Abstract:
Anti-snow and anti-ice protection for horses hooves in which an insert is provided in the horse-shoe and part of the elastically deformable U-shaped insert conforming to and coextensive with the inside edge of a horseshoe and in resilient engagement with the sole of a horse&#39;s hoof is partly clamped between the horse-shoe and the sole of the hoof.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to anti-snow and anti-ice protection for horses hooves. 
     Snow entering between the sole of the hoof and the horse-shoe frequently becomes soggy so that it can freeze to the horse-shoe, which soon leads to lumps forming on the sole of the hoof. These lumps impair the gait of the horse, cause pain, have a detrimental effect on the motion and increase the hazard of slipping and thus of falling. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Horse-shoe inserts are already known. According to one proposal a piece of fabric or leather is attached to the hoof so as to lie within the inner space defined by the horse-shoe. It has further been proposed to releasably clamp to the hoof, by means of a spring bracket, a pocket consisting of leather or plastics material which fills in the inner space of the horse-shoe. Such embodiments are not permanently satisfactory since no actual action of repelling snow and ice is derived from the inserts in the region of the horse-shoe. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the anti-snow and anti-ice protection means of the present invention, part of the insert is partly clamped between the horse-shoe and the sole of the hoof. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     Exemplary embodiments of the subject of the invention are illustrated in the drawing in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a view from the side of the sole of the horsehoof provided with a first anti-snow and anti-ice protection means, 
     FIG. 2 shows, on enlarged scale, a partial cross-section taken along the line II--II of FIG. 1, 
     FIG. 3 shows in cross-section part of the tubular insert of a second embodiment. 
     FIGS. 4 and 5 each show a cross-section of parts of the insert of further embodiments. 
     FIG. 6 is a view from the side of the sole of a fifth embodiment of the hoof provided with the anti-snow and anti-ice protection means, 
     FIG. 7 shows a cross-section along line VII--VII of FIG. 6, 
     FIG. 8 shows a partial cross-section along line VIII--VIII of FIG. 6, 
     FIG. 9 is a view from the side of the sole of a sixth embodiment of the hoof provided with the protection means, 
     FIG. 10 shows a cross-section taken along line X--X of FIG. 9, 
     FIG. 11 is a view from the side of the sole of a seventh embodiment of the hoof provided with the protection means, and 
     FIG. 12 is an illustration in perspective of a portion of the profile of the insert of FIG. 11. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Unlike known embodiments the present anti-snow and anti-ice protection means has no steel spring bracket for mounting to the hoof of the horse. According to FIG. 1 to 4 the insert has a tube 1 made of thermally insulating material and constrained by partial clamping in a groove 7 between the sole 4 of the hoof and the horse-shoe 6. The groove 7 is formed by the somewhat inwardly projecting inside and the ground off portion 6&#39; of the upper inner edge of the horse-shoe. As is shown in FIG. 1 to 3 the tube 1 is provided with a flap 11 of a fabric which tangentially contacts the tube and is firmly bonded thereto by adhesive or other means. As is apparent from FIG. 2 the tube 1 and the flap 11 adhere to the hoof 5. The shorter end portion 12 of the flap 11 protrudes into the interior of the hoof, the longer end portion 12&#39; on the other hand is situated between the sole of the hoof and the horse-shoe and the median section is situated in the region of the groove 7. The insert or the tube 1 and the flap 11 are affixed during the shoeing of the horse. Additionally, the inserted hobnail 13, shown in dot-dash lines in FIG. 2, penetrates through the end portion 12&#39; of the flap 11 present between the horse-shoe 6 and the sole 4 of the hoof. In the deformed state the underside of the cross-sectional portion 1&#39; projecting into the hollow space of the sole 4 lies free and by virtue of its rubber-elastic properties this portion 1&#39; can, when the horse walks, swing upwardly and downwardly and counteract the adhesion of snow and ice. The terminal portion 12 of the flap 11 which projects inwardly relative to the cross-sectional portion 1&#39; also adheres to the sole 4, as is apparent from FIG. 2; when the horse walks this portion 12 can, because of its own weight, assume a slightly inwardly and downwardly inclined attitude and moves upwards and downwards. 
