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Glue-On
Shoe Technology
Stephen E O'Grady, DVM, MRCVS
Introduction
Glue–on shoe technology has
always been an exciting field and has been available since 1986.
In the past decade, improved acrylics and newer methods of
applying shoes to the equine hoof using these composites have
actually given veterinarians and farriers an alternative to
conventional horseshoeing, which utilizes nails. Glue-on shoeing
provides a non-traumatic way of attaching a shoe to the
horse’s foot without using nails. A polymethylmethacrylate
(composite) called Equilox R was introduced in 1986
for the repair of hoof wall loss and cracks. This acrylic has
excellent flexibility, while at the same time, adheres well to
hoof walls. Recently, this material has been used with excellent
results to attach shoes to the hoof. Non-nailing alternatives
are not meant to replace conventional horseshoeing but are a
temporary measure that can be used to attach a shoe while
treating or trying to resolve an underlying hoof problem.
Uses
Lets
first consider the numerous situations were this type of
farriery could be used. We can immediately see how horses that
have damaged hoof walls, hoof walls with poor consistency
(especially during the summer months) or hoof walls that are
thin would benefit from not having nails driven in their feet.
Occasionally, a horse will have his feet trimmed too short while
being shod and become sore. Applying glue-on shoes in this
situation will lift the sensitive sole off the ground without
the added burden of trying to place nails in a short foot with
minimal hoof wall. Soundness can be restored almost immediately.
The discomfort or trauma caused by the concussion of driving a
nail into a compromised hoof may prohibit the conventional use
of horseshoe nails in many foot injuries. Some conditions that
may warrant a non-nailing (alternative) technique are acute or
chronic laminitis, extensive hoof wall separations (white line
disease), resections or avulsions of the hoof wall, third
phalanx fractures and severely damaged heels resulting from the
long toe underrun heel syndrome. Using glue-on technology to
treat chronic laminitis with rotation along with therapeutic
trimming, the coffin bone can be realigned within the hoof
capsule. Glue-on technology makes it possible to align the
bottom of the coffin bone with the ground. This method has given
consistent favorable results when compared to various shoeing
techniques that employ nails. The accepted treatment for white
line disease is resection of the affected hoof wall along with
thorough debridement. Following resection of the hoof wall, the
farrier is often left with inadequate hoof wall to nail on a
shoe. Glue-on shoes provide a means to attach the shoe while
leaving the resection open for observation and daily treatment.
Long toe underrun heel foot conformation often leads to a
persistent low-grade lameness and has always presented a
challenge for veterinarians and farriers to manage. The
composite can be used to extend the heel further back and when a
shoe is placed on the foot, the extended or created heel is
placed in a better functional position under the limb.
Furthermore, the composite that is placed between the shoe and
the foot prevents the abrasive movement of the heel of the foot
against the shoe. This lack of movement prevents the low heel
from any further wear, actually allowing re growth of the hoof
wall and bars at the heel. The composite between the foot and
the shoe inhibits normal heel expansion yet there has been no
sign of contracted heels even when glue-on shoes are used
repeatedly.
Method
The
procedure is relatively easy to master, but there is a learning
curve that is necessary for farriers to become proficient using
glue on shoes. If the procedure is applied properly, it is
extremely rare to lose a shoe. Strict attention must be paid to
the preparation of the hoof. Improper preparation of the foot
will invariably lead to failure of the bond and can also lead to
serious abscess formation. The method described here utilizes
the ground surface of the foot from the quarters to the heel and
a small section of the perimeter of the foot at the heel. This
differs from other described methods, which have exclusively
used the outer surface of the hoof wall. This eliminates the
need for any cuffs or plastic tabs as the shoes are glued
directly to the foot. The hoof is trimmed and prepared
appropriately. Any type of aluminum shoe preferably with quarter
clips can be used and is fitted to the prepared foot. The shoes
are fit to extend slightly beyond the hoof wall from the widest
part of the hoof to the heel.
This provides a base for the bead of composite that will
be smoothed out onto the hoof wall. The prepared hoof and
aluminum shoe are washed with a suitable solvent. The composite
is mixed and then combined with strands of fiberglass. We feel
this combination makes the Equilox® easier to mold, makes the
composite more flexible and adds structural strength to the
bond. The combined composite and fiberglass are molded (rolled)
into a tubular structure. One
roll is placed on either side of the prepared foot starting at
the quarter and extending to the heel. The shoe is placed into
the composite in the desired position and the excess material on
the solar surface is molded to the existing concavity of the
sole. This forms a false sole, which provides additional
protection. The hoof is covered in plastic and allowed to cure.
To remove the shoe, hoof nippers are carefully placed between
the shoe and the hoof. One
or two cuts are made through the glue at the heel and the shoes
are peeled forward. Shoes should be reset in four to six weeks
and the shoes can be glued on again if necessary or replaced
with traditional horseshoes.
Discussion
A
drawback of glue-on shoes is that it can be expensive and is
time consuming to apply. Success depends on proper hoof wall
preparation, shoe fit and composite application. Glue-on shoes
should not be used to replace the necessary farrier skills used
in resolving a difficult foot case nor should glue-on technology
be used to replace the basic fundamentals of proper
horseshoeing. All the available acrylics (composites) cure with
a tremendous exothermic reaction (HEAT). Therefore caution
should be exercised when repeatedly applying these products to a
thin or compromised hoof wall as the long term effects they may
have on the hoof wall are unknown at this time. However,
glue-on shoe technology offers an improved method to attach
horseshoes to the ground surface of the equine hoof when a
non-nailing alternative is indicated.
Moreover it requires no special shoes and is accomplished
using ordinary shoes and composite.
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