Patent ID: 7204071

Claim:
A protective facemask for horses comprising: a panel of an open mesh material; the panel having an upper edge portion, a lower edge portion, and lateral throatlatch edge portions; the upper edge portion of the panel passing around a horse's forehead below the forelock and above the eyes of a horse when the facemask is worn; the lower edge portion of the panel passing over the upper region of a horse's muzzle at a location forward of a horse's eyes and from this upper region of a horse's muzzle to adjacent a throatlatch region of a horse's throat when the facemask is worn; the panel of open mesh material being the only panel of open mesh material, having no horizontal seams, of the protective facemask and including vertical diamond shaped darts over an eye region of the facemask to space the panel outward from a horses eyelids and eyelashes; an elastic headstall for passing over the poll region of a horse's head adjacent and behind the horse's ears when the facemask is worn; the elastic headstall being without fasteners; the elastic headstall extending between and having first and second ends that are secured to the panel at junctures of the upper edge portion of the panel and the lateral throatlatch edge portions of the panel; an elastic throatlatch for extending from the ends of the elastic headstall under a throatlatch region of a horse's throat when the facemask is worn; the elastic throatlatch being without fasteners; the elastic throatlatch including the throatlatch edge portions of the panel and an elastic throatlatch portion; the elastic throatlatch portion of the elastic throatlatch passing under the throatlatch region of a horse's throat when the facemask is worn and extending between and having first and second ends that are secured to the panel at junctures of the lower edge portion of the panel and the lateral throatlatch edge portions of the panel that, when the facemask is worm, are located adjacent the underside and rear portion of a horses lower jaw; the ends of the elastic headstall being sewn to the panel, at the junctures of the top edge portion and the lateral throatlatch edge portions of the panel, with stitches that are adapted to tear apart under stress so that the facemask separates from a horse should the facemask become caught on something; and the ends of the elastic throatlatch portion of the throatlatch being sewn to the panel, at the junctures of the bottom edge portion and the lateral throatlatch edge portions of the panel, with stitches that are adapted to tear apart under stress so that the facemask separates from a horse should the facemask become caught on something.