DIVIDABLE HORSESHOES

Abstract

Horseshoe comprising two legs connected by a bridge (3), characterized the bridge (3) comprises physical markers (1, 2) provided directly opposite one another in both a support surface (5) and a ground surface (4), wherein said physical markers (I, 2) function as a guide for cutting through the bridge (3) of the horseshoe.

Claims

1-21. (canceled)

22. A shoe configured to be attached to a hoof of a horse, the shoe comprising: a support surface facing the hoof when attached directly thereto; an exposed ground-facing surface facing a ground surface when the support surface is attached to the hoof; a first leg and a second leg, each of the first and second legs having a plurality of holes arranged in a recess on the ground-facing surface; and a bridge; the shoe having a first configuration and a second configuration, the first and second configurations each comprising: the bridge extending along an entire distance between a closest one of the plurality of holes of the first leg and a closest one of the plurality of holes of the second leg to define a width of the bridge, the bridge having a first groove on the support surface and a second groove directly opposite and co-aligned with the first groove on the ground-facing surface, each of the first groove and the second groove extending across the bridge from an outer circumference of the bridge to an inner circumference of the bridge between the two free sides thereof such that the bridge has a reduced thickness between the first and second grooves, wherein a side of the bridge along the inner circumference is free, the first groove and the second groove being in a center of the bridge, the shoe having the first configuration in which the shoe is a single unitary piece having the first and the second grooves, the shoe having the second configuration in which the shoe is unattached to the hoof, the first groove having a depth that is greater than a depth of the second groove, wherein an overall shape of the shoe remains intact in the first configuration and the second configuration, the shoe being rigid in the first and second configurations and being composed of a material including a metal or a polymer or a combination thereof; and the shoe having a third configuration when attached to the hoof, the third configuration in which the bridge is composed of two septate and immediately adjacent halves to permit the lateral and the medial movement of the shoe.

23. The shoe of claim 22, wherein: a segment of maintaining material is defined between respective bottom surfaces of the first and second grooves; and a thickness of the maintaining material is between 25% and 85% of a thickness dimension of the bridge.

24. The shoe of claim 22, wherein when in the second configuration, the first groove defines a depth that is at least 50% of the thickness dimension of the bridge.

25. A dividable horseshoe that is dividable from a one-piece horseshoe into a two-piece horseshoe during a horse shoeing procedure in which the dividable horseshoe is attached to a hoof, the dividable horseshoe comprising: a shoe forward end defined at a forward half of the dividable horseshoe; a shoe rearward end that is opposite the shoe rearward end with the shoe rearward end defined at a rearward half of the dividable horseshoe; a ground-facing surface that faces downwardly toward the ground when the dividable horseshoe is attached to a hoof of a horse; a support surface that faces upwardly away from the ground when the dividable horseshoe is attached to the hoof of the horse; a first leg arranged at a first side of the dividable horseshoe, wherein the first leg: extends along a first curved path from the shoe forward end to the shoe rearward end; and defines a first apex area corresponding to a portion of the first leg in which a first apex position is defined, wherein the first apex position is spaced transversely furthest from a centerline of the dividable horseshoe in a first direction; a second leg arranged at a second side of the dividable horseshoe, wherein the second leg: extends along a second curved path from the shoe forward end to the shoe rearward end; and defines a second apex area corresponding to a portion of the second leg in which a second apex position is defined, wherein the second apex position is spaced transversely furthest from the centerline of the dividable horseshoe in a second direction that is opposite the first direction; a maximum shoe width location of the dividable horseshoe is defined between the first and second apex positions of the first and second legs; a bridge extending between and connected respective forward ends of the first and second legs, wherein the bridge defines: a first bridge segment arranged on a first side of a longitudinal centerline of the dividable horseshoe; a second bridge segment arranged on a second side of the longitudinal centerline of the dividable horseshoe; a segment of maintaining material extending transversely between the first and second bridge segments; wherein during the horse shoeing procedure, the dividable horseshoe defines: a first state in which the dividable horseshoe has a one-piece configuration with the segment of maintaining material connecting the first and second bridge segments to each other; and a second state in which the dividable horseshoe has a two-piece configuration with the segment of maintaining material divided to wholly separate the first and second bridge segments from each other; a first set of nail holes defined by at least four nail holes arranged at the first leg; and a second set of nail holes defined by at least four nail holes arranged at the second leg; wherein the first and second sets of nail holes provide securing positions for securing the dividable horseshoe to the hoof.

