Glue-on shoes are effective tools for any farrier’s shoeing box — provided you properly prepare for the application and follow the precise directions.

Randolph, Mass., farrier Mary Bramley shared some insight to improve your chances for success when applying EponaShoes at Centaur Forge’s annual spring clinic in Burlington, Wis.

Prep Time

“When you get ready to prep a foot for application, a dry, clean environment is going to be your friend,” she says. “You want to prep the foot the same exact way that you would any hoof that you’re going to be putting packing under. So, cleanliness is going to be key on this.”

The trim for a flexible polyurethane shoe is the same for a traditional steel shoe — it’s all about balance.

“I want my heels to come back to the widest point of the frog,” Bramley says. “When you prep the sole, you want to try to remove dead frog material. You want to get all of the debris out of the little pockets, but it doesn’t have to be perfect. I’m going to clean everything up with a wire brush just prior to applying the shoe with glue. Removing every bit of debris down to a microbial level is not necessary if you prep and pack the foot properly prior to gluing.