Patent Publication Number: US-2017347621-A1

Title: Horse mattresses and related methods of use

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This document relates to horse bedding. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Bedding options for a horse stall includes loose material, such as hay or wood shavings, and permanent matting spanning the lateral dimensions of the horse stall. Loose material provides sufficient cushion and comfort to the horse, and is mucked out at regular intervals to remove soiled material and avoid pest infestation. Permanent matting provides a cushioned, water proof surface. 
     SUMMARY 
     Portable, washable, low-maintenance, cushioned mattresses for horses are disclosed in one case. 
     A horse mattress comprising: a hollow body formed by a top bedding layer and a ground contacting base layer connected together to define an internal chamber, the top bedding layer being water resistant and sized to accommodate a horse; loose fill material within the internal chamber; a fill opening defined by the hollow body for adding and removing loose fill material to and from the internal chamber; and a reversible closure part for opening and closing the fill opening. 
     A method is disclosed comprising: supplying loose fill material into an internal chamber of a hollow body through a fill opening defined by the hollow body, the hollow body being water resistant; reversibly closing the fill opening; and placing the hollow body on a ground surface in a horse stall to provide a bed for a horse. 
     A horse mattress is disclosed that is made of one or more water resistant panels, each filled with loose wood shavings. A horse mattress or bed may be made of one or more water resistant panels, each filled with hay. Two or more adjacent panels may be connected together by straps to make a larger mattress. A removable cover may overlie one or more panels. 
     A horse mattress is disclosed that has panels, each panel having vertical side walls, with adjacent panels being joined by tensioning devices, with the vertical side walls including flat fasteners, thus allowing the vertical side walls of abutting panels to be pulled together to join panels while permitting the vertical side walls to secure a cover when the vertical side walls are on the outside of the mats. 
     In various embodiments, there may be included any one or more of the following features: The loose fill material comprises hay. The loose fill material comprises one or more of wood shavings, wood chips, and shredded newspaper. The hollow body forms a flexible structure adapted to one or more of fold and roll up into a compact stowed position when the fill material is emptied from the internal chamber. The internal chamber comprises plural internal chambers separated by a divider wall, with each of the plural internal chambers containing loose fill material. The fill opening extends across the plural internal chambers. The top bedding layer forms a continuous horizontal upper surface that overlies adjacent of the plural internal chambers and crosses the divider wall in a direction transverse the divider wall. The hollow body comprises plural sidewalls separating the top bedding surface and the ground contacting base layer, with the fill opening extending longitudinally along one or more of the plural sidewalls. The reversible closure part comprises one or more of a zipper, a flap, and a lace closure. The top bedding layer displays a beige or brown color. A shakeout strap connected to an external part of the hollow body. The shakeout strap comprises a pair of shakeout straps located at respective corners of the hollow body. The shakeout strap comprises an eyelet defining an opening smaller than a horse&#39;s hoof. The hollow body comprises ballistic nylon. The top bedding layer defines a length of at least six feet, and a width of at least six feet. A horse mattress is deployed in a horse stall located in a barn, a trailer, or a shelter. Loose fill material rests on top of the top bedding layer. Reversibly opening the fill opening; replacing the loose fill material in the interior chamber with more loose fill material; and reversibly closing the fill opening. Hanging the hollow body on a wall; cleaning the hollow body with water; and returning the hollow body back to the ground surface in the horse stall. Emptying the loose fill material from the internal chamber; and folding, rolling up, or folding and rolling up the hollow body into a stowed position. 
