-- Posted by bagsofnags on Sep. 30, 2001

Was wondering if anyone can tell me their experiences of Cytek Shoeing. Good and Bad.

-- Posted by catherine 

I'm a disciple!

I have a very flat footed TB who I had owned for about 6 months when I decided to try Cytek shoes. They were recommended to me by a professional dressage trainer who had all her horses on them, one of them had been chronically lame using conventional farriery and became sound immediately when shod with cyteks.

I was impressed with the explanations (and the time taken explaining) by Warwick Bloomfield who came to shoe Cush. He trotted up quite unlevel after shoeing so I was a bit concerned. I gave him a day off work and it took him about a week before he really got used to them. I was worried, but Cush was not in pain, just a bit wobbly!

From then on his hooves have improved, his heels are more upright, he is straighter in his movement, has developed muscle over his shoulder, his forelegs seem 'free-er', he has stopped stumbling and generally seems more confident on his feet. An  example I give is that when tied up he used to tread on his own hooves, one time actually tripping up over them and falling over. It was as if he did not know where his feet were! This does not happen any more.

Drawbacks? Disapproval from traditionalists. They look different - a judge in a riding horse class would have moved us up had he been shod conventionally! They cost me about £55 every 6 weeks - and the time between shoeing will gradually increase,  up to 12 weeks.

-- Posted by johny boy 

I think I saw an example of cytek shoeing on a freinds horse this weekend , is it where the shoe sits a lot further back and the toe is rounded off , If not then anyone know what that type of shoeing is , The shoe looked a lot wider as well .

-- Posted by sjm72 

I suspect that the shoes look wider as they are shorter from front to back - I suspect that this may be what my young horse needs as she keeps losing her shoes and when they are left off her feet seem to form this shape (i.e. she wears / breaks the toe and not the sides - and seems sounder!!)
Where do you find a farrier that does this?

-- Posted by peter 

The Cytek website is    http://www.cytekhorse.com/
Loads of information and letters from satisfied customers.

-- Posted by colouredcob 

Well you may think this will sound dramatic but Cyteks have saved my horses life!  
My TB had excellent feet when I first got him 4 years ago.

The heels collapsed and the toe was left long by the farrier.  I had at the time despite my concerns - he continued to shoe this way until I became very concerned then he just failed to ever come back!  Nice one!!

So more conventional shoeing, more lameness, Xrays showed fractures to the toe of the pedal bone, spurring and fragmentation.  Egg bars for a year, more lameness more X rays more pedal bone problems.

Horse then destined for the bullet agreed by the vet as lameness now constant.

Cyteks as a last chance.  My Horse would not even want to walk just stood in the field with his eye full of pain despite the bute.  Ben Perks (cytek farrier) came and shod him, Sid the TB was a sod as shoeing always meant pain to him and Ben was gentle kind and reassuring even though he was being pulled around by Sid.  Sid had to be literally dragged in to be shod as he was reluctant to walk.

Cyteks eventually fitted.  Ben asked if we could just walk the horse out so he could see how he coped with the change which he explained may take a few days.

Sid walked out almost dragging my hubby, he walked sound although a little wooden due to the change of balance, but was SOUND!!!  I could not believe my eyes.  I wish I had a video camera with the date and time to prove it as no one believed it.  My friends were astonished at the immediate improvement.  My friends had been supportive as the decision to have him shot was made so had seen the horse days before shoeing and again afterwards.

It was absolutely amazing.  I am a believer in Cytek and feel for some horses it is the only answer.  Whether I will get all my cobs shod this way remains to be decided as Sid has only had his first set and due to be re shod this week.

But I have gone from 4 years of intermittent lameness to a fully sound horse on just one set.  Admittedly I have not begun working him yet so time will tell, but at least now if worst came to worst he is pain free and can be that all expensive lawn mower if necessary.

Traditionalist come see my X-rays and my horse.  It will give you food for thought!