Abstract: The subject pad is essentially flat, smooth on one side and having protrusions on the other. It is made of elastomeric material and compressive deflection takes place predominantly as deformation of the protrusions. A preferred configuration of protrusions is straight, parallel, equally spaced ribs, the rib cross section shape being a truncated isosceles triangle with the base toward the smooth side. The shoes are trimmed to match horseshoe and hoof contours on installation and conventional fasteners and techniques are used.

Abstract: A heel sock for a horseshoe and formed of a tubular body of yieldable material, such as rubber, neoprene or plastic, such as polyurethane. The body is open at one end and has means at the opposite end for limiting the extend to which the body can be placed on the heel end of a horseshoe. The inner surface of the body will frictionally engage the outer surface of the heel of the horseshoe. A nail can be driven into and through the shoe and into the hoof of the horse. The body can have a projection thereon and integral therewith. In one version, the projection is between the ends of the body and in another version, the projection is near the closed end of the body. The projections give added traction required for muddy or grassy surfaces. In another version of the sock body, the normally lower wall of the body can be wedge-shaped to elevate the heel of the horse in case the hoof surface has been worn or rasped down too much.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for protecting the hooves of a horse from concussive forces are described. A pad manufactured of woven felt is fixedly secured between each of the horse's hooves and a horseshoe. The pad has a size and shape approximating that of the horseshoe, and has a preferred thickness of about 0.125-0.250 inches, a surface density of about 30.0-68.0 ounces/square yard, and a density of about 0.218-0.304 ounces/cubic inch. In a preferred embodiment, the pad is first attached to the horseshoe followed by attachment of the horseshoe and pad to the hoof. Any excess portions of the pad extending beyond the edges of the horseshoe are trimmed off.

Abstract: A resilient pad to be placed between a foot and a shoe of a hoofed animal, the pad including a first plastic polymer having a first durometer, and a second plastic polymer having a second durometer higher than the first durometer is disclosed, wherein when the pad is in position between the foot and the shoe, the first plastic polymer is simutaneously in contact with the second plastic polymer and the shoe, and the second plastic polymer is in contact with the first plastic polymer and free of contact with the foot.

Abstract: A horseshoe liner (1) having a relatively light-weight, soft and flexible liner element (1') which is arranged between the horseshoe (3) and the hoof (2) of a hoofed animal has, on its upper side, between the inner edge of the horseshoe (3) and a rocking edge part (4) projecting into the sole area (5) of the hoof, hollow sections (7) which are capable of elastic shape changes and are adjacent to the inside of the horseshoe. The hollow sections are arranged longitudinally adjacent to one another at distances (8) apart and are capable of absorbing laterally applied pressure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to orthopedic splinting articles and methods for forming orthopedic splints at least part way around an animal body part. The splinting articles comprise a unitary blank formed of an open-celled foam sheet impregnated with a water curable, isocyanate functional, polyurethane prepolymer resin. The blank is dimensioned to extend the length of the body part to be immobilized and to partially, but preferably not completely, extend around the circumference of the body part. Upon activation of the resin impregnated foam sheet and molding the same around the body part, an orthopedic splint is formed. The present invention further relates to the use of such resin-impregnated foam materials as walking heels or laminates betweeen casts and walking heels, as supports for orthotic devices such as arch supports for foot orthotics, and as protective coverings for animal hoofs.

Abstract: The horseshoe comprises a spring and a wear plate. The spring has essentially parallel and flat top and bottom surfaces and is shaped in the outline of a horse's hoof in plan view. It comprises layers parallel to the top and bottom interconnected by spaced apart compression members. For the layers having compression members on both their sides, the compression members on one side are located opposite the spaces between the compression members on the other side. The structure is therefore a multiplicity of small spring elements. The spring material has a modulus of elasticity of approximately 350,000 pounds per square inch, a density of approximately 0.05 pounds per cubic inch and an allowable working stress in the range of 15,000 to 22,000 PSI. The configuration of the spring, in combination with these properties, provides a working deflection in the range of 0.3 to 0.5 inches and a spring rate in the range of 4000 to 6000 pounds per inch.

Abstract: A horseshoe includes a resiliently flexible metal frame which is attached to the outer surface of the hoof by flaps adhered to the surface and is releasably connected by projections to an elastic sole member which is prefabricated in the peripheral shape of the hoof.

Abstract: A flexible, resilient wedge pad for hooved animals, particularly the horse, comprising a semicircular toe portion used in connection with a semicircular half-shoe to attach the pad to the forward rim or toe of the hoof and a heel portion that extends linearly between the quarters and bars of the hoof, covering the frog, and terminating behind the heel, directly below the rearmost part of the heel bulbs. The wedge pad increases in thickness from toe to heel, with the heel being thick enough to elevate the quarters, bars and bulbs and prevent contact thereto with the ground. Groundstriking forces are cushioned and placed upon the frog.

