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The eight most common reasons why an adhesive fitting fails to hold
When a glue-on shoe doesn't hold, it's almost never the glue — it's the surface it's bonded to. The adhesive only bonds with what it directly touches: clean, grease-free, slightly roughened horn. Grease on the hoof, remaining dirt patina, un-degreased tabs, too much glue, a dried-out hoof, an unadjusted base plate, and pressing for too short a time — these seven causes explain almost every premature loss in practice.
That may sound uncomfortable at first, but it's the good news: they are application errors. And application errors can be fixed. This article works through the eight causes one by one and shows how to identify them on the lost shoe.
How the adhesive bond on the hoof is formed
The Goodsmith glue-on shoe is attached with the XT-40 super glue. This adhesive doesn't dry — it cures. And to do that, it needs two things: a clean surface and a little moisture in the horn. Both come from the hoof itself, not from the glue.
From this follows the sentence to which almost everything can be traced back: A glue-on shoe holds only as well as the top layer of horn it's bonded to. Preparing the hoof is therefore not preliminary work but the actual work step. Do it properly and the intended six to eight weeks are practically already in the bag.
The eight most common causes when a glue-on shoe doesn't hold
1. The hoof had been greased or oiled
By far the most common cause. Hoof ointment, hoof oil, hoof polish, silver spray, fly spray, or residues of grooming products leave a film behind. The glue then bonds with the grease, not the horn. Even grease from your own hands is enough if you touch the prepared bonding surface again.
What helps: The hooves must be absolutely clean and grease-free during gluing. Don't apply any ointments or oils in the days beforehand, degrease last of all with the XT Cleaner — and do not touch the surface again with bare hands afterwards.
2. Dirt patina and loose peripheral horn on the hoof
A hoof coming from the paddock carries a thin layer of dust and horn abrasion. If this patina is left in place, the shoe ends up bonded to dirt instead of horn. The same goes for flaking peripheral horn: it will detach later anyway — and take the shoe with it.
Just as important is what happens right after roughening. Your own sanding dust acts as a separating layer if left in place.
What helps: Remove dirt patina and loose peripheral horn, lightly roughen the bonding surface, and then thoroughly brush off the dust.
3. The glue tabs weren't clean
The hoof usually gets all the attention — the tab tends to get overlooked. But it's the second half of the bond. If it goes into the gluing greasy or dusty, even the best-prepared hoof won't help.
What helps: Clean and degrease the hoof and the glue tabs before bonding. That's one extra step, and it makes the difference more often than you'd think.
4. Too much glue was used
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