My Experience and Current Process for EasyCare Octo Glue-on Shoes

 My 22-year-old  APHA mare, Missy, has quite a bit of arthritis, with the worst located in her front left pastern. 

She does her best to not let it slow her down.

As I searched for ways to manage her discomfort (on top of joint injections, Equioxx, keeping her joints moving, and feeding her for joint health), one of my vets suggested composite shoes for extra concussion protection. So, back in January, I snagged a pair of EasyShoe Versa Grip Octos. They run about $50, and are advertised as resettable. 

And I immediately dyed them purple.

The Octos can be applied with super-glue, which was very attractive for ease of use over having to use a dispensing gun (like I have done previously with Vettec pour-in pads). Also of note, I opted to only do front shoes since her arthritis is worse in that front left pastern... And my understanding is EasyShoes all the way around CAN insulate a horse from the ground, making electric fences ineffective. (We have not tested this.)

The EasyShoes can be very easily modified with a rasp.

There's a definite learning curve, and although I used the measuring guide, the first set was a size or two too big. 

They had a gap between the base of the tab and her hoof wall.

I followed the hoof prep instructions on the EasyCare blog and honestly was pleasantly surprised. They stayed on for a full cycle (albeit one where Missy did very little work), and Miss DID seem more comfortable with the added cushion. However, I did not like the cuff that was intended to keep rocks out of the shoe. It pressed on Missy's frog.

The cuff runs around the inside of the web of the shoe.

I additionally had concerns that with the aggressive tread, the shoes might impact the natural slide that occurs as the start of each footfall and actually put more strain on Missy's joints. Rather than resetting those shoes, I opted for a smaller size EasyShoe 3D Octo. 

Again with the purple. You might be sensing a theme here...

These have a more traditional shape and tread with plenty of frog support that doesn't include the troublesome cuff.

So far, these seem to be the winner for Missy in terms of style (providing support without TOO much grip), but I had to hone in my hoof prep and shoe set methods through several cycles of tabs coming loose and losing entire shoes. After about 6 months of trial and error, here is what helps Miss keep shoes on for a full trim cycle.

Materials:

- set of EasyShoe Octos in your flavor of choice (either the old pair to reset or a new pair, wear depending)

- old hoof knife you don't love, or a Dremel

- sandpaper

- wire brush

- heat gun

- gloves

- super glue (I use the brand EasyCare sells because I like the viscosity)

- paper towels

- electrical tape

- accelerator spray (for drying super glue, I use Starbond brand)

Process:

Shoes after a 5 week cycle. With how her feet are growing, I plan to shorten it to 4 weeks, but every tab was secure despite being ridden and turned out every night in a hilly pasture.

I use my hoof knife to carefully separate the top of the tab from her hoof wall.

Then, I can typically use my hands and knife to peel it the rest of the way off. I HAVE used pull-offs to help leverage before though.

The shoe after 5 weeks of wear, fine to be reset both in terms of shoe wear and tab strength.

There is old super glue (and some pour-in pad material) stuck to the shoe.

Hoof after shoe removal. The chips at the quarters are from wear AFTER she lost a shoe, not due to the shoe or glue itself. They're growing out well.

I clean up the residual super glue, ensuring there's nothing uneven on the hoof side that would cause a pressure point. I use an old hoof knife I don't care about (being sure to not remove any tab material), but I plan to have a Dremel to help next time. 

If you're using a new set of shoes, be sure to rough up the inside of the tabs with sandpaper. They come out of the box very smooth, and this really helps with tab retention.

I perform her regular trim, check shoe fit, and set out my supplies.

Then, for ONE hoof, I do 3 rounds of sanding the tab area...

...brushing off the hoof wall with the wire brush...

...and drying the hoof wall with the heat gun for 30-45 seconds, making sure to keep it moving and not overheat any one spot. (Pictured is the prepped hoof because the heat gun was too much to juggle with my phone.)

I set her hoof down in the shoe, ensure it's positioned properly, put on gloves, and coat the inside of every tab fully with super glue. 

The glue will drip, so I keep a paper towel handy to wipe it up before it gets to the ground. You don't want to glue the hoof down to the floor. 😂

Instead of the instructed plastic wrap, I prefer to secure the tabs down with electrical tape. I carefully work from the base of the tabs up, making sure they're pulled snug to the hoof wall. Yes, some tape will get glued to the shoe, but it doesn't bother me. You can find appropriate colors of tape if it's an issue for you, and I find it wears off over time just fine.

I repeat the hoof prep, glue, and tape steps for the other hoof. This ensures each hoof is clean and dry for gluing. 

Once both shoes are glued and taped, I let it cure! FOR AN HOUR. Yes, this seems excessive for super glue, but it's applied pretty thickly. Giving it time to really cure in a dry environment has greatly increased my shoe retention.

I take this time to trim Pyro and grab a snack and drink break.

After the cure time, I grab another pair of gloves, my super glue, and accelerator spray.

This time, I trace the super glue along the edges of the tabs to seal them.

I use my finger to spread the glue smoothly along the edges, making sure to get under the corners of the front and back tabs.

Additionally, I use the excess glue to coat her hoof wall and seal it. I don't have scientific evidence, but it SEEMS that this seal helps minimize fluctuations due to wet/dry conditions.

The final step is thoroughly coating the glue with the accelerator. I keep it below her coronary band as it can be a bit drying, but it won't harm her.

This dries quickly, and in a minute or two your shoes are ready to go!

Side note: I opted to not apply pour-in pads this time as I treat some thrush that developed under them the last cycle. Without the pad, I may opt to go back to the Versa Grip Octos, cutting out the cuff before application.

I hope this helps anyone who, like me, has struggled to get the EasyShoe glue-on application *just* right. They make a quality product and are always striving to make new innovations to help their customers. Since they help my mare be more comfortable in her old age, I'm eternally grateful.