Abstract: A horseshoe made of resilient material having a low modulus of elasticity, low density and an allowable working stress in the range of 15,000 to 22,000 PSI. The configuration of the spring, in combination with these properties, provides a working deflection in the range of 0.3 to 0.5 of an inch under a load of 2000 pounds, i.e. a spring rate of 5000 pounds per inch, and weighing in the range of 8 to 10 ounces. The purpose of the resilience is to relieve shock loads in horses' hooves and, on a corollary basis, improve the performance of the horse. The horseshoe is a single piece having a horseshoe shaped flange to be attached to the horse's hoof, a second horseshoe shaped flange which contacts the terrain and a curved channel interconnecting the two flanges, spaced apart and parallel to each other. Protrusions on the flanges limit deflection of the flanges toward each other to keep the stresses in the spring well within the allowable range.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of and devices for impact and vibration damping and, more particularly, to devices composed of an elastoplastic material including the characteristics of damping, heat and pressure dimensional stability, and moisture non absorbency of a blend of polyolefin and conjugated diene butyl rubber which converts impact shock or vibration energy into thermal energy.

Abstract: The invention is a therapeutic horseshoe (10) including an impact frame (12) for supporting a horse's foot and a cushioned insert (14) for nesting into an insert depression (16) formed in the upper surface (40 ) of the impact frame such that the insert (14) provides force absorption and kinetic energy return to a ringlike portion of the sole of the foot. The lower surface (50) of the impact frame includes a front slope (62) and a rear slope (64) which improve shock impact and step characteristics in the foot and are important in specifically preventing and alleviating symptoms of laminitis and navicular disease in horses. An alternate toe-in, toe-out shoe (80) is adapted for correction of unbalanced hoof conditions. The therapeutic horseshoe (10) and the toe-in, toe-out shoe (80) are ideal for use by horse professionals such as farriers, veterinarians and trainers. The shoes are also usable on healthy horses as a preventive measure against causes of lameness and as a racing speed enhancement.

Abstract: A horse shoe pad is formed of a shock absorbing layer and a stabilizing fabric layer. The shock absorbing layer may be made of a dense non-cellular polyurethane of essentially linear structure containing unsatisfied hydroxyl groups, having a compression set of less than 15%, and preferably less than 5%, an elongation at break of at least 500%, a recovery after compression which is delayed by about 0.7 seconds, and a hardness on the Shore 00 scale of approximately 70. The fabric reinforcing layer may be a woven nylon fabric. In addition to these two layers, some embodiments include an additional layer of stabilizing fabric on the opposite side of the shock absorbing layer and/or layers of polyester urethane forming base and/or top layers.

Abstract: In order to prevent extraneous matter from adhering to hooves, expel any extraneous substances adhering thereto and assist the movement of the animal, a horseshoe-shaped insert body 1 is formed by a bent-over toughly elastic strip of material, the bend forming a tube 2 which contains an air chamber 5 of high resistance to counter-pressure immediately followed by air chamber 5' of low resistance to counter-pressure. The insert body has preliminary cuts 7 which, after being cut open, enable the width to be increased and also reduced. Closures 4 in the tube 2 separate the air chambers 5' of low resistance to counter-pressure which immediately follow them and of which the end parts 6 are open.

Abstract: A horseshoe full pad to be interposed between a metal horseshoe and the hoof is made of an energy absorbing microcellular urethane foam having a tough outer skin. The pad is characterized by having a central layer or sheet which covers and can be trimmed to the hoof. Stabilizer bars and heel shock reducers are molded into the turf side of the pad and rise to about the level of the horseshoe so that they along with the shoe take up and absorb some of the shock. A frog pad may be molded into the hoof side of the pad to further protect and/or stimulate it.

Abstract: Shoes for horses are fabricated from ultra-high molecular weight ethylene polymers having a molecular weight of at least 1 million. Such shoes are light weight, have good wear properties, and are much easier on the horse's feet than metal shoes.

Abstract: This invention relates to horseshoes that are adapted to fit snugly against the bottom of the hoof surface of a horse, which are made of an elastomeric material, such as a synthetic rubber, natural rubber, etc., and have a plurality of discrete or continuous recesses of an elongated shaped designed to accommodate nails on the surface facing the ground. Such elongated recesses may also be used to receive a metal plate or sheet on the bottom thereof, and a desired number of openings may be provided on the metal plate. Also the horseshoes may be formed with a plurality of projections extending upwardly from and around the opposite surface to the surface facing the ground for registering and positioning the horseshoes with respect to the bottom surface of the hoof. The extent of elasticity of the elastomeric material for the horseshoes may be selected at option from a range in terms of JIS A 45 to 98.

Abstract: A horseshoe includes a horseshoe base which corresponds to the actual configuration of a horse's hoof. The base is mounted on the hoof so as to leave a space between a sole of the hoof and an upper surface of the base which faces the sole surface when the base is installed on the hoof. A filler material is filled in the space so as to support the hoof on the base when the latter is installed on the hoof.

Abstract: A cushioned horseshoe with a lightweight, metal plate and a unitary resilient tread bonded to the entire adjacent surface of the plate and molded to form a raised toe calk, cushioned raised heel calks and raised, self-cleaning traction cleats disposed on a unitary resilient base. The shoe is designed for use on turf, fast track or mud track and for use on any one of the horse's hooves. Cushioning is provided directly to the critical heel area of the hoof by providing heel cushion holes in the heel areas of the plate to permit the heel calks to project through the plate and to resiliently engage the horse's hoof while still maintaining a rigid contact between the remainder of the hoof and the plate to permit the plate to be securely nailed to the hoof.