Well getting back regarding the cytec shoe. They seem to be doing well although my one gelding has a rather large overstride and seems to pop it off alot due to it being set back . its so precise. balance is no longer a issue with any of them . so I like them and would recommend them to jumpers and dressage anyway .we only have them on front with most of ours. we rarely shoe back due to they are turned out with one or two others per pasture and that is looking for trouble.. just a update on the cytec

Whoops - sorry it took so long to respond again! Hoss, glad to hear that you are supporting Katy's research and results. Wish more farriers had your open-minded nature. Well, I sat through the 5-days and learned a lot. Unfortunately, my ability to relay the information on to others must be due to impending old age. What I did learn is that it is WAY to scary for me to take the knife or nippers to his heels or bars without someone supervising me until I have done it many, many times. It is so easy to screw a horse up by taking just 1/8th inch too much off. I do keep the hoof wall rasped, and he doesn't need much otherwise with the terrain he is on here. Sagebrush, arroyos, and a couple of mean mares keep him in good shape! After the second founder in April (at a boarding facility in Berthod), I was told again I should consider "options", and that if I wanted to keep him at all, he would have to have shoes. Again I ignored the advice, bought my trailer so that I could keep him with me all the time, and got to work on getting him healthy again. Kept him barefoot, and you should see him go across these Rocky Mountains! I'm sold. Anyone looking for more info, try Pete's website, "hoofrehab.com" in addition to the one Hoss mentioned. Dr. Bowker's research was really cool, too. He is sponsored by AQHA, and the main bit of info that I got out of it was that the hoof wall does not JUST grow straight down from the Coronary Band, but the cells multiply outward from the capillaries (or something like that). If you think about it, it makes sense. Also, that there is a little "gel-pad" directly below the navicular bone. The condition of the gelpad is influenced by diet, heel height, etc. It really is too technical for me to try to explain, but there is a lot of great info on Pete's site about it. Also lots of info about pea gravel vs. sand. Sorry I'm not better able to share all the info with you! Elli/Liza

Filly and all the others who want the barefoot stuff ck out www.hoof-it.com there are all kinds of new things comeing from them. Steve Samit even worked on an elephant with 1/4 cracks at the Oakland Zoo.There are lots of new things comeing to help the horse and horsemen to help yer farrier. C Ya'll round da barn Hoss69

so I posted early on the subject here.. We recently came across some new shoes ( and I am NOT one to try differant things and gadgets) that are CYTEC shoes.( have to check spelling of those) any farrier heard of them? we put them on some of our competition horses, one is very downhill and no knee action, but with these shoes it seems to picks them up more and seems more balanced. of course the first 3 weeks she had to rebalance herself with them but now is fabolous. they seem to be set back a bit and have more substance . it totally makes them hit even instead of on tiptoes for the ones that have that issue. they seem to carry more weight evenly as well. i am thinking it is working but will post back later after a few months. Everything new takes time to see. I still have my barefooted ones and front only shoed horses but for the ones that need more I am trying these.

At present we have 3 horses. None are shod. My daughter rides her pony on the roads over here in England as most of our hacking out occurs around the country rds. I have a barefoot farrier that visits around every 8 weeks to trim and balance there hooves. We have no problem with any of them. I give them a supplement called formula 4 feet keeps them in good condition. I have never put shoes on any of my horses even the ones i had in Southern Africa.

This is a very contrverseall (hope I spelled it right) subject,please remember that the main reason for shoes is to maintain boney colume allinment not to protect the foot.For those of you who want more from Katheren Watts go to www.safergrass.org, thats her web, very much good research there.Katy just returned from DOWN UNDER, she did 3 months with Dr Chriss Pollit (world wide) the leading researcher in the lamintes feild.There is also some new meds for horses with glucose/insulin inbalance from vally vet It's called de carb works wounders. Ok there my 2cents worth ,remember some horses will be off for a year or more after you try the bare foot stuff DON'T blame yer farrier, but work with him/her.Do your part in the maintanace of this prodject. Ole HOSS

>> Nash and I just attended a 5-day clinic with Pete Ramey, Dr. Robert Bowker, and Kathryn Watts at CSU. When I get a chance, I'll report back on what we learned on laminitis, founder, and navicular. << Elli, lucky you! I would have loved to hear Dr. Bowker and Katy. I attended Pete's clinic in TN in June. Took my horse too! Please report when you can. I have had good success taking my horses barefoot and doing my own trimming. I like how Pete calls boots "shoes". The boot companies are getting pretty innovative too. Thanks for sharing, Kathy

Just wanted to bring this topic back up to the top. Nash and I just attended a 5-day clinic with Pete Ramey, Dr. Robert Bowker, and Kathryn Watts at CSU. When I get a chance, I'll report back on what we learned on laminitis, founder, and navicular. P.S. Nash has been barefoot now since last October, and his hoof walls are hard and strong, and never break off! That was not the case when he wore shoes for 6 years. Some horses may need them, but for Nash, bare is better! Elli

I have both shod and not my horses over the years. My last barrel horse was the only one out of 4 that I kept shod any length of time for obvious reasons. meanwhile I have an ex roping horse that was supposedly diagnosed with high ringbone ( I have yet to get the xrays)and tried corrective shoeing on him for 2 years with no success on his comfort level. I pulled his shoes. He has now been barefoot for 2 years and is rideable 90% of the time or better and I now can do ranch sorting with him. My 25 year old mare has been barefoot since day 1 that I got her over 5 years ago and has no problem on any terrain. In my opinion you have to base your decisions on a horse by horse basis. Some may need it, while others don't. Like hoss69 says. You get what you pay for in a farrier. And believe me, there are MANY so called horse shoers who I wouldn't let trim my toe nails let alone touch one of my animals. When in doubt....ask for references!

Hi I have rode my horses barefoot forever. Can't remember when I have ever put shoes on one of my horses. I keep their feet filed and in good shape but don't work on the frog and very rarely do much on the heel cause they keep them in good shape as long as I am riding them. I ride on all kinds of terrain also. Paved road gravel road mountain trails beach ect. My girls have good feet and that is why I can do this. The way I look at it creator didnt put shoes on them and they have been running all over this earth a long time before we decided we could improve the situation. I keep track of what is going on with their feet if I am riding on pavement a lot but when I have done that it just seems to keep their feet filed for me. I use a farrier and he helps me keep up on any maintenance I need to do. Anyway that is what I have learned about shoes and shoeless horses over the years. Dragonfyre