Load sharing is incredibly important when discussing hoof quality, especially in high-performance disciplines like racehorses. This is achieved through a good trim and a shoe that supports the sole, which minimizes the risk of quarter cracks, corns and sheared heels.

“If you look at a horse’s foot, the weight comes down,” says Hall of Fame farrier Derek Poupard. “The frog and the bars are meant to drive pressure back up the horse’s foot. It’s the weight of the horse pushing through the shoe that causes the frog to distort. I think of it as a bridge. A bridge without any support will fail. A horse’s foot is exactly the same.”

In Poupard’s experience, the heels fold over because they can no longer support the weight of the horse’s foot.

“Giving the horse something to stand on restores it immediately. For races, our statistics went from an 18% win rate to over 35% with fewer injections,” he says. “Nature intended a frog to bear weight, which is what the EasyShoe, Jim Blurton Roller, EasyShoe 3D and the EasyShoe One Glue do.”

Proper Trimming

“The vascular supply of the foot is affected by the way that hoof is loaded,” says Hall of Fame farrier Jim Blurton. “If the trim isn’t correct, that blood supply will be compromised. If your foot is too long in the toe and you have a broken back pastern axis, pressure increases in the caudal part of the foot. This reduces blood supply, slows growth and weakens horn structure while you get normal growth in the toe. The toe is overtaking the heel growth, and P3 gradually goes farther back onto the heel and compromises the foot even more. That’s when you get bruising in the seat of corn.”

Blurton’s ideal trim creates a parallel line between P3 and the dorsal hoof wall and P3 and the solar surface. The distance between the tip of P3 and both the dorsal and solar planes should be equal. The heels are as important, he says. When the heels are rolled over, they need to be taken back to its widest portion, which, combined with supportive shoeing, will encourage future growth in the right direction.

Applying Glue-Ons

The most important factor in determining EasyCare glue-on success is hoof prep. The hoof needs to be rough, clean and dry for the adhesive to work properly, says Garrett Ford, owner of EasyCare. He uses the Hoof Buffy, which attaches to any drill with a ⅜-inch or larger chuck, and 60-grit sandpaper. A rasp is a viable alternative if a horse won’t accept the Buffy, but the goal is to create peaks and valleys on the hoof wall, so the glue can better bond to the surface.

After roughing the wall’s surface, even if at a downward angle, clean the hoof with a wire brush to ensure all dust is removed. Without a completely clean surface, the glue won’t adhere properly to the foot. The next step in hoof preparation is to run a torch over the feet to remove moisture, which can interfere with adhesion. The wire brush and torch steps are to be repeated 3 times.

“The shoe should fit well around my cuffs,” he says. “I want tight engagement on both sides of the cuff, not any gapping on the sides. And I want extra length and extra width in the heels. I like to fit them full, and I’ll take a Buffy, rasp or nippers and slowly clip material away.”

One trick Ford learned is to set the weight-bearing surface of the shoe with super glue before gluing on the shoe but after the foot is prepped. For Ford, it takes the stress out of gluing and allows farriers to work on the ground.

A modest amount of urethane or acrylic glue is applied through the openings in the cuff, and then the foot is wrapped in plastic. This compresses the glue to the hoof wall and pushes any excess out, allowing for a smaller, smoother package. Ford recommends letting the glue sit for 10 minutes, or 20 minutes if it’s cold out, before finishing the foot. If applied correctly, the wings should be nearly seamless with the dorsal hoof wall.

With high-activity racehorses regularly performing on tarmac or other hard surfaces, glue-ons are a reliable option that protects the integrity of the foot. It provides caudal support that a traditional shoe cannot — preventing quarter cracks, sheared heels and performance-impacting pain — and avoids damaging hooves that may need to be shod more often than the typical horse.

Gain more insight about how EasyCare glue-ons can benefit racehorses by reading "Benefits & Application of Glue-Ons for Racehorses," in the April 2025 issue of American Farriers Journal.