4 Weeks of Success

At the 4-week mark, I pulled Grif’s glue-ons, exactly as planned. I like to keep him on a short trim cycle because it keeps his feet happiest. Depending on the season and how quickly his hooves are growing, I might stretch it a little longer, but four weeks is usually the sweet spot.

I'm delighted to share that the glue-ons came off so easily and so quickly. I credit all the prep work I did beforehand studying all I could before diving in. Still, I was pleasantly surprised by how smoothly it went. All it took was a sharp flat head screw driver to break the glue seal along the edges enough that I could grab them with dull hoof nippers. From there, I was able to carefully peel the cuffs away from his hoof on each side to free the shoe. 

The glue stayed on his hoof vs on the shoe cuffs, which was perfect. While I was committed to cleaning it off the cuffs to reset, I wasn't looking forward to it! I used my angle grinder (a tool I've been using to trim my horses' hooves for many years now) to buff the glue off his hoof wall. Then I gave him a quick, light trim, with plans for a more thorough session in the coming days. 

I held off on a full trim because I wanted to see how he moved first, especially after that odd bout of lameness a few days prior. As I mentioned in my last post, he received a glowing review from the vet. She was seriously impressed with how well he was moving, especially considering the shoes had only come off less than 24 hours earlier. And I was trotting him out on some pretty crummy footing, too, so his comfort was extra noteworthy. 

I’m completely sold on this method of hoof protection and plan to keep using it. It’s way less stressful than dealing with boots, especially for horses like my geldings whose hooves aren’t the ideal shape for keeping boots on over rough terrain. I’m honestly tickled to have found a low-fuss solution that keeps them comfy and performing at their best!