Improvements in Devices for Horses' Hoofs for Preventing the Striking of one Leg against the other.
Year: 1890

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Devices for Horses' Hoofs for Preventing the
Striking of one Leg against the other.
I, LEWIS S. LEE, of No. 37, South Fourth Street, City of Philadelphia, State
of Pennsylvania, United States of America, Merchant, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
My invention relates to interfering devices for horses; and consists of certain
improvements which are fully set forth in the following Specification, and shown
in the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.
Interfering in horses, or the striking of one leg by the other during motion due
to the horse carrying his legs too closely together, is an evil which many devices
have been designed to overcome. My present inventicu is intended not only to
prevent injury to the horse by preventing the striking of the leg, but also to
effect a cure of the habit, by teaching the animal to carry his legs wider apart
so that interfering will be impossible.
With this object I employ a leg strap for attachment to the leg of the horse,
carrying a laterally projecting striker which projects inwardly towards the inter-
fering leg, and is adapted when the leg is brought so close to the other that it
is in danger of interfering, to strike it gently. This causes the horse to spread
his legs or carry them wider apart in order to avoid the blow.
Interfering devices have been devised in which this striker is free to swing
loosely from the leg strap so as to strike both the interfering leg and the one
carrying the device. This is very objectionable, as it tends to confuse the horse,
since he receives the blow as well when he spreads his legs, as when he carries
them so close as to be in danger of interfering.
In order that the blow given to the horse by the striker or projection shall
not be too severe, or injure the animal, it is necessary that this projection or
striker shall possess a certain amount of flexibility, and to prevent this flexibility
allowing the striker in time to depend or hang down sufficiently to strike the
leg carrying the apparatus, I so construct and support the flexible projection
that it will always assume a substantially lateral position, or one in which it
cannot strike the leg to which it is attached.
I also construct the striker or projection so that it may be tightened to take
up any looseness due to stretching of the leather.
The striker is preferably formed of rubber balls carried by a projecting piece of
leather or raw hide, and my invention includes the means of supporting there
balls upon the piece of leather and relates to certain other improvements in con-
struction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed.
In the drawings
Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view of my improved interfering device.
Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the same on the line a, a, of

page_text: Figure 3 is an end view of the striker or projection.
Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view similar to Figure 2, illustrating a modification
of my invention.
Figure 5 is a sectional horizontal view similar to Figure 1, illustrating another
modification.
A is a leg strap carrying a buckle for attaching the strap to the leg of the horse,
and provided with the usual pads B and C for protecting the leg and holding the
device in place.
In the construction shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4, one portion of the strap A is
secured to the pad B, while the other portion passes through a hole in the pad
and extends out to form a projection D. I prefer to form this projecting
portion D by looping the strap upon itself and securing the free end to the body
of the strap by stitches a as shown in Figure 1. By this means the projecting
portion D is formed double thickness of the leather, so as to be firmer. It also
affords better means for attaching the end ball, as is hereafter more fully set out.
E are a series of balls of rubber, or other suitable material, carried by the
projecting portion D or loop of the strap, and constitute the striker. The balls
are supported upon the projection by means of the end ball, which is secured
thereto. I prefer to form this attachment of the end ball to the projection
within the central hole of the ball in the manner shown in the drawings, so that
the end of the loop or projecting portion does not project through the ball, and
form any objectionable lump or knob which is liable to cut or bruise the skin
of the horse when the projection strikes the leg. This attachment is preferably
accomplished by means of a fastening wire or cord F passed through a transverse
hole e in the ball E within the end of the loop D on the inside of the ball, and
then around the outer surface of the ball and between the two faces of the strap
forming the loop D on the outside of the ball. The free ends are twisted together
and placed between these faces of the strap and are held in place and prevented
from becoming loosened by means of stitches f.
By this construction a very firm fastening is obtained, which is not liable to
become loosened by reason of the use of the interfering device, and the striker is
formed with a smooth end, as shown in Figure 3, without any projecting knob or
lump.
While I prefer the form of striker shown, consisting of the rubber balls E
carried by the loop D it may, if desired, be made in any other convenient manner.
By forming the striker or projection integral with the strap A passing loosely
through the hole & in the pad 13, it will be seen that any stretching of the strap
forming the projection will be taken up by the strap A encircling the leg of the
horse, since this part, being buckled to the leg of the animal, will necessarily draw
upon the free projecting end carried by it, and thus cause it to assume always the
proper lateral position. In order that this projection may be drawn more lightly
to the face of the pad B and held in that position, I form the inner ball G of the
series with a flattened face which rests against the face of the pad. The pad B
thus forms a supporting piece for the projection or striker, and, if desired, it may
be employed for this purpose alone, omitting the soft padding.
The same result may be accomplished by employing a projecting lug or support H
of rubber or other suitable material carried by the pad B immediately under the
ball G so as to support the projection in its lateral position while allowing it to
possess the requisite flexibility. With a construction employing this lug or
support H it is not essential that the projection or striker should be integral with a
portion of the leg strap as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4; and in Figure 5 is disclosed
a construction in which the projection D is secured to the face of the pad B by
means of stitches d and is supported by a lug H.
I are tubular pieces of rubber or other suitably soft material through which the
strap A is passed so as to prevent the strap coming directly in contact with the leg
of the horse and chafing it.

page_text: The mere details of construction here shown may be modified without departing
from the principles of my invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is:-
First. An interfering device for horses consisting of a leg strap for attachment to
the leg of the horse, a supporting piece carried thereby, and a laterally projecting
striker supported by said supporting piece consisting of a series of balls of rubber
or other suitable material of which the one adjacent to the pad is provided with a
flattened surface adapted to rest against the face of the pad to maintain the striker
in a lateral position.
Second. An interfering device for horses consisting of a leg strap and a striking
portion carried thereby consisting of a strap or stem having a ball of rubber or
other suitable material attached to its end, in which the point of attachment of the
strap or stem is within the ball and the end of the strap does not project through it,
whereby a smooth surface is presented on the end of the striker.
Third. An interfering device for horses consisting of a leg strap and a projecting
striker carried thereby formed of a loop of flexible material, and one or more
tubular pieces or balls carried thereby, the loop extending through the central hole
and about a fastening device extending transversely through the central hole
whereby the tubular piece or ball is secured to the loop and the end thereof does
not project through the hole.
Fourth. An interfering device for horses consisting of a leg strap for attachment
to the leg of the horse, a laterally projecting striker carried thereby, and a
supporting piece carried by the leg strap and resting against the inner end of the
striker to maintain it in a laterally projecting position.
Fifth. The combination with a pad or supporting piece, of a leg strap having
one portion attached to the pad or supporting piece and the other portion extending
through a hole in the pad or support and doubled back upon itself to form a loop,
and devices carried by that portion of the loop projecting through the hole to form
a striker, whereby the projecting striker may be tightened to compensate for any
stretching of the strap and will be maintained in a laterally projecting position.
Sixth. The combination with a leg strap for attachment to the leg of a horse, of
a loop D formed of flexible material and projecting therefrom, the balls E carried
by the loop, the fastening wire or cord F extending transversely through the hole
of the ball and on the outside of the ball between the faces of the loop D to fasten
the ball in place.
Seventh. The combination with a leg strap for attachment to the leg of a horse,
of a loop D formed of flexible material and projecting therefrom, the balls E carried
by the loop, the fastening wire or cord F extending transversely through the hole
of the ball and on the outside of the ball between the faces of the loop D to fasten
the ball in place and having its free ends arranged between the faces of the loop
and held in place by stitches f securing the faces of the loop together.
Dated this 27th day of October 1890
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.