Spring is approaching for many of us, and while warmer weather can feel like a relief after a long winter, it can also mean muddy, wet conditions. Spring is also a great time to start planning your riding year and begin legging up your horse for competitions, weekend rides, and new adventures.

For those of you who prefer a longer-term hoof protection option, we have a variety of glue-on products that you can leave on your horse throughout the trimming cycle. You can choose from several styles including the EasyShoe Sport, the EasyShoe Performance, the EasyShoe Compete, or something with a larger gluing cuff like the Easyboot Flip Flop or the Easyboot LC (Love Child). Glue-on hoof protection removes that extra step of applying boots from your saddling process, and guarantees protection in and out of the saddle.

Here is a short list of tips and tricks that make hoof boot gluing more successful in springtime wet or cold weather conditions.

  1. Begin with a well-trimmed hoof. The last complication you need in wet and cold conditions is a poorly trimmed hoof.
  2. Glues don’t do well with oil, moisture, and cold. Make sure no oils or hoof conditioners get onto the hoof. Refrain from washing your horse before applying glue-ons as the oils will run down the legs and coat the feet. Also, don’t apply fly spray on or near the hooves before beginning the gluing process.
  3. If it’s raining, keep your horse in stall with shavings if possible. Time in the stall will allow the hooves a chance to get warm and dry.
  4. Keep your EasyShoes or Easyboot shells dry and clean in the plastic bags they arrived in until you are ready to begin gluing. Do not to handle them with your bare hands. If you don’t have gloves available, then be especially careful not to touch the inside of the boot shell or the gluing surface of the EasyShoe. Oils from your hands will stick to the boot and compromise the bond with the glue.
  5. Warm the boots, warm the glue, and warm the hoof. Try to get them all to the same temperature level. Heat guns or hair dryers can be useful to warm and dry the hoof if you have one available and if you are comfortable using them near your horse.
  6. If the horse’s feet are wet or muddy, use denatured alcohol on the hooves after they have been cleaned. The alcohol helps pull moisture out of the hoof.

Wet and cold conditions can make hoof boot gluing a bit more challenging, but with the tricks above you shouldn’t have any trouble. Happy booting!