AU2006100740A4

AU2006100740A4 - Equine Protective Boot

Info

Publication number: AU2006100740A4
Application number: AU2006100740A
Authority: AU
Inventors: David Duncan Macdonald
Original assignee: Macram Pty Ltd
Current assignee: EasyCare Inc
Priority date: 2006-08-30
Filing date: 2006-08-30
Publication date: 2006-10-05
Anticipated expiration: 2014-08-30
Also published as: WO2008025065A1

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Invention Title: EQUINE PROTECTIVE BOOT The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: EQUINE PROTECTIVE BOOT FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to equine protective boots which are used as removable boots for hooves of horses.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A prior art equine protective boot has been earlier disclosed, by the present inventor, in his own International Patent Application No. PCT/AU99/00800, having International Publication Number WO 00/16614 (the earlier invention) The drawings from International Patent Application No. PCT/AU99/00800, which are discussed below, are incorporated herein by reference for the purpose of discussing that earlier prior art invention. The reference numerals of the drawings of the earlier invention are referred to herein in brackets.

The earlier invention had a compressive cover (19) that substantially surrounded the entire boot. The compressive cover (19) was able to be attached, by Velcro, to an inner side-wall structure that generally covered the hoof of the horse (as defined in Figure 1 of the present specification).

In the earlier invention in WO 00/16614, a first securing strap (24) surrounded the exterior of a compressive cover (19).

At the lower part of the boot, the first securing strap 24 compressed the lower part of the compressive cover (19) against the lower part of the side flaps (17) of the boot which, in turn, were pressed against the lower part of the hoof-wall IA of the horse's hoof.

Although the compressive cover (19) did cover the entire hoof (from the sole to just above the hairline), it was still only designed to force the side flaps (17) against the lower part of the hoof wall, so that the side flaps could conform to the shape of the hoof wall.

It is noted that the compressive nature of the compressive cover focused on causing the lower part of the compressive cover to be pressed against the lower part I A of the hoof. In contrast, even though the upper part of the compressive cover during use, had the appearance of an inward slope that leaned towards the upper part 1B of the hoof, there was, in fact, no compressive force exerted on the upper part of the compressive cover In other words, the upper part of the compressive boot did not securely grip around the pastern 3 of the horse (as defined in Figure 1).

Rather, in order to fasten the boot around the pastern 3, the boot had to be further provided with a second heel-fastening strap (16) which was designed to surround the actual pastern 3, in order to prevent the boot from coming off the hoof of the horse. Thus, an inconvenience of the earlier invention was that two straps had to be utilized to secure the overall boot to the hoof of the horse, namely the first securing strap (24) and the second heel-fastening strap (16).

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved or simpler alternative to the above prior art, and preferably to overcome or at least ameliorate one or more of the problems in the prior art.

In this specification, discussion of the prior art, either alone or in combination, is not to be taken as an admission by the inventor of the common general knowledge of skilled addressees in this field of art.

Summary of Invention According to the present invention, there is provided an equine protector boot, adapted to fit on a horse hoof, where the hoof has a lower part and an upper part and a narrower pastern thereabove, the boot comprising: a sole member having an upwardly depending partial side-wall protective structure adapted, in use, to generally cover at least the lower part of the hoof without fitting over substantially the entire hoof, an upwardly-depending attachment structure which further upwardly depends from the partial side-wall protective structure such that, in use, the upwardly-depending attachment structure is able to generally fit on the upper part of the hoof and also to fit on part of the pastern; and securing-means adapted to generally fit around the upwardly-depending attachment structure so as to secure the upwardly-depending attachment structure onto the narrower pastern so as to fully secure the boot to the hoof.

Preferably, in use, the securing-means surrounds the narrower pastern of the horse.

Preferably, the securing-means is adapted to be fastened to the upwardlydepending attachment structure.

Preferably, the securing-means and the upwardly-depending attachment structure are each provided with hook-and-loop connection material to engage with each other.

Preferably, the hook-and-loop connection material is in the form of Velcro material.

