an entrance for bacteria than glue on the hoof. I also don’t take any more hoof than a normal trim - roughing up the hoof wall with sandpaper is less invasive than how many farriers “finish” a hoof to make them look pretty.
Agree here. The fumes are a concern, but a well ventilated area is essentially inescapable in a barn anyways.
The heat is not bad either - you can feel it but it’s not going to burn your bare skin or anything. And it lasts 10 minutes or so.
The prep is a common misconception - farriers “finishing” a foot with a rasp take exponentially more outer wall off. When prepping a foot, you’re just sanding off the dirt from the surface where the cuffs or tabs are going - not to mention that you aren’t introducing nail holes through the horn, but rather a barrier and seal of glue around the outside.
That said, I think most of the benefits of composite shoes in their various shapes can be accomplished with nail-on versions, if one has a farrier they like that will not consider something outside their usual scope. If they won’t even consider allowing the client to purchase the shoes, I think there’s more to the story and would be asking a lot of questions. Personally.
I’m considering composite shoes and my farrier is open to it. I don’t really know where to start though, and need to do more research.
My gelding has pedal osteitis and I don’t want to put him in steel (because how does that reduce concussion?). Perhaps a few cycles of composite shoes might help with any inflammation in there.
I’m not sure which shoes to use, or which glue. Has anyone had success in transitioning back to barefoot? Can you still promote a strong sole/hoof in these? I know some things can be “weakened” with traditional shoes.
My farrier is away for the week, so we haven’t had much further discussion on it.
I know some of it is trial and error, but there seem to be different glue preferences. So I’m not sure which adhesive to try first.
Which shoe you’re using impacts which glue works best. Super glue is the easiest to try since you don’t need a glue gun, but it doesn’t always work for every horse. I have one horse that the versa octo shoes with super glue works well for and another that no matter the prep I can’t get the octo shoes with super glue to stay on for more than 12 hours no matter what I do. That horse works well with the versa grip shoes and the epoxy fast set glue. I’m now trying the horse that needs versa grip shoes with the new easyshoe one glue shoes with super glue to see if it works, so far we’re at 48 hours on so it’s an improvement. There will definitely be some experimenting needed.
I’m going back and forth between the Versa and Versa Octo. I might go with the former. Horse has pretty uniform and unexciting hooves though.
FWIW I started with the Octos and had only minimal success. I was spending a whole lot of time fixing popped tabs and overall retention wasn’t great. Superglue is cheaper and “easier” to get started, but I wish I had gone straight to the cuffs. I have dozens of Octos in various sizes gathering dust until I recycle them or toss them. I am LOVING the rollers that I posted above. They are a very tight, low profile fit compared to the full composites.
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