Page 1144 - Adams and Stashak's Lameness in Horses, 7th Edition

1110 Chapter 11

Attaching a shoe with adhesives may offer several allowing regrowth of the hoof wall and bars at the heel.
advantages over nailing, such as when nailing is painful, However, the composite between the foot and the shoe
VetBooks.ir as a therapeutic option. However, there are disadvan­ to contracted heels if this practice is continued for any
appears to inhibit normal heel expansion and may lead
when there is insufficient wall for nailing the shoe, and
tages as well. Recently, it has been shown that adhesive
length of time.
attachment of a shoe significantly limits the expansion
of the palmar section of the foot. 19
Glue‐on shoes are more expensive and more time con­ Methods of Glue‐On Farriery
suming to apply, and the application of adhesives to the There are two accepted methods to glue on a shoe. In
side of the wall decreases the quality of the underlying the direct method, an aluminum shoe is attached with
horn over time. There is also a perception that glued‐on an adhesive (Equilox International, Inc., Pine Island,
shoes do not stay on as well as nailed‐on shoes, but this MN) to the ground surface of the foot (Figure 11.30).
impression is in part the result of poor case selection or An aluminum horseshoe is pre‐shaped to the hoof, and
poor application. Glue‐on shoes should be considered a the hoof‐bearing surface of the shoe is roughened with a
transient device to produce hoof mass or to treat a hoof grinding disc to increase cohesion. A two‐part acrylic
disease or defect before reverting back to applying tra­ combined with fiberglass strands is used to bond the
ditional shoes or leaving the horse barefoot. prepared shoe to the hoof wall. Meticulous attention to
Glue‐on shoeing has been used extensively since the preparation of the hoof is essential because the heat from
introduction of the acrylics (polymethylmethacrylate) the exothermic reaction may lead to an abscess and the
(Equilox International, Inc., Pine Island, MN) and ure­ outer hoof wall may degenerate with continued use.
thanes (Vettec Hoof Care Products, Oxnard, CA). The second method is the indirect method. Here, a
These composites consist of a resin and a catalyst that patented aluminum, rubber‐soled horseshoe attached
polymerize in a matter of minutes when mixed together, with a fabric cuff (Sound Horse Technologies, Unionville,
forming a bond between the hoof wall and the shoe. PA) or an aluminum shoe, which is enveloped in rubber,
Heat is generated in this process because it is an exo­ forming a one piece unit with a cuff (GluShu, Gateshead,
thermic reaction. Once the composite has cured, it has United Kingdom). The appropriate size shoe is selected,
a flexible consistency very similar to the outer hoof the cuff is trimmed as necessary, the outer hoof wall is
wall of the foot. prepared, and a composite is applied to the outer wall to
bond to the cuff. Sole depth may increase with these
Indications for Glue‐On Shoes shoes as the fabric or rubber cuff becomes the hoof wall
and a urethane rim pad inserted between the shoe
Glue‐on shoes can be used for damaged hoof walls, and the solar surface of the foot provides an interface
hoof walls with poor horn consistency (especially dur­ to decrease concussion and eliminate sole pressure.
ing the summer months), or hoof walls that are thin However, the constrictive nature of the cuff encompass­
and benefit from not using nails to attach the shoe. ing the hoof wall must be questioned. Another indirectly
Occasionally, a horse will have its feet trimmed too short applied shoe is an aluminum shoe encased in plastic
while being shod and become sore. In this case glue‐on with attached tabs around the circumference of the
shoes lift the sole off the ground without placing nails in horseshoe; the shoe is glued to the hoof wall with
a short foot with minimal hoof wall thickness. Soundness cyanoacrylate adhesive (Equilox International, Inc., Pine
can be restored almost immediately. However, it appears Island, MN).
that the use of glue‐on shoes has increased due to lack of Glue‐on shoes can be expensive and time consuming
farriery skills to apply appropriate traditional farriery. to apply. Success depends on proper hoof wall prepara­
In horses with chronic laminitis, realignment of the tion, shoe fit, and composite application. Glue‐on shoes
distal phalanx within the hoof capsule can be readily
achieved with glue‐on technology. Combined with the
appropriate trim, glue‐on shoes permit realignment of
the solar surface of the distal phalanx with the ground.
In WLD, the accepted treatment is resection of the
affected hoof wall along with thorough debridement.
Often the farrier is left with inadequate hoof wall to
attach a shoe with nails, in which case glue‐on shoes
provide a means to attach the shoe while leaving the
resected area open for observation and daily treatment.
Long‐toe, underrun heel foot conformation often leads
to a persistent low‐grade lameness and has always pre­
sented a challenge for veterinarians and farriers to man­
age. In this case, a composite can be used to extend the
heel further palmarly to increase ground surface, and
when combined with the appropriate shoe, the extended
or created heel is placed in a better functional position
under the limb. Furthermore, the composite that is
placed between the shoe and the foot prevents the abra­
sive movement of the heel of the hoof capsule against Figure 11.30. Direct method to apply a glue‐on shoe in which the
the shoe. This lack of movement prevents further wear, shoe is attached with a composite to the ground surface of the foot.