     These and other aspects of the device and method are set out in the claims, which are incorporated here by reference. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       Embodiments will now be described with reference to the figures, in which like reference characters denote like elements, by way of example, and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a horse mattress in use by a horse and positioned within a horse stall. 
         FIG. 1A  is a section view of taken along the section lines  1 A- 1 A, in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the horse mattress depicted in  FIG. 1  with a divider wall shown in dashed lines, and incorporating a zipper closure mechanism. 
         FIG. 2A  is a side elevation view of a part of a horse mattress that incorporates a lace closure mechanism. 
         FIG. 3A  is a side elevation view of the horse mattress depicted in  FIG. 1  shown in a folded stowed position. 
         FIG. 3B  is a side elevation view of the horse mattress depicted in  FIG. 1  shown in a rolled stowed position. 
         FIG. 4  is a side elevation view of a further embodiment of a horse mattress formed by plural panels secured together via a fastening device. 
         FIG. 5  is a top plan view of a horse mattress formed by plural panels and shown with detachable covers fastened over the top surface of the mattress. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Immaterial modifications may be made to the embodiments described here without departing from what is covered by the claims. 
     A horse stall is a temporary or permanent enclosure to house a horse for a period of time. A horse stall may have a roof, side walls and a gate for the horse to enter and exit. A stall may include bedding for the horse to lie down in and sleep upon. Such bedding may be made from hay or wood shavings that are changed or mucked regularly to maintain sanitary conditions for the horse. Loose bedding requires a suitable disposal area to dispose of the soiled bedding to avoid attracting unwanted insects or other pests into the horse stall or barn. Supplying, maintaining, replacing, and removing loose material can be a labor intensive task for a horse owner. 
     In some cases permanent matting may be used in addition to or instead of loose bedding material. Such matting is made from soft foam mats that are lined on the stall floor surface to provide heat insulation and comfort for the horse. Such matting may temporarily alleviate some of the labor of dealing with loose bedding but is expensive and complex to install, and still requires that the stall be mucked regularly to clean soiled areas of the matting. Eventually, even permanent matting must be changed out. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a horse mattress  10  is illustrated having a hollow body  12  formed by a top bedding layer  14  and a ground contacting base layer  16 . The top bedding layer  14  may be water resistant, for example water proof. Layer  14  may be UV resistant. Base layer  16  and other parts of hollow body  12  may be water resistant or water proof. Horse mattress  10  may be deployed in a horse stall  46 , such as is located in a barn, a trailer, or a shelter. Horse mattress  10  may also be deployed in a turnout area, paddock or pasture. Hollow body  12  may be formed by a suitable method such as by sewing the top layer  14  and bottom layer  16  together, for example to adopt the shape of a relatively flat bag or envelope. For example, as shown in  FIG. 1A , the perimeter edges of the top bedding layer  14  and base layer  16  converge and are connected together along cooperating flanges  17  to give hollow body  12  a bag or envelope shape. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1A , the top bedding layer  14  and the ground contacting base layer  16  may be connected together to define an internal chamber  18 . Referring to  FIG. 2 , hollow body  12  may comprise plural sidewalls  13  as part of layers  14  and/or  16  or as separate parts connected to layers  14  and  16 . Sidewalls  13  may include a suitable number and shape of walls such as a front wall  13 A, left wall  13 B, right wall  13 C and rear wall  13 D. Sidewalls  13  may separate the top bedding surface or layer  14  and the ground contacting base layer  16  to define the chamber  18 . Referring to  FIG. 1A , the internal chamber  18  may be filled partially or fully with a loose fill material  20 , for example filled to a sufficient extent to form a supportive and cushioned core for a horse to sit or lie upon. Loose fill material  20  may comprise suitable material such as hay  22 , wood shavings, wood chips, shredded newspaper, recycled material, or a combination of plural material types. