GLUING ON ALUMINUM HORSESHOES

by Andy Juell
Photos by Rob Edwards
© Anvil Magazine

Published in Anvil Magazine, November 1998

1. The hoof is trimmed in a normal fashion.

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2. The outside of the wall is rasped all the way around, wherever the glue will come in contact with the hoof wall. Special attention is paid to rasping the heel area clean.

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3. The size and type of the aluminum shoe to be used is determined. Care must be taken not to touch the hoof wall with the hands anywhere the glue will be applied to prevent any oil from the hands from getting onto the hoof.

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4. The hoof is wrapped in Saran Wrap before it is placed on the ground.

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5. The shoe is shaped.

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6. The shoe can be easily fitted to the hoof over the Saran Wrap.

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7. The Saran Wrap is removed from the hoof. The hoof is wrapped in cotton fiber material to insure cleanliness and to prevent the foot from sweating underneath the Saran Wrap.

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8. The foot and fiber material are wrapped with Saran Wrap.

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9. The hoof-bearing surface of the aluminum shoe is ground down to bare metal, using a zirconian sanding disc.

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10. The hoof-bearing surface of the shoes inside the clips and heel areas are all ground down to bare metal to insure adhesion. Care should be taken not to touch the shoes with the bare hands. Even the slightest oil from the fingers will prevent good adhesion.

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11. For the first shoe, we used the TECHKIT from Thoro'Bred, where the mixing process is done inside the mixing tube.

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12. The glue is applied to the hoof-bearing surface of the shoe using a caulking gun.

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13. Play-Doh is applied to the bottom of the hoof anywhere the glue is not desired.

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14. The shoe is applied to the foot.

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15. Glue is applied to the heel area which will create a smooth contour between the heel of the shoe and the heel of the hoof.

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16. The shoe and hoof are once again wrapped in Saran Wrap during the curing process.

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17. The second shoe will be applied using a more conventional two-part acrylic adhesive system.

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18. The glue is dispensed into a plastic mixing container.

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19. It is mixed thoroughly.

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20. The glue is applied to the shoe using a tongue depressor.

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21. The adhesive material is then applied to the bottom of the foot.

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22. The shoe is applied to the hoof.

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23. The glue is applied to the heel area.

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24. The glue in the heel area forms a smooth contour between the hoof heel and the heel of the shoe, allowing the shoe to be set wide for heel support.

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25. Excess glue is removed from the bottom of the foot. The hoof is re-wrapped in Saran Wrap, allowing time for the glue to cure.

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26. The Saran Wrap is removed and the hoof and glue are rasped smooth.

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27. And there you have a completed pair of glue-on shoes.

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For more information about the products suitable for the application described in this article, contact the companies listed below.

Adhesive Materials

Aluminum Shoes

- Bond-N-Flex -
Postyme, Inc.
936 South Golden Prados
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
800/858-6856
E-mail: bondnflex@webtv.net
Web site: www:bondnflex.com
-Aluminum Eventers -
St. Croix Forge, Inc.
P.O. Box 518
Forest Lake, MN 55025
800/966-3668
E-mail: 73704.2326@compuserve.com
Web site: stcroixforge.com
- Equi-Bond -
Equi-Bond
555 W. Annsbury Street
Philadelphia, PA 19140-1487
800/220-1966
- Dutchtown Forge Aluminum Horseshoes -
Dutchtown Forge, Ltd.
621 Route 601
Belle Mead, NJ 08502
908/359-3594
- Equilox -
Equilox Int'l., Inc.
110 NE 2nd Street NE, Box 428A
Pine Island, MN 55963
800/551-4394
E-mail: equilox@aol.com
Web site: www:gauthind.com/equilox
- ELITE Competition Shoes -
Victory Racing Plate Company
1200 Rosedale Avenue
Baltimore, MD 21237
800/872-7528
E-mail: plate@erols.com
Web site: www:victoryracingplate.com
- Equi-Thane -
Vettec, Inc.
600 East Hueneme Road
Oxnard, CA 93033-8600
800/4 VETTEC (483-8832)
E-mail: frovelli@duxsales.com
Web site: www.vettec.com
- K.B. Aluminum Horseshoes -
G.E. Forge & Tool Company
959 Highland Way
Grover Beach, CA 93433
Toll free: 877/433-6743
E-mail: GEForge@aol.com
- Grand Circuit -
Across the Anvil East
920 Route 33, Bldg. 7
Freehold, NJ 07728
800/872-6845
- Kerckhaert Aluminum Shoe -
Delta Horseshoe Company
4000 Alvis Court
Rocklin, CA 95677
916/624-7181
E-mail: delta85@deltahorseshoe.com
Web site: www:deltahorseshoe.com
- Hoof-It -
Haffner International Marketing Group
1281 Kimmerling Road 5, #292
Gardnerville, NV 89410
888/466-3483
E-mail: hoofit@juno.com
Web site: www:hoof-it.com
- Lite Champion -
Thoro'Bred, Inc.
5020 East La Palma Avenue
Anaheim, CA 92807
800/854-6059
E-mail: thorobredhorseshoes@msn.com
Web site: www:horseshoes.com/thorobred
- Thoro'Grip -
Thoro'Bred, Inc.
5020 East La Palma Avenue
Anaheim, CA 92807
800/754-6059
E-mail: thorobredhorseshoes@msn.com
Web site: www:horseshoes.com/thorobred
- New Line Aluminum Bar Shoes -
JB Aluminum Bar Shoe Company
510 Harding Avenue
Feasterville, PA 19053
215/322-2634
- Piero Olivieri Aluminum Horseshoes -
Horseshoes 2000
2037 West Bullard #317
Fresno, CA 93711-1200
209/432-2462
E-mail: hs2K@lightspeed.net
Web site: www:horseshoes.com/horseshoes2000

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