Update post 252: I did it! 😅 Has anyone done this: DIY glue ons after farrier trims

[fivestrideline]

Well, after a disappointing 3 days in shoes (twisted so bad the nail holes are now in his soles… ), I’m at a loss. I’m thinking I may have to start buying stuff to do the glue ons!

I keep waffling back and forth - investing in this project is no joke. Hauling to the farrier is my only option right now, but hauling every 3 days and taking off work just isn’t going to happen long term. At least I can reset glue-ons, and haul for a trim every 4 weeks!

I’m going to measure his feet tonight, and start a list. I’m thinking of trying Octos and superglue first, since that seems to hold in wet? We are looking at 80% chance of thunderstorms every day for the next 2 weeks… which is just dandy. Horses are already sliding around in the mud - better than being 24/7 in the stall for weeks on end though. BTDT.

[Heinz_57]

If your horse has very uniform walls - no flares, deviations - you might be OK with superglue and octos. I didn’t have great luck with it, but I was trying it on a horse with somewhat flared feet and at the time I didn’t have a really clean place to do my prep.

If you are dealing with misshapen feet, the cuffs are much better for getting a good bond and staying on, but the glue and associated tools are definitely more expensive. I put a horse in Speeds a few days ago, and so far I really like them. I used acrylic (Glu-U Shubond) and he’s been out in the mud and they are still on tight so far.

The down side to me is that it can be VERY expensive to experiment with $50/pr shoes. Wrong size, fronts vs hinds, wrong model, shoe lost in turnout, application error… it adds up quick. I completely understand why farriers charge as much as they do for glue ons when the supplies cost so much.

[fivestrideline]

Good to know. The hinds are pretty solid - bullnosed slightly if anything. The fronts don’t deviate much either. I’m mostly worried about the twist and the wetness of my pastures!

It really is expensive. But if the shoes are going to last ~3 days, cost me 8 hours of time off work to reset, plus gas and wear and tear to haul, it may come out even

[Heinz_57]

I think after the initial investment, if you can figure out a good setup you will probably come out ahead

I will say that my one gripe with every single closed-heel shoe (not specific to the Easycare shoes at all) is that they pack with wet dirt/dry-ish mud, almost like a snowball. I know it’s just a function of the open center shape but it drives me batty and it seems to wedge in there pretty good. Even on my horse who has pads underneath, so there isn’t a ton of room, depth-wise, for it to accumulate.

[fivestrideline]

Ugh I have this issue with boots too - they just PACK with muck!

[Inimitable]

If I had a do-over, I would skip the Octos and super glue and go right to cuffs and Equilox. It was super, super time consuming for the first few weeks between getting the prep process down, and then gluing popped tabs and resetting and gluing popped tabs and and and… The cuffs + Equilox so far are set it and forget for me. I also live in a wet/humid climate - not as bad as where you are, but similar enough. DM me if you want - I have an extra dispensing gun I can send you! That’ll save on some upfront costs.

[fivestrideline]

Oh wow, thanks! I’ll DM you for sure.

So I’ve been looking at the Versas with the cuffs. The problem I’m running into is that my horse has almost perfectly round feet if I measure Length from toe to heel buttress or whatever, like with boots. All 4 are 120mm x 120mm. However, we are definitely dealing with run forward feet so I imagine a bit of extra at the heel isn’t a bad thing? As long as it isn’t so much they get pulled… I assume one could grind the heel of the shoe down a bit if needed.

Should I be measuring the length of the foot a bit farther back? Or get the width right and see how far off the length is?

I didn’t take pics to send to the manufacturer for sizing advice.

[Heinz_57]

@fivestrideline

Or get the width right and see how far off the length is?

Width first, always. You want an almost snug fit of the cuffs (or tabs) on the side walls, since you can’t really adjust the width of the shoe and too wide is going to leave a gap. Lengthwise, the only thing you need to worry about is if they are too short, but that’s not a super common issue. Hinds of the same size can be used on front feet when more length is needed.

I have hind Speeds on front feet right now, purely because the shape was better suited to the feet. I used nippers and a grinder to take off the excess length and shape the heels.

[fivestrideline]

Question for Equilox users - what mixing tips am I looking for? The equilox site is broken for me and I’m finding a lot of options and nothing concrete. I am ordering the 420mL bottle of equilox (is that right, @Inimitable?).

I’m also trying to decide which packing to use. My plan was to do the shoes + plugs + packing first, and add a pad if needed. Magic cushion? Or some form of DIM? We used the softest equipak under his shoes this last time and that seemed fine, but I think equipak needs an applicator and I was trying not to buy 87 random things right from the start .

