For thousands of years, humans have cared for horse hooves. We trimmed them, and stuck all sorts of things on their feet in an effort to make them not fall to pieces. There have been leather shoes, a trendy moment until 1000 AD for bronze shoes, and the for the longest time, iron shoes were the norm. Eventually, we switched to steel or aluminum, which are still the most popular type of shoes for horses But within the last twenty years, a new shoe is being developed. Multiple companies have begin experimenting with plastic and composite horseshoes to try to find a comfortable and healthy alternative to horses. And that brings us to the start of our story, when my friend decided to try glue on shoes with her horse.
Glue on shoes are so rare that I have never seen them in person, let alone put on. To be fair though, I am a home dwelling troll who hates leaving the house, and it would be very unlikely that someone is going to put on some in my yard, so it’s probably not that surprising I haven’t seen it. But now that I board Stu, it brings me all sorts of opportunities to see exotic barnyard sights.
King, my friend’s horse, has been barefoot for the last year, and prior to that, had the standard metal horse shoes. He has not seemed totally comfortable in either though, which is why she decided to try the glue on shoes.
The exact shoe she got is the EasyShoe Versa Grip Glue, which has flaps for “easy” installation, and also raised King’s height by at least an inch, so they are a good way to pretend your horse is much taller than it is.
Putting them on is a long process. It starts with the usual trim, and then the shoes are fitted to the horse. After selecting a close fit, the shoe can be altered for a perfect fit. In this instance, King was fidgeting so the farrier wrapped the shoe on with plastic wrap before injecting the glue underneath the wrap/shoe. Once the glue was dry, she unwrapped it, rasped it to smooth it out, applied more glue, and then he was left to dry.
It took over an hour for this whole process but to see it in about four minutes, check out my video on it!
Why Would You Use Glue On Shoes?
Glue-on shoes are primarily used for horses who have some kind of foot issue that makes normal shoeing uncomfortable or difficult. For instance, if the horse does not have a strong hoof wall to nail a shoe into. They can also be used to build up low heels. Horses with sensitive feet may also like glue ons, as the composite material is more forgiving than metal.
The Cost
The primary disadvantage is the cost of the shoes. They average $100-$200 more than a standard horseshoe. For example, the cost of the shoeing I saw was about $300. This cost came from:
- The shoes themselves ($48 x2)
- The bonding glue ($96)
- A second glue ($11)
- Plastic wrapping in a dispenser thing ($12)
- Farrier time and skill (priceless, or somewhere between $100 and $200)
Obviously the farrier doesn’t use all of the product every time they shoe a horse, but whether they shoe one horse or more, they have to start with those items. Expect to spend $300-$400 or more every 6-8 weeks for glue ons.
The Disadvantages of Glue On Shoes
We touched on the cost, so let’s look at what else can go wrong.
It also has to be done by a knowledgeable farrier. The glue is sensitive and fast acting, and it’s easy to mess up. It also can be hard to remove, and it’s possible to damage the hoof wall when pulling it off.
The glue adhesive can also restrict the natural expansion of the hoof, which could effect hoof health. But, the same could be said of normal horse shoe nails.
King has had his shoes on for several weeks now, and seems to be thriving. Since I’m not the one riding him, I can’t speak to the specifics, but his owner seems mostly happy with everything except for the cost. He’s moving nicely, and happy in his work.
Glue ons are a viable alternative to traditional shoes, but they come at a great cost (financially). But if your horse’s hooves are lacking the integrity needed to be barefoot or have traditional shoes, they may be the best choice. If you want to explore glue ons, choose your farrier carefully, and be sure they have experience with this type of shoe.
July 2023 Update
Even thought glue on shoes have tons of advantages, it turns out that these particular glue on shoes were not right for King. Shortly after he got them on, he experienced a few months of lameness and discomfort. Now, we can’t be certain it was due to the shoes, as he was diagnosed with lyme disease at the same time, but it really did seem like was uncomfortable.
The farrier had said there was an adjustment period for horses to get used to the shoes, and also mentioned that not all horses like them. It’s possible that the discomfort was just from the lyme, but just the same, the shoes were removed.
But, still King couldn’t go barefoot still. Instead, he actually got an alternate glue on shoe. So, still glue on shoes, but a different brand. It’s now been a few months and he’s doing really well! These shoes (if it was the shoes) seem to make him happy.
I don’t have the brand name of the new shoes, but I’ll try to get an update on those shoes when I can!
If you’re interested in learning more about horse shoes, check out my posts on the history of horseshoes!