26. The dividable horseshoe of claim 25, further comprising: a support groove extending into the support surface so that a bottom of the support groove defines a boundary of the segment of maintaining material.

27. The dividable horseshoe of claim 26, wherein the bottom of the support groove defines an upper boundary of the segment of the maintaining material and the dividable horseshoe further comprises: a ground groove extending into the ground-facing surface so that a bottom of the ground groove defines a lower boundary of the segment of maintaining material.

28. The dividable horseshoe of claim 26, wherein the support groove defines a depth dimension that is deeper than a depth dimension of the ground groove.

29. The dividable horseshoe of claim 26, wherein the segment of maintaining material that is defined between respective bottom surfaces of the support groove and the ground groove defines a thickness of the maintaining material that is between 25% and 85% of a thickness dimension of the bridge.

30. The dividable horseshoe of claim 26, wherein the support groove defines a depth that is at least 50% of the thickness dimension of the bridge.

31. The dividable horseshoe of claim 26, wherein the support groove defines the depth that of at least 50% of the thickness dimension of the bridge: after a deepening of the support groove when the dividable horseshoe is in the one-piece configuration; and before affixing the dividable horseshoe to the hoof during the shoeing procedure.

32. The dividable horseshoe of claim 27, wherein at least one of the support groove and the ground groove defines a flat bottom surface and a squared U-shape cross-sectional profile: after a deepening of the respective at least one of the support groove and the ground groove by cutting or sawing when the dividable horseshoe is in the one-piece configuration; and before affixing the dividable horseshoe to the hoof during the shoeing procedure.

33. The dividable horseshoe of claim 27, wherein the depths of the support and ground grooves together remove up to 75% of a thickness of the bridge.

34. The dividable horseshoe of claim 25, further comprising a third state during the horse shoeing procedure as an intermediate state before the dividable horseshoe defines the two-piece configuration, wherein during the intermediate state: a dimension of the segment of maintaining material is reduced so that less material connects the first and second bridge segments to each other while the dividable horseshoe is in the one-piece configuration.

35. The dividable horseshoe of claim 25, wherein: at the first leg, at least one nail hole of the first set of nail holes is arranged in the first apex area; and at the second leg, at least one nail hole of the second set of nail holes is arranged in the second apex area.

36. The dividable horseshoe of claim 25, wherein: the securing positions are provided at both the forward half and the rearward half of the dividable horseshoe, including: at the first leg, at least one nail hole of the first set of nail holes is arranged in the rearward half of the dividable horseshoe and at least one nail hole of the first set of nail holes is arranged in the first apex area; and at the second leg, at least one nail hole of the second set of nail holes is arranged in the rearward half of the dividable horseshoe and at least one nail hole of the second set of nail holes is arranged in the second apex area.

37. A method of shoeing a horse with a dividable horseshoe that is dividable from: a first configuration as a one-piece horseshoe that includes: a ground-facing surface that faces downwardly toward the ground when the dividable horseshoe is attached to a hoof of a horse; a support surface that faces upwardly away from the ground when the dividable horseshoe is attached to the hoof of the horse, wherein a support groove extends into the support surface; into a second configuration as a two-piece horseshoe during the shoeing procedure, the method comprising: during a single shoeing procedure: performing a preparatory phase when the dividable horseshoe is in the first configuration as a one-piece horseshoe, including: evaluating a shape of a hoof with respect to a shape of the dividable horseshoe when in the first configuration; shaping a bridge of the dividable horseshoe that connects first and second legs of the horseshoe to each other when in the first configuration to reshape the dividable horseshoe based on the evaluation of the shape of the hoof; performing an attachment phase when the dividable horseshoe is in the first configuration as a one-piece horseshoe, including: attaching the dividable horseshoe to the hoof when in the first configuration; performing a dividing phase to convert the dividable horseshoe from the first configuration as a one-piece horseshoe to the second configuration as a two-piece horseshoe, including: dividing the bridge at the support groove to provide first and second horseshoe pieces when the dividable horseshoe is attached to the hoof during the shoeing procedure; and performing a finish phase, including: releasing the hoof to end the shoeing procedure and allow the hoof to move laterally and medially with the first and second horseshoe pieces moving with respect to each other and in unison with respective portions of the hoof

38. The method of claim 37, wherein a segment of maintaining material is defined below the support groove with the segment of maintaining material connecting respective halves of the dividable horseshoe to each other at the bridge and the method further comprises: reducing a dimension of the segment of maintaining material so that less material connects the halves of the dividable horseshoe to each other during the shoeing procedure.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein reducing the dimension of the segment of maintaining material includes deepening the support groove before attaching the dividable horseshoe to the hoof.

