Written by Dan Schroeder, EasyCare’s Veterinarian & Hoof Care Practitioner Dealer Representative
On September 25, 2021, EasyCare and Crossroads Farrier Supply, located in Louisa, Virginia, got together to offer a clinic for hoof care practitioners and horse owners. The clinic topic was the EasyShoe Versa Grip line, demonstrating how to nail and how to use the tab system to glue them on with super glue. The clinic was well attended by a great group of people.
We started the morning off with demonstrating how to pick the correct size and style of shoe between the EasyShoe Versa Grip, EasyShoe Versa Grip Gold, and EasyShoe Versa Grip with Studs. We went over how to shape the shoe to fit the foot, and how to nail on the Versa Grip. After the demonstration, we had volunteers try their hand at applying shoes to the rest of the feet.
We had great questions, and plenty of attendee participation. There seems to be plenty of speculation about how to apply these shoes. We stress that they are no different to apply than a traditional steel shoe except for the shaping, which can be easily accomplished with a rasp, angle grinder, or belt grinder. Folks that applied the shoes did a great job and saw first hand how easy the shoes are to apply.
After we finished with nail-on shoes, and had a fantastic lunch, we discussed how to apply the Versa Grip Light with the glue-on, 11 Finger Tabs using super glue. Sizing, modification to fit, tab welding, and glue application were all covered in our discussion. Again, we had plenty of eager volunteers to try their hand at applying some shoes. The welding was a big topic. Having the correct reducer is important to apply enough heat to the shoe to get a proper weld.
The 11 Finger Tabs used on the EasyShoe Versa Grip Light have been performing very well. We have been getting stellar reviews from our dealers. The participants mentioned how easy it was to apply the shoes, and that it was even easier to apply than other glue-on shoes. Because of the lower cost and ease of application, the Versa Grip Light and 11 Finger Tab system is a great option for many or our dealers.
All in all, we couldn’t be happier with the turn out and participation we had at this clinic. We received wonderful feedback, and even had a few purchases by the end of the day. We cannot thank John, Anita, and the rest of the crew at Crossroads Farrier Supply enough for putting on this clinic. They offered a great location, and somehow even managed to get beautiful weather.
EasyCare has two more EasyShoe Versa Grip clinics coming up. Olympia Farrier Supply will host one in Washington on October 9, and there will be another in Shelbyville, Kentucky, on October 16. If you live near either of these locations, we would love to see you there.
If you have any questions about any of these items, please give one of our Product Specialists a call at 1-800-447-8836, or you can call me direct at 1-520-989-2252.