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , hollow body  12  may define a fill opening  24  for adding and removing loose fill material  20  to and from the internal chamber  18 . Fill opening  24  may be located at a suitable location onto the body  12 , for example along the front wall  13 A. Fill opening  24  may comprise a reversible closure part  26  for opening and closing the fill opening  24 . A reversible closure part  26  may be designed to permit a user, such a farm hand, to manually open and close the fill opening  24  in a convenient, repeatable manner, without damaging the mattress. Various degrees of reversibility may be achieved by part  26 , such as from a) a degree where the part  26  may be operated by hands only without tools and in some cases without complex movements, with an example of type a) being the case of a zipper or hook and loop fastener, to b) a degree where it is inconvenient to manually operate the part  26 , for example in the case of a lace closure, or a wingnut and bolt combination, or where simple tools are required such as a key to unlock a padlock. Parts  26  may exclude closure mechanisms the opening of which would damage the mattress, for example welds, bonds, stitches, staples, nails, and adhesives. 
     A suitable reversible lock or closure part  26  may comprise one or more of a zipper ( FIG. 2 ), a flap  28  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ), or lace closure  30  ( FIG. 2A ). Other suitable closure parts may be used such as hook and loop fasteners (not shown). Fill opening  24  may extend longitudinally along a part or the entirety of one or more of the plural sidewalls  13 , for example along a substantial part of the length of side wall  13 A as shown. In another case the fill opening  24  may be located on one of the layers  14  and  16 . Plural openings  24  may be used, such as on respective side walls  13  of the hollow body  12 , or for accessing respective internal chambers  18  of the body  12 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the zipper may comprise a coil zipper made of spiral elements such as nylon elements. A zipper, also known as a zip, fly or zip fastener, or clasp locker, may comprise parallel rows of zipper teeth  26 A with one or more zipper sliders  26 B mounted to interlock and spread the zipper teeth  26 A in use. Zipper sliders  26 B may be slid together to a position near the center of the row of zipper teeth  26 A when the teeth are in the closed position. However, in the example shown the sliders  26 B are free to meet at any point along the longitudinal length of the rows of teeth  26 A. The sliders  26 B may be slid to respective positions near the opposed edges of the fill opening  24  when the teeth are in the open position. A pair of sliders  26 B on the same tracks of teeth  26 A may be advantageous for selectively accessing a single compartment or chamber  18 A or  18 B of the internal chamber  18  as discussed in further detail below. Other suitable types of zippers may be used, such as invisible zippers, reverse coil zippers, metal zippers, plastic-molded zippers, open-ended zippers, and two way open-ended zippers. In one mattress  10  tested, a #10 Coil YKK™ zipper was used—the largest standard size made by YKK, with a zipper pull # PU-C10 or PUC10. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , flap  28  may be provided as an independent reversible closure part  26 , or may cooperate with another reversible closure part such as a zipper to limit exposure of the fill opening when closed. The flap  28  may connect to the hollow body  12  in a suitable fashion. In one case, a top edge  28 B of the flap  28  may be connected to the mattress, for example sewn longitudinally along the side wall  13 A of the mattress adjacent the top layer  14 . Side edges  28 A of the flap  28  may be connected to the side wall  13 A of the mattress adjacent the side walls  13 A and  13 C. A base edge  28 C of the flap  28  may loosely rest upon and otherwise be left not connected to the side wall  13 A to allow access to the fill opening  24  by lifting or pulling the flap away from the side wall  13 A. In some cases the side edges  28 A and/or top edge  28 B may not be connected to the hollow body  12 . In some cases flap  28  seals the fill material in the internal chamber  18  without the use of a zipper or other closure part  26 . In some cases the flap  28  is installed on an internal surface of the hollow body  12 , such as in internal chamber  18 , and in some cases there are respective flaps on the external and internal surfaces of the hollow body. