By Jeff Cota posted on April 22, 2016 | Posted in American Farrier Journal
There is a notion among some farriers that glue-on shoes damage hoof wall. Those who use them frequently, though, disagree.
“I have people telling me the glue deteriorates the hoof wall,” explains Steve Kraus, Cornell University’s head farrier. “No, it doesn’t. What’s being deteriorated is the farrier yanking the cuff off improperly and ripping the hoof wall away.”
The Hall Of Fame farrier has a simple procedure for removing a glue-on cuff-style horseshoe.
“You want to cut the fabric right against the rim pad and make sure you separate the shoe completely (Figures 1 to 3) and then roll the fabric off (Figures 4 to 5) with your pull-offs,” Kraus explains. “Don’t try and jerk things off, you want to leave as much glue on the hoof as possible. After you remove the shoe, you simply rasp off the glue.”
The acrylic glue (adhesive) used with the fabric cuff generates excellent bond strength in shear (as it holds the shoe on the hoof). The adhesive bond is, however, weakest in peel.
