It’s been a bit over 12 months since EasyCare launched our glue on horseshoes to the equine market. Over that time we have learned a great deal about hoof prep, adhesives, application in foul weather and removal.
The critics were wrong! When we first released our glue-on boot, many people in the industry made claims regarding the safety of our process and the ill effects the adhesives and the Easyboot shell would do to a hoof. They claimed glue-on hoof boots would damage the hoof and cause immediate thrush. They claimed glue-on hoof boots had to be immediately removed after an event. They claimed you shouldn’t use a heat gun. They claimed you shouldn’t use a packing material to load the sole.
After selling thousands of glue-on shells and personally applying and removing hundreds of glue-on shells, I can confidently say that the critics were wrong! Here are a couple points to note.
1. Glue-On shells can be used for 5 days, 10 days, 15 days, 20 days or 30 consecutive days. When glue-on boots are removed and a horse is turned out for 1 hour it’s nearly impossible to tell a horse who used glue-on boots for 20 days from a horse that has never used glue-on boots.
This photo was taken immediately after removing a shell and a quick trim. Boots were in place for 22 days. The horse did a 50 mile event and many training events. The horse was in deep water and mud many times during the 22 days.
2. The use of packing products inside a glue-on shell helps load the foot as nature intended. Glue-on hoof boots used without packing cause peripheral loading.
3. Glue-Ons can be successfully applied and used in warm conditions, dry conditions, wet conditions and cold conditions.
4. The current adhesives are good and better ones are coming.
5. I used Glue-On shells on one horse for the entire 2009 calendar year. I used Easyboot Gloves on another horse for the entire 2009 calendar year. Both horses feet look incredible and it’s impossible to tell what horse used glue-on and what horse used Gloves.
6. The Easyboot Glue-On shell shape make application easy. New adhesives will make the process and application even easier.