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2A , lace closure  30  may comprise one or more ties or laces  32  with a corresponding part to secure the laces, for example a series of aligned eyelets, such as defined by grommets  34  along the longitudinal length of the fill opening  24 . Laces  32  may weave through grommets  34  to provide a mesh that, upon tightening, seals fill opening  24 . Laces  32  may also be used in a non-mesh arrangement, such as a drawstring mounted in a corresponding channel encircling the fill opening  24  for constricting and expanding the opening  24  by tightening and loosening, respectively the laces  32 . Lace closure  30  may also be used in combination with flap  28  as described above or with other reversible closure parts  26 . Laces  32  may comprise of a material with high tensile strength, such as synthetic nylon. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2, 3A and 3B , horse mattress  10  may be structured to adopt a deployed position when the internal chamber  18  is filled with fill material  20  and a compact stowed position when the chamber  18  is emptied, either wholly or partially. For example, hollow body  12  forms a flexible structure adapted to fold ( FIG. 3A ), roll up ( FIG. 3B ), or both, into the stowed position when the fill material  20  is emptied from the internal chamber  18 . The stowed position may facilitate the movement, transport, and storage of the horse mattress  10 . The interconversion between a deployed and stowed position may be advantageous for traveling to a remote site, such as a competition or show. For example, horse mattress  10  may be initially filled and placed in a deployed position within a stall occupied by the horse. When a user desires to transport the horse to the remote location, the mattress  10  may be emptied and rolled into a stowed position and transported to the remote location, for example to a stall at or near a competition site. Once at the remote stall the mattress  10  may be filled and deployed. In another case mattress  10  may remain filled and be deployed in a trailer for use by the horse during transit within the trailer or another suitable transport vehicle. Once the horse and bedding arrive at the remote site, the bedding may be stowed or deployed for use by the horse in a stall. The mattress  10  may be stowed or deployed during transport back to the initial stall, and upon return may be once again deployed in the initial stall. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , internal chamber  18  may comprise plural internal chambers  18 A,  18 B that may be separated by a divider wall  19 , such as a central baffle. Divider wall  19  may extend from the rear wall  13 D to at or near the fill opening  24  (near placement being shown in  FIG. 2 ). The rear end  19 B of the wall  19  may be connected to the rear wall  13 D of the body  12 . The front edge or end  19 A of the wall  19  may form a free end or may be connected to another of walls  13 , such as front wall  13 A. Each of the plural internal chambers  18 A,  18 B may contain loose fill material. Divider wall  19  may provide a separation in internal chamber  18  to help prevent fill material  20  from aggregating on one part or side of mattress  10 . The fill opening  24  may extend across the plural internal chambers  18 A,  18 B, permitting simultaneous access to both chambers via the fill opening  24 . Referring to  FIG. 1A , top bedding layer  14  may form a continuous surface, such as a continuous horizontal upper surface, overlying adjacent of the plural internal chambers  18 A,  18 B. Thus, as shown the continuous horizontal topography proceeds from one part of layer  14  above chamber  18 B across the wall  19  in a direction  40  transverse the divider wall  19 , and over top of chamber  18 A, to avoid dips or crevasses that may trip up the horse. In one mattress  10  that was tested, the wall  19  had a 2 mm foam sandwich mesh polyester/nylon tricot cover on one side, a heavy nylon mesh on the other side, with a filament mesh in between. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , horse mattress  10  may comprise a shakeout strap or straps  36  connected to an external part, such as sidewalls  13 , of the hollow body  12 . Shakeout strap  36  may provide a handle for the user to lift the body  12  to shake the body  12  to uniformly distribute any fill material that has aggregated unevenly within the chamber  18 . Strap  36  may also permit the body  12  to be lifted off of the ground to empty the fill contents of the inner chamber  18  through the fill opening  24 . Shakeout strap  36  may comprise a strip of material with a free end, such as a belt, tongue, or ribbon to prevent the horse from getting caught on mattress  10  by stepping into a strap with a loop or ring. Shakeout strap  36  may comprise a plurality of shakeout straps, for example located at respective adjacent or opposed corners of the hollow body for easier handling. 
