I didn’t get to ride at Wickenburg last weekend because I put my back out. But I did get to glue on boots for Steph and John Teeter. It was a reminder for me that good preparation is vital to a successful gluing experience.

1. Make sure you have what you need
Line up your tools and products to make sure you have everything you need.

a. Rasp, Stand & Wire Brush
b. Boot Shells
c. Latex Gloves
d. Heat Gun
e. Goober Blue and Gun
f. EquiPak Adhere & Tips
g. Another Person (if possible)

2. Rasp and clean
Clean the feet thoroughly with the wire brush, then use the heat gun on the exterior of the feet to dry out any excess moisture. Put the shells over each of the feet to keep the feet clean and dry.

3. Glue away
Using latex gloves, apply Goober Glue to the base of the foot using a spatula. Then apply EquiPak Adhere to the inside of the shell walls while your spare person holds the leg up. It makes the job a lot easier if the Adhere is slightly warm. The cooler it is, the slower the glue moves down the tip.

4. Apply the boot
Put the boot on the hoof and have the other person hold up the opposite leg.

5. Make a seal
Apply a bead of Adhere around the top of the shell to make a solid seal. Spread the glue around the back of the boot with the glue already back there.

Two Lessons
I’ve watched Garrett and Christoph glue on and they make it look really easy. It’s a little more frantic when you come to do it yourself. I had two challenges on Friday while I was gluing on boots.

1. Know how to use the gluing tools
I cut the tip too close to the bottle which caused the tip to fit poorly. Some of the clear glue oozed out, compromising the ratio of the two components and the glue would not set up properly. I managed to glue five boots with one EquiPak bottle. Keep an eye on your glue supply so you don’t get caught mid-boot without glue.

2. Get your assembly line ready
It really helps if your glues and materials are lined up and close by. Time moves quickly once you start to glue and it really helps to have things organized and close at hand.

The Moral
Steph and John Teeter had a good first glue-on experience and liked the no-worry feeling of trotting over the rocks. If you are really committed to trying the glue-on process, I suggest you try it at home one weekend. We did that last summer in preparation for a weekend of training in the mountains. If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to make sure you get the kinks out before going live!

Don’t skip any steps or you will have issues. Having the right tools for the job will make your experience a good one.

There are a couple of videos worth checking out on the EasyCare website. Check them out here (click on the Glue-On section from this page).

Keep up the bootlegging!