Hi everyone! I’m in the middle of horse shopping and I recently tried a horse that wears glue ons on all fours. The seller said she was foot sore with nail in metal shoes. Is this something I should be concerned about? I live in a wet/humid area so I’m not sure if glue ones would work great in that environment.
I’m working with my trainer too but would love to hear other thoughts!
I’d ask the seller if they have rads of the feet.
Then I’d see what your farrier thinks.
I always take when seller’s say the horse needs with a grain of salt. Every barn and circumstances are different, farrier’s work differently, etc.
Shopping? That would be a pass for me.
IMHO why start on a rocky foundation? However you might find it’s an issue you are happy to take the risk on.
If this is a horse you’d like to seriously consider, chat with your farrier about the cost of whatever the horse is in, and how often those need to be reset. Glue ons can be expensive and may need a shorter cycle.
THIS!
My TB needed a couple rounds of glue-ons when he was recovering from a subsolar abcess.
They needed replacing every 4 weeks & the cost was 
.
This was in the early 2000s, so maybe newer glue-ons are cheaper/last longer?
Oh boy, having been there with one who has thin soles, won’t stand for the farrier for conventional shoes because of either behavior or discomfort or a combo of both and is fussy about how the glue ons are applied. I’d pass.
In fact today we are trying yet another set-up for this pony. Wish me luck.
Also, if the horse gets foot sore with regular nails, it could be a sign of subclinical laminitis so that’s another thing to consider. BTDT.
I’m getting just fronts today. $300. I had to talk my farrier into doing them as he didn’t want to spend my money for me! He’s a good guy.
It depends on whether there is a true reason why the horse needs glue on shoes, or if the seller is crazy and likes the thought of “no nails”, because nails are “cruel”. One thing I have learned is that there are a lot of truly crazy people out there, and some of them own horses. If there is an actual reason why the glue on shoes are in place, you have to decide if you want to deal with that issue or not.
I’d probably pass. I’ve consistently paid $450 (+/- $50) for fronts only in the MO/ IL area. IME they don’t need done more frequently than a metal shoe (5-6weeks per cycle). They can be a pain in the ass if the farrier doesn’t know / can’t figure out how to apply correctly (see my thread about my horse who is continually losing shoes for the past 6 or so months). Most importantly, I’d say that rads may or may not show anything helpful. My horse needs glue ons (sensitivity to nailing shoes on, goes better in a plastic shoe vs metal, and we cannot risk putting nail holes in the one hoof) and while her rads aren’t pretty, no where near perfect, they aren’t terrifyingly bad. You could probably look at them and think a wedge shoe + leather pad (or some such “normal” step up) would work but unfortunately that’s not the case. If (and a big IF) the seller could explain/ show/ prove that the shoes are needed on a temporary basis (such as for the solar abscess mentioned up thread), then I would consider it.
Thank you everyone for your responses!
Definitely a hard decision because I truly really liked the horse. I talked to my farrier and he asked why would I take on someone else’s problems. Plus it’d be way more expensive.
If the seller was able to provide more info, I’d maybe consider moving forward with a PPE. But all she could say was that it had been sore from regular shoes.
My trainer thinks this horse is worth spending the money to investigate why it needs glue ons. But I’ve already had two failed PPEs and would like to avoid another if I can.
Fortunately, I tried another horse that I also really liked and has no initial red flags.
I had a couple of different glue on shoe packages done for my old horse. The pricing was very reasonable. 200 or less for fronts. My farrier doesn’t bat an eye over glue ons. Possibly he does enough of them that he is able to keep costs down. I’m near Pensacola FL for reference
It wouldn’t bother me, BUT I have my own horses in glue ons, trim and glue myself, and have experience rehabbing feet. New options from places like EasyCare have made glue ons MUCH more affordable than ever before.
HOWEVER, if I wasn’t able to do them myself and still had to pay someone else to apply them I’d likely not pursue the horse unless it was exceptional. It’s a not-insignificant expense and there’s a definite learning curve.
Is trainer paying for the PPE?
Not serious on that question, but why would your trainer encourage buying a horse with h what could be an ongoing issue?
IIWM, & I was willing to fork over yet more PPE $, horse would go to the nearest vet college where diagnostics would give a definitive answer.
The ongoing maintenance cost would be a deal breaker for me ($450 - $600 in my area); even without the suspicion of an underlying issue that created the need for the glue-ons.
Easy Care shoes were put on my pony this morning. Super fast application!
I agree that if the owner can’t explain why the horse “gets sore” in shoes, they are either (a) lying about a specific known issue being rehabbed or (b) just totally anti metal shoes n nails and will say anything. Determining which it is (deliberate lie or stupidity) is going to be expensive.
I say this as a barefoot hoofboots person.
The list of why the owner could be saying it is much longer than this.
They have a friend/farrier/trainer/horse forum that told them to try glue on because it is the only right way.
Dobbin was gimpy, had never had nail on shoes and was reacting to the hammer so the farrier and owner decided to go with glue on, just because.
The owner likes fun colors (don’t some glue on shoes come in colors).
They use a barefoot trimmer and they do not do nails.
And on and on and on.
It’s at an eventing barn and from what I could tell, several horses had regular shoes on. Which makes me worried they’re covering something up. Hard to know without doing X-rays. I talked to my trainer again and we’re not going to do a PPE. Not worth the risk or added expense for me.
Sometimes the horse just doesn’t grow a good enough hoof wall to nail into without tearing up the wall even more. Having a horse with foot problems (I wish she had a good enough hoof wall for glue-ons) I sure wouldn’t BUY a horse that you couldn’t nail on a horse shoe. You might not have to - but that option should be available. If this is a temporary fix then let them call you when the horse is back in regular shoes.
If the seller was able to articulate what the issue was, I’d feel more able to make a decision one way or the other.
“I don’t believe in nails and horseshoes” is a clear answer. “Horse has thin soles” or “horse lost hoof wall” are clear. “Horse is sore in metal.shoes” is just odd, it doesn’t say why.
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