40. The method of claim 38, further comprising: forming a ground groove into the ground-facing surface and to define a lower boundary of the segment of maintaining material; and wherein: reducing the dimension of the segment of maintaining material includes deepening the ground groove before attaching the dividable horseshoe to the hoof

41. The method of claim 38, further comprising: forming a ground groove into the ground-facing surface and to define a lower boundary of the segment of maintaining material; and wherein: reducing the dimension of the segment of maintaining material includes: deepening the support groove before attaching the dividable horseshoe to the hoof; and deepening the ground groove before attaching the dividable horseshoe to the hoof.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] With the intention to better indicate the characteristics of the invention, the implementation form of this method is provided below as example, without any restrictive character, with reference to accompanying FIGS. 1 through 4 where:

[0037] FIGS. 1a and 1b: ground surface (4) and support basis (5) horseshoe

[0038] FIG. 1a represents a one-piece horseshoe (10) according to the invention with physical markers (1) applied in the toe section (3) on the ground surface (4)

[0039] FIG. 1b represents a one-piece horseshoe (10) according to the invention with physical markers (2) applied in the toe section (3) on the support basis (5)

[0040] FIGS. 2a and 2b: inner circumference (6) and outer circumference (7) horseshoe

[0041] FIG. 2a reflects the position of the physical markers (1 and 2) in the ground surface (4) and the support basis (5) with the inner circumference (6) of the one-piece horseshoe (10)

[0042] FIG. 2b reflects the position of the physical markers (1 and 2) in the ground surface (4) and the support basis (5) with the outer circumference (7) of the one-piece horseshoe (10)

[0043] FIGS. 3a and 3b: applied one-piece horseshoe (10) front and rear view

[0044] FIG. 3a reflects the position of the one-piece horseshoe (10) applied in the hoof by means of hoof nails, with cut groove (8) in the support basis (5), this cut groove (8) was cut with the reference of the physical markers (2) serving as guide grooves applied in the same support basis (5) as seen from the rear of the hoof

[0045] FIG. 3b reflects the position of the one-piece horseshoe (10) applied in the hoof by means of hoof nails, with cut groove (8) in the support basis (5), this cut groove (8) was cut with the reference of the physical markers (2) serving as guide grooves applied in the same support basis (5) as seen from the front of the hoof

[0046] FIGS. 4a and 4b: applied two-piece horseshoe (11) front and rear view

[0047] FIG. 4a reflects the position of a two-piece horseshoe (11) on the hoof that originates after the horseshoe has been cut through, with the reference of the physical marker (1), serving as guide groove (9) applied in the same ground surface (4) as seen from the rear of the hoof

[0048] FIG. 4b reflects the position of a two-piece horseshoe (11) on the hoof that originates after the horseshoe has been cut through, with the reference of the physical marker (1), serving as guide groove (9) applied in the same ground surface (4) as seen from the front of the hoof

GENERAL LEGEND OF FIGURES

[0049] 1=physical marker in the ground surface [0050] 2=physical marker in the support basis [0051] 3=toe section of horseshoe [0052] 4=ground surface of horseshoe [0053] 5=support basis of horseshoe [0054] 6=inner circumference of horseshoe [0055] 7=outer circumference of horseshoe [0056] 8=cut marker 2 [0057] 9=marker 1 cut through [0058] 10=one-piece horseshoe [0059] 11=two-piece horseshoe

[0060] FIG. 1 represents a horseshoe according to the present invention, the horseshoe comprising two legs connected by a bridge 3, the bridge 3 comprising physical markers 1 and 2 provided directly opposite one another in both a support surface 5 i.e. the surface of the horseshoe facing the hoof when in use and on the ground surface 4 facing away from the hoof when in use, wherein said physical markers 1, 2 function as a guide between an outer circumference of the bridge and an inner circumference of the bridge, for cutting through the bridge 3 of the horseshoe.

[0061] The horseshoe can be manufactured in amongst others, metal, steel, aluminium, titanium, cupper, plastic or an admixture thereof.