Preferably, in use, the securing-means covers the upper hoof from 20 to 30 mm below the hairline of the hoof to 20-30 mm above the hairline of the hoof.

Preferably, the securing-means is in the form of a pair of pastern-belts.

The pastern-belts may have ends that are adapted to engage the rear-end of the hoof in a criss-cross manner so as to engage with bulbs on the hoof.

Preferably, the pastern-belts are adapted, in use, to press onto the upper edge of the hoof generally around the hairline which is the part where the hoof meets the pastern.

Preferably, the upwardly-depending attachment structure, in use, has an upright panel-like structure.

The lower part may comprise generally the lower half of the horse's hoof.

The partial side-wall structure may consist of one or more components The upwardly-depending attachment structure may have a panel-like structure.

Preferably, the upwardly depending partial side-wall protective structure, in use, generally cover only the lower part of the hoof without fitting over substantially the entire hoof.

Drawings In order that the present invention might be more fully understood, embodiments of the present invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a side view of a typical part of a lower leg portion of a horse, particularly the hoof, pastern and fetlock; Figure 2 illustrates a side view of an embodiment of a horse boot with the pasternbelt shown generally surrounding the pastern portion of the horse hoof; Figure 3 shows the same embodiment of Figure 2, except with the unattached pastern-belt pulled away to reveal the attachment wall; Figure 4 showed the embodiment of Figure 2 with the pastern-belt fully removed for the sake of clearly illustrating parts of the boot that are beneath the pastern-belt; Figure 5 is a rear end-view of the embodiment of Figure 2 which shows how the ends of the two pastern-belts are fastened by buckles; and Figure 6 shows illustrations of horses hoofs, with the pastern-belt located in the position where it would lie if the boot of the embodiment of Figure 2 were to be fitted onto the hoof.

In the embodiments, like components are labeled with like reference numerals merely for the sake of ease of understanding the different embodiments and modifications.

In the specification, for convenience, the terms front, rear, left and right are described relative to the orientation of a horse, for example, the front of the horse shoe would be the portion which, in use, faces in the direction that the horse faces, and so forth.

In the specification, the terms "inner" and "outer" are made with reference to the interior and exterior of the boot.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS By way of background, Figure 1 shows a typical horse hoof IA, lB. In this present specification, reference will be made to a lower part IA of the hoof, and an upper part 1B of the same hoof. For illustration, the upper and lower parts of the hoof are indicated approximately by a dotted line A-A in Figure 1, however, this demarcation of lower 1A and upper IB parts of the hoof is not necessarily a precise midway point, and does not limit the invention as defined in the claims, but is given as a general approximation.

Immediately above the upper part IB of the hoof is a narrow region known as a pastern 3.

In Figure 1, between the hoof IA, IB and the pastern 3 is a region called the hairline 2, named because it marks a line where the hair of the horse ends, and where the hard hoof material starts.

Above the pastern is a fetlock 4.

Since the pastern 3 is narrower than the hoof region IA, IB, embodiments of the present invention make use of this fact by providing equine boots that are secured to the horse's hoof by securing part of the boot around the narrower pastern 3. This ensures that the entire boot does not fall off the hoof of the horse.

Shoe In the accompanying drawings, Figure 2 shows a side view of an embodiment of an equine protector boot in the form of a horse boot 100.

The boot 100 is adapted to fit and fasten onto a horse hoof 1 A, 1B.

The boot has a sole member in the form of a boot-sole 110. The undersurface of the boot-sole 110 is provided with lugs The boot-sole 110 is similar in appearance to the sole of the earlier invention of International Publication Number WO 00/16614, in that the sole has inner side walls which project substantially vertically, and preferably 90 degrees, for at least millimeters upwards, in order to properly accommodate the bottom of the hoof of the horse.

In order to create the overall structure of the boot 100, the sole 110 is provided with an upwardly depending partial side-wall protective structure which includes a plurality of upright side flaps or one unitary side walls 170.

