[smrobs]

I was browsing youtube and found this. I thought it was interesting and would like to get everyone's take on the product.

 

[kevinshorses]

It sounds interesting to me. I wonder about the soil getting in between the hoof and the shoe. Sounds like it might cause thrush in wet conditions.

 

[smrobs]

That could be, I hadn't thought of that. Considering how dry it usually is down here, thrush isn't a problem for me but I can see how it would in wetter areas. Hmm.

 

[SmoothTrails]

I'm thinking the same thing as Kevin. It looks interesting, and it might even be good to look into to ask if they have taken into account wetter climates and thrush.

 

[MacabreMikolaj]

That's really neat! It basically sounds like a shoeing solution for people who are pre-potents of the "barefoot natural trim" method. It definately makes sense, and I wouldn't be overly concerned about thrush I don't think - by not trimming the sole as per the natural trim method, the sole actually callouses and prevents it from becoming "soggy" or soft. I think our somewhat unnatural way of trimming a horse concave is probably the leading factor in instances of thrush. We remove the horses natural ability to repel those types of bacteria when we pare out the sole and leave the hoof exposed.

Definately something I'd be interested in learning more about.

 

[smrobs]

I'm gonna e-mail them and ask. Let me know if you have any other questions and I'll add it if I get it before I send the e-mail.

 

[SmoothTrails]

I just emailed them right before you posted that...lol. I guess we'll find out soon.

 

[smrobs]

It's okay, there were several other questions that I had along with that one so I will go ahead and e-mail them too.

Still sitting on mine though to see if there are any other people who want to ask a question.........

 

[smrobs]

Okay, e-mail sent. Just to kinda help me remember too, this is what I asked.

I was just wondering about the idea behind your shoes. How do they do on horses that live in wetter climates? Since it is part of the design for dirt to become packed in the collateral grooves, do they increase the occurence or severity of thrush? Are small rocks/pebbles able to get between the shoe and the sole and cause hoof bruises? How do they hold up on horses that are used hard on surfaces like concrete and asphalt or in really rocky terrain? Also, if you can answer, would this be a better method of transitioning from a rim-shoe to a natural barefoot trim on the working horse since it encourages the buildup of sole while still protecting the hoof (and being much less cumbersome than boots)?

 

[rocky pony]

definitely looks like something I'd be interested in if it were available to me. thrush is very much an issue where I live, though, so I'm very interested to see how they respond to your emails.

 

[iridehorses]

If thrush is an issue, then pads with packing underneath should alleviate the problem. Interesting shoe, though.

 

[Horse Poor]

I found their website here: www.cytekhorseshoeing.com/

It is another "feral horse foot" model based type shoeing program. You fit the horse to the shoe, not the shoe to the horse. It assumes that all horses are created equal and that their model is correct for all horses.

 

[Honeysuga]

I find this very interesting. Maybe a good way to help horses that require shoeing for split and cracked hooves since there is no leverage on the wall? I would love to hear what they respond to your guys emails, make sure to post it!

 

[3neighs]

I've been happy with the plastic Ground Control horseshoes for my horses, but am always interested in learning about new developments. I don't like the idea of having to have a special certified "Cytek" farrier, though. They go through four levels of training that makes me think of the NH money-making programs.

 

[rocky pony]

^ true, that's a really good point..

 

[smrobs]

I would imagine that any good farrier with an understanding of how the hoof worked and how the horse moves could do just as well as one of their "certified farriers".

 

[Anvil]

this an interesting thread. i've seen cyteck farriers in my area come n go in last 10 yrs. like smorbs said understanding how u r horse moves is very important. u can't shoe every horse the same cause every horse has different feet and legs. the're not made from a mold or machine like equip. or tools.

 

[SmoothTrails]

I got the reply to my email about thrush. Here it is:

The Cytek shoe is open around the frog area therefore you can clean this area just as you would with any other shoe. This shoe also works well in wet areas with no more problems than any other shoe. It protects the sole area so if it is very wet and the sole gets soft it actually helps. Some thrush can come or get its start from microscopic tears in the frog if the frog is stretched i.e. long toe etc. With the quicker break over and rolled toe this system will in many cases help thrush. I see very little thrush in horse’s shod with Cytek shoes.

 

[Honeysuga]

Hmmm, makes sense...^^

 

[smrobs]

I haven't been able to check my e-mail yet to see if they responded (stupid computer). But I will check as soon as I am able to get back to Dad's and use his computer.