Also for drying the feet - would a heat gun or hair dryer work?

[Demerara_Stables]

I bought two pairs of versas, glue, and a glue gun from easy care. I already have a rasp and sand paper. It was $198. Mine stands still so I can do without electrical tape.

[barnesthenoble]

https://www.well-shod.com/EQUILOX-MIX-TIP-MEDIUM-150-420ML

Make sure to store the Equilox in climate control (keep it in the house, not the barn or the car!) when not actively using it. Some folks keep it in the fridge, I haven’t done that, but I also don’t use it enough to have a huge sample size.

If you use magic cushion and have any desire to reuse the shoes, I would definitely add a pad of some sort to the sole of the shoe. Getting magic cushion off is a nightmare. If you don’t plan to reuse them, then no biggie.

I like the Luwex Premium Sport DIM https://www.well-shod.com/LUWEX-PREM-SPORT-SILICON-1-LITER It stays soft and breathes pretty well so less funk IME. I also really liked the Mustad ComfortMix
A25 (their soft), but it’s expensive. Will last you FOREVER, but still. https://www.well-shod.com/COMFORTMIX-HOOFPAD-200CC_2

I’ve also used EDSS soft and Glue-U Shufill. Both are good an available in smaller sizes so less of a large commitment. Until you know how your guys feel about DIM, use a less-is-more approach. Too much on the sole can cause soreness and bruising in a horse that is sensitive. I’d start with just a small amount (maybe ping-pong ball sized when combined?) spread in the CG and over the frog. Let them tell you if they want more. Since I have horses who tend towards thin soles and somewhat sad digital cushions, I go for the soft ones. I try to stay below Shore A30.

I think a heat gun would probably work ok, but be slow. I’m honestly not sure a hair dryer will get it dry enough if you’re in a truly wet area. I prefer a torch (my favorite is one like this: https://www.harborfreight.com/butane-micro-torch-63170.html) since you can concentrate on a smaller area and it goes a bit quicker. I usually do two or three passes during the winter (torch, wire brush, torch, wire brush, torch, wire brush).

[fivestrideline]

@Demerara_Stables

I bought two pairs of versas, glue, and a glue gun from easy care. I already have a rasp and sand paper. It was $198. Mine stands still so I can do without electrical tape.

I got the shoes and plugs, but mine does NOT stand still and I am using a different glue than EasyCare’s. So I need the plastic wrap, glue, tips, gun (which I got from someone here!!), pads, and packing. Plus any “tools” like a grinder/torch/snips/nippers/etc.

[fivestrideline]

Oooh yep we have a harbor freight I can get a cheap torch!

Good to know about the DIM and MC. I’m mainly doing packing just to keep the gunk out, not for cushion. He doesn’t tolerate much under his shoes.

[Demerara_Stables]

What is the grinder for? And torch just to weld tabs on for a second use right?

[fivestrideline]

Grinder or belt sander to shape breakover (the shoes are rather flat and my horse would go in a rocker/rolled shoe anyway), and torch to dry feet for glue application here where it is ridiculously wet all the time.

[Inimitable]

The medium new formula mixing tips are the ones you need for the 420ml bottle. It is confusing.

A lot of people don’t use the mixing tips and just mix the glue in a Dixie cup and apply with a popsicle stick. But the tips work really well with the versa cuffs, so it’s worth it to me to use them.

[Demerara_Stables]

Ah. You can use a rasp to shape and a butane lighter (like for a cigar) to dry the foot. The butane lighters are like $20 on amazon.

[fivestrideline]

Ah yes, good to know about a lighter as an option! I could definitely use a rasp but I’m also a bit lazy and better with power tools than my rasp. But I have a million battery packs for tools, so a grinder will be a nice splurge to add to the collection!

[barnesthenoble]

Yeah, having tried it with a rasp…it’s not fun at all. So much faster and more accurate with a grinder IMO.

And I suppose technically what I’ve been calling a torch is really a lighter–I purloined the one I use from the house, my partner had purchased it for lighting candles but I decided it would be better for feet.

[fivestrideline]

Thanks for all the links, by the way!

I ordered medium mixing tips, the glue (oof), and the small tub of soft packing. I’m going to harbor freight for some sandpaper, a grinder, and a torch. The only things left are a hoofjack and nippers!

Now to watch all the application videos and wait patiently for 32 boxes to arrive (or so it feels)… thank goodness for EasyCare putting out so much material about their products!

ETA my farrier isn’t a fan of glue-ons normally but at this point with scheduling conflicts and issues keeping nails on, tough luck. The ability to hopefully reattach loose shoes myself is extremely valuable since I have to haul any time I need my farrier!