     Shakeout strap  36  may facilitate the cleaning or emptying of the mattress  10 . For example, strap  36  may comprise a hanging mechanism such as an eyelet, for example defined by a grommet  38 , that may be used to hang horse mattress  10  off the ground. For example, the grommet  38  is hung on a hook  42  on the wall  43  of the stall  46  in one case. Water, such as a spray of water  44  from a hose (not shown) may be used to clean the mattress  10 , with or without the aid of cleaning agent such as soap. Grommet  38  may define an opening smaller than, for example less than ⅓ the base area of, a horse&#39;s hoof to prevent the horse from getting caught or tripping on the eyelet. An eyelet or hanging mechanism may be provided elsewhere on the mattress  10  for hanging the mattress  10 , for example a hook, loop, or eyelet on the base layer  16  (not shown) away from access by the horse. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , hollow body  12  or part of it may be one or more of scratch, puncture, and tear resistant, in some cases tough enough to be walked on by a horse with horse shoes. Layer  14  may comprise a suitable ballistic nylon, such as a fabric made with a ballistic weave. For example, a 1680 denier coated ballistic nylon fabric was used in a horse mattress  10  that was tested. Ballistic nylon is a thick, tough, synthetic nylon fabric. Ballistic nylon may be woven from nylon yarns of various denier such as 840 denier and 1680 denier. Denier refers to the weight, not the strength, of the fabric. A double weave 1050 denier fabric may be the strongest and most durable of such fabrics for its denier weight level. However, the 1680 denier has a strength to the 1050 but lighter weight and resists abrasion and tearing. Some varieties of ballistic nylon have a 2×2, 2×3, or other basket weave and provide a rough fabric surface for the horse to step on without risking damage to mattress  10 . In one mattress  10  that was tested, layer  14  had a nominal fabric thickness of 0.020 inches (0.5 mm) and a nominal fabric weight of 10.7 oz. per sq. yard. 
     Layer  14  may comprise a biopolymer, such as OSMO™ Elite waterproof biopolymer or a comparable biopolymer light weight fabric. Bedding layer  14  may comprise a polyurethane inner surface and a water repellent or water proof outer surface or finish. A polymer finish, such as a hydrophobic polymer finish, may provide horse mattress  10  with stain repellency and ease of cleaning. Denier ratings of 800-2000 may be used, as well as other ranges of density. Referring to  FIG. 1 , base layer  16  may comprise a heavy duty material such as 500 denier CORDURA™ nylon fabric, which may provide a natural spun-like appearance, with resistance to fading, abrasion, rot and mildew. Base layer  16  may comprise a biopolymer, such as DUPONT™ SORONA™ biopolymer, or hypalon. In one mattress that was tested, layer  16  had approximately 0.75-1.0 oz/sq. yd. clear urethane coating, with a nominal fabric weight of 8 oz. per sq. yard, and a nominal fabric width of 59-60 inches (150-152 cm). 
     Individual parts of hollow body  12  or hollow body  12  as a whole may comprise a suitable coating or composition that provides a water resistant/proof characteristic, for example rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane, and silicone elastomers. Stitching of hollow body may be applied such as to be visible only from the interior, for example by sewing the layers  14  and  16  together and then turning the structure inside out to provide hollow body  12 , to reduce horse access to stitching, and to reduce exposure to liquids. Stitching may comprise heavy duty thread and may be reinforced by BEMIS™ seam tape. In one mattress  10  that was tested, thread comprised 10 oz. CONES™ STRONGBOND™ 40 bonded nylon thread, with a needle of jeans 100/18. 
     The layer  14  may be sized to accommodate a horse  47 . For example, the layer  14  may be sized to accommodate the length of the horse when resting or lying on the layer  14 . Top bedding layer may define a length of at least six feet, and a width of at least six feet. An example sizing chart is shown in Table 1 below. In some cases when full the mattress  10  may define a depth or height of 6 inches. Other sizes and dimensions may be suitable to accommodate a horse, such as larger or smaller sizes. Mattress  10  may provide a single, continuous unit without modules or plural, discreet panels. Such a mattress  10  may provide a continuous horizontal surface without bumps, divots, crevasses, or seams, to minimize the risk of tripping or disturbing the gait of the horse. In other cases a plurality of mattresses  10  may be used to expand the bedding area for larger horses. 
     
