Using adhesives in your farrier work isn’t much different than when you first started out forging shoes and nailing them on. It simply takes time and practice.

“The first few years of your farrier career, you’re thinking, ‘This has got to get easier,’” recalls Pat Reilly, chief of farrier services at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine. “You start working a shoe in the fire and you’re all concerned about how long you’ve got heat and things like that.

“Glue-on shoes are no different. A lot of farriers, even seasoned farriers, get stressed out as soon as they start mixing adhesives because the clock is running. The more you do it, you have this internal clock where you just get accustomed to how much time you have. It really does get easier.”

Reilly teamed up with Cornell University head farrier Steve Kraus and Wellington, Fla., farrier Curtis Burns at the 13th annual International Hoof-Care Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio, to discuss “Eliminating Mistakes And Misconceptions That Hamper The Use Of Adhesives.”

Are Adhesives Safe?

The most commonly used adhesives are methyl methacrylate (acrylic) and polyurethane. And one of the most commonly asked questions is: Are adhesives safe?

“Yes, for the most part they are,” Reilly says. “This is not something that’s only used in the equine world. These are adhesives that are being used and have been used for a long time in manufacturing processes.”