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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?
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the_andrew6mo 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.
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viola_white256mo 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.
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reesepatel6mo 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.
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