Jonas Heckmann - Barefoot Specialist

„I work on horses the way they need it – I respond individually to the character and to its naturally given hoof conditions. My work is not about the perfectly shaped hoof – its appearance or symmetry – but about trimming the hoof in a way that supports the horse and its body best.“

1. About our Goodsmith partner

Trained hoof orthopaedist Jonas Heckmann has been working as a hoof care professional for 13 years and has been gluing for over 11 years, during which he has come to know quite a few Klebebeschlag companies. Goodsmith is one of them. Jonas has experienced our enormous development first-hand and equips over 100 of his approx. 250 client horses with Klebebeschläge.

2. The path to the Klebebeschlag and to Goodsmith

It was through a client that he came to our brand. Jonas and his client horse were then the first appointment on our then Germany tour.

3. Goodsmith in Jonas's work

Alongside Goodsmith he also has a few other brands in his range. He sometimes combines individual products from the various companies. He decides for each horse what best suits the animal and its habitat or area of use.

He calls Goodsmith an „all-round weapon“ and the „sneaker among the Klebebeschläge“, particularly suitable as a better alternative to conventional hoof boots and for horses that for various reasons cannot go barefoot. „The Goodsmiths“, says Jonas, „are more flexible than other brands, which makes them highly customisable and able to be brought into the desired shape.“ In general, however, he emphasises that one can never conclude from one horse to another: „If the GS Klebebeschlag does not work for one horse, that does not mean it is no good. On the contrary, it can perfectly well be the case that for a comparable horse the Goodsmith is the perfect solution.“

4. Experience with the quality of the glue-on

„Provided you do everything right – which with a little practice anyone can manage – the Klebebeschlag is in no way inferior to the iron shoe in terms of durability.“ He adds: „for Klebebeschläge there is virtually no obstacle; for instance, you cannot drive a nail into a hoof whose hoof wall is too short or has broken out, but gluing still works here.“ „And as for the glue, even if the adhesive should penetrate 1 mm into the hoof, it is still far enough away from the blood vessels and the living part of the hoof“, he explains his statement.

5. Application time, price and durability of a Klebebeschlag

On average, Jonas works on his client horses every 6-8 weeks; here too he is guided by the respective hoof situation. After the normal hoof trimming, he needs about a quarter of an hour for two Klebebeschläge (from marking out to gluing the tabs). The gluing does not take more time than the conventional shoeing with iron. In his judgement, every farrier etc. is able to apply Klebebeschläge. After a little practice there are only two important points to consider. On the one hand the hoof has to be rasped very smoothly, since small unevennesses cannot later be burnt away with the hot iron, and on the other hand the hoof has to be kept very clean during the work, otherwise the glue cannot adhere properly. For trimming all four hooves as well as applying two Klebebeschläge, the hoof care professional charges around €130, for four Klebebeschläge €210. The initial application may seem to some like a small investment, but afterwards the products are usually reusable several times, which brings financial savings after the first session and, as Jonas puts it, „you walk better in a worn-in shoe too“.

Jonas is particularly enthusiastic about the combinability of the products and their accessories. Of course, he continues to support us in further projects, because our range of products is far from finished.