A horseshoe nail for nailing a horseshoe to a hoof. The horseshoe nail is made from steel with a carbon weight percentage between 0.18 and 0.25. The horseshoe nail contains a shank with a tip at one end and a widened head at the other end. The head is at least hardened over a part of its length from its free end. The shank is not hardened over its entire or almost entire length from the tip.

A hoof tap device (10) including: a tap bridge (14) providing a back edge (30); and one or more, e.g. a plurality of, tap posts (12) extending from the tap bridge, in a direction away from the back edge, wherein the tap bridge is dimensioned and adapted to protrude from a portion of a horse hoof wall.

A horseshoe (10) comprising a relatively rigid insert (14) operatively connected to a sole (12), the relatively rigid (14) insert typically being made of metal and being generally U-shaped with a front, central portion and a pair of spaced-apart branches extending from opposite ends of the central portion. The sole (12), in certain embodiments, is overmoulded onto the insert (14) and forms a frog for protecting the sole of a hoof and through which loads can be transmitted to a walking surface. The sole (12) comprises central portion having a generally W-shaped lateral cross-section (76) comprising an apex (70) and a valley (74, 76) interposed between the apex (70) and each of the branches. Thus, when a load (82) is applied to the sole (12) of the shoe (10) from above, the apex (70) of the W-cross-sectioned portion (76) of the sole (12) is depressed, and this deflection spreads the sole (12) such that it exerts a radially outward force onto the branches of the metal insert (14), thus widening the shoe (10). This expansion corresponds substantially to the natural expansion of an un-shod hoof under load. The shoe (10) may additionally have a crease (12) comprising a plurality of radially inwardly and radially outwardly displaced notches for positioning nail heads at different radial and circumferential positions. The sole (12) may further comprise a glue/cushioning retaining lip (42).

A horseshoe (10) comprising a relatively rigid insert (14) operatively connected to a sole (12), the relatively rigid (14) insert typically being made of metal and being generally U-shaped with a front, central portion and a pair of spaced-apart branches extending from opposite ends of the central portion. The sole (12), in certain embodiments, is overmoulded onto the insert (14) and forms a frog for protecting the sole of a hoof and through which loads can be transmitted to a walking surface. The sole (12) comprises central portion having a generally W-shaped lateral cross-section (76) comprising an apex (70) and a valley (74, 76) interposed between the apex (70) and each of the branches. Thus, when a load (82) is applied to the sole (12) of the shoe (10) from above, the apex (70) of the W-cross-sectioned portion (76) of the sole (12) is depressed, and this deflection spreads the sole (12) such that it exerts a radially outward force onto the branches of the metal insert (14), thus widening the shoe (10). This expansion corresponds substantially to the natural expansion of an un-shod hoof under load. The shoe (10) may additionally have a crease (12) comprising a plurality of radially inwardly and radially outwardly displaced notches for positioning nail heads at different radial and circumferential positions. The sole (12) may further comprise a glue/cushioning retaining lip (42).

A horseshoe has a toe adjoining to two branches that bend away from the toe and terminate in a heel, an at least partially planar top surface of the adjoined toe and two branches, and an at least partially planar bottom surface of the adjoined toe and two branches. The top surface and bottom surface are angled together such that they are closer in proximity at the heel than the toe.

A horseshoe has a toe adjoining to two branches that bend away from the toe and terminate in a heel, an at least partially planar top surface of the adjoined toe and two branches, and an at least partially planar bottom surface of the adjoined toe and two branches. The top surface and bottom surface are angled together such that they are closer in proximity at the heel than the toe.