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A wet day at the Kentucky Horse Park changed how I think about glue-on shoes.

I was there maybe 10 years ago for a clinic, and it poured for three days straight. Watching dozens of farriers try to keep traditional shoes on in that mud was a mess. The next year, I started using a specific urethane glue system for certain sport horses, even when nails would technically work. It just holds better in awful footing. I probably use glue-ons for 15% of my work now, mostly for horses with thin walls or during the muddy season. Anyone else find themselves reaching for the glue gun more often than they used to?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_andrew1mo ago

Remember that glue really shines for the everyday horse stuck in bad conditions. It's not just about keeping a shoe on for a show. It's about the old retired gelding whose feet get soft, or the pastured trail horse during weeks of rain. You prevent those lost shoe emergencies that leave a horse standing in a muddy field with a loose nail flopping around. That peace of mind, knowing the shoe is sealed on there, is worth the extra few minutes at the trim.

viola_white251mo ago

That "holds better in awful footing" is the whole point. I keep a few glue-on spares for my mare during our spring thaw. The paddock turns to soup and she'd lose a nailed shoe in a week. The glue ones stay put until the ground firms up. It's less about fancy sport horses and more about not wanting to call the farrier back out every other Tuesday.

reesepatel1mo ago

Yeah but that glue is such a pain to get off cleanly sometimes. I've seen it trap moisture and make things worse if you aren't super careful.