Exploring Adhesive Performance in Horseshoe Bonding Through Advanced Mechanical and Numerical Analysis

Despite technological advancements in various industries, the equine sector still relies on old methods like horseshoeing. Although traditional, the industry is dynamic and well-funded. Therefore, there is a need to modernize these methods with more reliable and less invasive solutions for attaching horseshoes to horse hooves. There are currently several commercial adhesive solutions in the market specifically tailored to this application. In this work, the mechanical properties of two acrylic adhesives were characterized under quasi-static conditions. In the characterization process, tensile, shear, and fracture properties were determined. Subsequently, in-joint behavior was assessed using single-lap joints (SLJ) for both similar and dissimilar adherends. The adherends' materials included steel (St), aluminum (Al), and horse hoof wall (HW), and the following adherend combinations were tested: St-St, Al-Al, and St-HW. A numerical model of similar joints was developed and validated based on experimental results. After its validation, the next steps are the modelling of the real joint and its simulation by considering realistic loading conditions in order to determine the weakest points of the joint. This exploratory study seeks to establish a foundation for investigating alternative adhesive solutions that could address the limitations identified in the solutions studied in this paper.