[0062] Preferably the physical markers 1 and 2 comprise a groove as depicted in FIG. 2. Alternatively a line can be used as physical marker on either the ground surface 4 and/or the support surface 5.

[0063] The physical marker 1, 2, here a groove preferably extends over the entire width of the concerning bridge 3 surface from an outer circumference 7 of the bridge and an inner circumference 6 of the bridge.

[0064] In case the physical marker is executed as a groove, it is important that the remaining material section of the bridge in the section of the physical marker provides sufficient strength and rigidity to the horseshoe such that during fitting the horseshoe does not break and yet remains it adapted form allowing easy fixation of the horseshoe on the concerning hoof.

[0065] The depth of the physical marker groove 1 in the ground surface 4 of the bridge is therefore preferably maximally about 60% of the thickness of the bridge 3 of the horseshoe, whereas the depth of the physical marker groove 2 in the support surface 5 of the bridge 3 is preferably maximally about 15% of the thickness of the bridge 3 or vice versa.

[0066] The horseshoe according to the invention can be easily fitted and attached to a hoof of an ungulate by the following method according to the invention, the method comprising the steps of: [0067] a. Fitting the horseshoe to a hoof and potentially adapting the horseshoe shape to the concerning hoof; [0068] b. Attaching the horseshoe to the hoof; [0069] c. Dividing the horseshoe in two parts by cutting through or sawing through the bridge 3 along the physical marker f in the ground surface 4 of the horseshoe.

[0070] Preferably, the method comprises the additional step a) of making a physical groove 8 or deepening the groove in the support surface 5 of the horseshoe using the physical marker 2 as a guide in between steps a) and b).

[0071] By applying this additional step a) after step a) wherein a certain rigidity of the horseshoe is required to avoid breaking thereof during fitting, the cutting through or sawing through of the bridge 3 after attaching the horseshoe on a hoof is made easier (FIG. 3) and hurting the animal or damaging the hoof can be avoided as the distance from the maintaining material to the hoof is enlarged.

[0072] As represented in FIG. 4, when completing the method according to the present invention, a horseshoe is obtained that is fixed to a hoof and comprises two separate parts divided by a cutting or sawing line 9. As such the horseshoe provides a solution to the abovementioned issues regarding the lateral and medial fixation of the foot, the hoof mechanism, the resilience of the hoof, the high degree of difficulty of the fabrication and the application of the pre-designed horseshoes to keep the hoof mechanism and the cushioning of the hoof as intact as possible.

[0073] Another advantage of the horseshoe and method for application thereof according to the present invention is that for a farrier this method hardly or even not comprises more effort for the farrier than when applying a traditional horseshoe that remains in one piece after application.

[0074] The farrier can fit the horseshoe as with traditional horseshoes, this can be done both warm and cold depending on the farriers' preference or the relevant horseshoe.

[0075] When the horseshoe is fitted using the traditional method, the farrier deepens the physical marking located in the support surface of the horseshoe, serving as guide grooves, until approximately 60% of the thickness of the horseshoe is as such that the shape of the appropriate horseshoe remains intact, but only a minimal of material is present between the grooves 1 and 8 in the bridge (FIG. 3).

[0076] After this operation, the horseshoe is further attached and finished on the hoof with the traditional method by means of hoof nails.

[0077] After the horseshoe is applied and finished traditionally, the farrier will cut the physical marker in the surface of the horseshoe, serving as guide grooves, the remaining thickness of the horseshoe, changing the horseshoe from a single element into a horseshoe made of two elements, which in turn can follow the lateral and media changes in the hoof, individually.

[0078] Reducing the fixation of the horseshoe to a minimum, results in a better operation of the hoof mechanism. This ensures that the blood circulation is better stimulated than with the usual traditional horseshoe.

[0079] Reducing the fixation of the horseshoe to a minimum ensures a better operation of the hoof mechanism, creating the pump effect in the hooves which encourages the blood circulation and has a supporting effect on the general blood circulation in the horse's body.

[0080] Reducing the fixation of the horseshoe to a minimum ensures a better operation of the hoof mechanism which, through the stimulation of good blood circulation, ensures a good supply and discharge of oxygen, nutrition and waste which benefits the performance, recovery and good hoof quality of the hooves.

[0081] Reducing the fixation of the horseshoe to a minimum enables the hoof to change shape and to be become wider on the ground when it is stressed and compressed between the weight of the horse and the surface over which the horse is moving, resulting in proper cushioning in the hooves and the legs of the horse.