       
         
           
               
             
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
             
            
               
                   
               
               
                 Example sizing chart 
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                   
                 Mattress Dimension 
                 Approx. Horse 
               
               
                   
                 Size 
                 (length × height × depth) 
                 Height 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
           
               
               
               
               
               
            
               
                   
                 Extra Small 
                 6′ × 2′ × 8″ 
                 6-10 
                 HH 
               
               
                   
                 Small 
                 6′ × 4′ × 8″ 
                 11-14 
                 HH 
               
               
                   
                 Medium 
                 6′ × 6′ × 8″ 
                 15-16 
                 HH 
               
               
                   
                 Large 
                 6′ × 8′ × 8″ 
                 16-17.5 
                 HH 
               
               
                   
                 Extra Large 
                 6′ × 10′ × 8″ 
                 18 
                 HH Plus 
               
               
                   
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , horse mattress  10  may be configured to facilitate introduction to the horse  47 . For example, loose fill material  20  may be at least initially placed on top of the top bedding layer  14  to camouflage the mattress  10 . Top bedding layer  14  may display a beige or brown color, simulating an outdoor or stall environment that the horse is accustomed to. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2  the use of the mattress  10  may reduce, relative to conventional stall bedding, one or more of the demands of maintenance, material, capital cost, disposal and expense of providing a safe, comfortable, and sanitary living environment for a horse. Loose fill material contained within the mattress  10  may be protected from contamination by horse excrement, urine, external elements, and pests, thus prolonging the use of the loose fill material as a supportive core, and reducing the need and expense to replace the loose fill material. Further synergy may be achieved when the horse mattress  10  is stuffed with the same loose fill material already in use as stall bedding, such as hay or wood shavings, as the mattress  10  prolongs the life and reduces maintenance of such bedding. The exterior of the mattress  10  may be cleaned when necessary. A further discovery that was made is that the horse will typically avoid soiling (defecating or urinating) on the mattress  10 , thus reducing the demands of cleaning the mattress  10  from what was initially expected. Instead, the horse will typically choose to defecate or urinate in the other parts of the stall not covered by the mattress  10 , reducing the total area that must be regularly cleaned in the stall. The loose fill material in the mattress may be periodically replaced as needed, for example to provide a fresh core of fill and to avoid a buildup of mold or deterioration of the loose fill material in the mattress  10  over time. The mattresses  10  disclosed here may reduce the demand for stall bedding by up to 75%, thus paying for itself within a short period of time such as a year or two. The mattress  10  may also relieve joint pain through cushioning. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4  an embodiment of horse mattress  10  is depicted being formed by plural panels  50 A and  50 B (hollow bodies). Plural panels may collectively extend the size of mattress  10  to accommodate horses of varying sizes. Plural panels may be constructed of strong durable water resistant or water proof material. Plural panels  50 A and  50 B may be secured to one another via fastening devices  52 , for example 1″ nylon straps  52 , to make a larger bed. Fastening devices  52  may be secured on side walls, such as vertical side walls  54 , or other suitable locations on each panel. Fastening device  52  may be fastened together via a coupling mechanism, such as a D-ring or quick release buckle  52 A. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , a horse mattress  10  formed by a series of plural panels  50 A-E is depicted. Plural panels  50 A-E may be secured to one another via a suitable fastening device  52  such as is discussed above. Plural panels may comprise flat fasteners  56 , such as cooperating hook and loop strips or touch fasteners, connected to vertical side walls  54 . Flat fasteners  56  may allow the vertical side walls  54  of abutting panels to be pulled together to form a uniform, flush, and continuous horizontal bedding surface between adjacent panels  50 . Horse mattress  10  may comprise a removable, in some cases water proof, cover  58 A,  58 B to limit exposure of the underlying mattress  10  to dirt, excrement and damage. Removable cover  58 A overlies a single panel  50 A in one case. In another case removable cover  58 B overlies a plurality of panels such as panels  50 B,  50 C,  50 D,  50 E. The removable covers  58 A or  58 B may mount to the panels  50 A-E via a suitable fastener such as a plurality of cooperating hook and loop fasteners  60 , for example with one of the hook or loop part located on the upper bedding layer  14  of each panel, and the other part located on the removable cover  58 A,  58 B. Removable cover  58 A,  58 B may have suitable fasteners, such as hook and loop fasteners (not shown) that mate with fasteners  56  on vertical side walls  54  to secure the cover  58 A,  58 B when the vertical side walls  54  are on the outside of the mattress  10 . 
     In some cases non-degradable or degradable loose fill material may be used. In some cases a solid core may be used, such as a polymeric or foam core. A mattress may have the shape of a relatively flat or thin pad, for example forming opposed top and base platforms separated by a relatively thin encircling or perimeter edge. Layers  14 ,  16 , and sidewalls  13  may or may not be made of the same material. Layers  14  and  16  may be made of fabric sheets. Breathability of materials may be reduced, minimized, or altogether avoided to prevent or restrict premature fouling of the loose fill material, particularly if the fill material is bio-degradable. Loose fill material includes a body of material made up numerous small, loosely distributed, objects (such as hay), and includes particulates. Horse mattresses  10  disclosed herein may be used with other livestock such as donkeys, cattle, and llamas. 
     In the claims, the word “comprising” is used in its inclusive sense and does not exclude other elements being present. The indefinite articles “a” and “an” before a claim feature do not exclude more than one of the feature being present. Each one of the individual features described here may be used in one or more embodiments and is not, by virtue only of being described here, to be construed as essential to all embodiments as defined by the claims.