     According to FIG. 4 the tube 1 is additionally provided with a wrapping 8 of fabric or some other thermally insulating material, e.g. fibres, which is particularly advantageous under conditions of severe cold. 
     According to FIG. 5 the insert is replaced by a cord 1a having a solid cross-section 10. The cord 1a may also be provided with a wrapping 8 of woven fabric, as in FIG. 4. The mounting of the cord 1a is analogous to that shown in FIG. 2. 
     With the embodiments of FIG. 1 to 5 the protection means which has been described is left on the hoof of the horse until the horse-shoe is worn-out. 
     The flap 11 of FIGS. 1 to 3 contributes to heat-insulating protective effect against snow and ice. Advantageously the tube 1 of FIG. 4 and the cord 1a of FIG. 5 also possess a flap 11 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. 
     The flap 11 in the deformable region of the cross-sectional portion 1&#39; and its free end portion 12 largely join in the play movements of the tube 1 or the cord 1a and by their upward and downward swinging movements they assist the repulsion of snow and ice during walking. 
     The insert shown in FIGS. 6 to 12 can be fitted to any hoof, i.e. without having to apply the ground off portion 6&#39; (FIG. 2) at the upper inside edge of the horse-shoe 6, since the formation of a groove 7 for mounting the insert is not necessary. 
     This simplification in fitting the insert is attained in that a bulge-like enlarged portion 16 of triangular cross-section 14, FIG. 10, or tubular cross-section 15, FIG. 12, or part-triangular 14 and part-tubular 15 cross-section which intimately contacts the inner edge 6&#39; of the horse-shoe is provided with a tangential, flange-like securing flap 17 intended to engage between the sole 4 of the hoof and the horse-shoe 6. During affixing of the horse-shoe 6 this securing flap 17 is penetrated and clamped by the nails 13 joining the horse-shoe 6 to the hoof 5 so that the insert is secured in its position, notwithstanding any strains. The insert 16, 17 preferably consists of rubber and due to its resiliently deformable properties, by virtue of compression, it is capable of optimally performing the task of repelling snow and ice from the sole of the hoof. 
     The semicircular front portion of the part 16 of the insert of FIG. 6 is of triangular cross-section 14, as can be seen in FIG. 8, while the two rear portions forming the U-legs are of tubular cross-section 15. The part 16 of the insert intimately contacts both the inside 6&#39; of the horse-shoe 6 and that of the sole 4 of the hoof. Due to its elastic deformability it prevents any ingress and freezing of snow and ice between horse-shoe and sole of the hoof, as well as the formation of lumps of ice on the sole. 
     As is apparent from FIG. 9, the insert 16, 17 which is to be secured to the hoof by means of the flange-like flap 17 may have a bulge-like thickened portion 16 having a uniformly triangular cross-section 14, as shown in FIG. 10, along all of the region contacting the inside 6&#39; of the horse-shoe. 
     Alternatively, the insert 16, 17 may have a tubular cross-section as per FIGS. 11 and 12 along all the region contacting the inside 6&#39; of the horse-shoe. 
     Preferably both the triangular section as well as the tubular section have at their outer side a perpendicularly offset surface 15&#39; (FIGS. 10 and 12) intimately adhering to the inside 6&#39; of the horse-shoe and at the inner side a sloping surface 15&#34; forming an obtuse angle with the sole 4 of the hoof, which prevents ice and snow lumps forming on the sole of the hoof. 
     The insert 16, 17 according to embodiments of FIGS. 6, 9 and 11 is of resilient material, preferably rubber. The flange-like securing flap 17 received between horse-shoe 6 and sole 4 of the hoof which is firmly clamped and through which the hobnails 13 pass forms a coherent whole with the profile portion 16 and is provided with a fabric lining 17&#39; (FIG. 12) which forms a reinforcement joining the portion 16 to the flap 17. 
     The resilient insert 16, 17 is adapted to precisely fit the respective shape of the horse-shoe and forms an anti-snow and anti-ice protection insert which is clampingly constrained by the horse-shoe 6 and unshiftably retained by its nails 13.