One of the many controversial topics in farriery remains gluing on horseshoes. There are farriers who have reasons for not using them.

Here are some of the more typical excuses for not using glue-on shoes:

• I’ve never seen a foot that I couldn’t nail a shoe on.
• They’re too expensive.
• Special equipment is needed.
• Glue-on shoes are a fad or gimmick.
• They don’t make a difference to the horse and aren’t worth the time and trouble.
• I tried them, but couldn’t get them to stay on.

International Horseshoeing Hall Of Fame member Tom Curl has heard all of these excuses. The Vero Beach, Fla., farrier has been successfully gluing on shoes for nearly 30 years. In 1988, he was called to glue shoes on Canadian racehorse of the year Afleet. In 2008 he glued shoes on Big Brown, which was the first horse to win the Kentucky Derby wearing glue-ons.

To erase the excuses and help other farriers understand the benefits of using glue-on shoes, Curl brought together many of the best glue-on practitioners in the country to explain and teach how they have found success with these shoes. The result was the first Glu-Tech Seminar held in Ocala, Fla.

Great Learning Experience

On the first day, each clinician started with a PowerPoint presentation followed by a live demonstration on a horse. Attendees were able to see in real time what had just been presented during the lecture, followed by question and answer sessions.

Day two was the practical day…