Written by EasyCare Product Specialist Jordan Junkermann
“Would you like me to give you a formula for success? It’s quite simple, really: Double your rate of failure. You are thinking of failure as the enemy of success. But it isn’t at all. You can be discouraged by failure or you can learn from it, so go ahead and make mistakes. Make all that you can. Because remember that’s where you will find success.” – Thomas J. Watson
Gluing boots onto a horse hoof has a HUGE learning curve. It can be frustrating and messy. But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a great option for you and your horse. Sometimes the only way past a challenge is to face it head on. We can’t guarantee success 100% of the time because there are so many factors that affect the success of gluing on boots or shoes. But we have provided our best advice on succeeding in this process most of the time.
Our number one key to success is without a doubt the preparation work before you even open up your glue. Just as a saddle gets the most benefit from being oiled when it is clean and dry, the same concept applies to a hoof before gluing.
- Make sure the hoof is as dry as it can be, moisture WILL affect the quality of the glue connection.
- Grooves in the hoof wall lead to a more secure glue connection. Use a Hoof Buffy or rasp to thoroughly score the hoof wall and add more glue connection points.
- Set out all of your equipment where it is easy to access. Vettec products set pretty quickly, so having everything lined up where you can easily grab and go is going to help you get the boot in place before the glue starts to set up and solidify.
- Envision success. Make sure you have verbally/mentally gone through each step before you do it. You don’t want to get half way through the process before you realize you don’t have something you need or you’ve missed a critical step.
- Don’t be afraid to use the glue. Your skills will improve over time, and you’ll reach a point where you don’t need to use as much glue as you did at first, but don’t be afraid to use plenty of glue in your first few attempts. You can always clean up excess glue that squishes out of the shell as you’re finishing up.
Give yourself plenty of time if you are new to gluing. Practice gluing a few times before an event. Refine the process and figure out what works best for you personally. This will lead to successful, lasting, boot protection. Remember, if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again.
Happy booting!