These side-wall protective structures have a degree of flexibility, so that they can be compressed to conform to the shape of the hoof of the individual horse that is using the boot. When the boot is being fitted onto the horse, this flexibility enables the side walls 170 to be bent or flexed outwardly, in order to make it easier to insert the hoof of the horse into the boot. Then, after the hoof has been inserted, the flexibility of the walls allows them to be compressed towards the sides of the hoof, in a manner described below in an example.

These flaps or walls 170 can be attached the sole 110 using a variety of means or devices, and the invention is not limited to a particular manner of creating the side-wall structure. In other modifications, the side-wall protective structure can be integrally formed with the sole, while in other embodiments these two parts of separate items that have been joined.

The upwardly depending partial side-wall protective structure also includes a front wall 171.

The side walls 170 and the front wall 171 together form a generally U-shaped enclosure into which the lower part of the horse hoof IA can be inserted.

The rear of the boot 100 is left open to facilitate insertion of the hoof IA into the enclosure bounded by the walls 170, 171.

Comparing Figure 1 and 2, in use, the walls 170, 171 generally cover the lower part IA of the hoof without fitting over substantially the entire hoof. In other words, the walls 170, 171 do not generally extend, to any substantial degree, over the upper part I B of the hoof, i.e. the part above the dotted line A-A in Figure 1.

It is reiterated that the location of the demarcation of the lower IA and upper IB parts of the hoof is a rough approximation, and certainly the invention, in its broadest aspect, is not limited to particular mathematical demarcation point, such as an exact half-way point.

Attachment Structure Figure 2 shows a securing-means in the form of a pastern-belt 160.

Figure 3 shows the same pastern-belt 160 forwardly pulled away from the boot 100 in order to reveal the inner surface 161 of the pastern-belt 160.

Figure 3 also shows an upwardly-depending attachment structure in the form of an attachment-wall 400, which acts a structure to which the pastern-belt 160 can be secured.

In the embodiment, at least the inner surface of the pastern-belt 160 and at least the outer surface of the attachment-wall 400 are each provided with hook-and-loop connection material. In the embodiment, the attachment wall 400 is made of a hook-andloop material, such as Velcro. The inner surface 161 of the pastern-belt 160 is also provided with such a material, so that the pastern-belt can be firmly secured to the attachment-wall 400.

The pastern-belt 160 is removably-fastened to the attachment-wall 400.

In the embodiment of Figure 2, the pastern-belt 160 is preferably permanently connected to a forward front wall 171.

In Figure 2, when the pastern-belt 160 is pulled rearwardly so as to attach to the attachment wall 400 (as shown in Figure in this arrangement, the pastern-belt 160 compresses the attachment-wall 400 against the horse's lower pastern, in a similar manner to the second heel-fastening strap (16) in the earlier invention of International Publication Number WO 00/16614.

In Figure 3, the attachment-wall 400 upwardly depends from the partial side-wall protective structure, which, in the embodiment, is in the form of the side flaps or side walls 170. In appearance, the attachment-wall 400 in Figure 3 has an upright panel-like structure.

The height of the attachment-wall 400 is important, and it is of such a height that it generally fits on the upper part of the hoof I B, and also on part of the pastern 3. This latter ability to fit over the pastern 3 of the horse's hoof means that the pastern-belt 160 is adapted to tighten around the pastern. The pastern-belt 160 generally fits around the attachment-wall 400, so as to press and secure the attachment-wall 400 generally onto the narrower pastern 3 of the horse hoof. This fully secures the boot to the hoof. Effectively, this means that the pastern-belt 160 surrounds the pastern 3, which is narrower than the hoof I A, I B.

In practice, the pastern-belt 160 covers the upper hoof from around 20 to 30 mm below the hairline of the hoof, to 20-30 mm above the hairline of the hoof. For this reason, in practice, the attachment-wall 400 only needs to extend upwardly to around this same region of 20 to 30 mm below the hairline of the hoof, to 20-30 mm above the hairline of the hoof. This is because the pastern-belt 160 and the attachment-wall 400 are adapted to releasably-engage with each other.

The area of engagement can be appreciated roughly by comparing Figure 2 with the upper diagram of Figure 6, and considering the general location 160A of the pasternstrap 160.

In the embodiment, the pastern-belt 160 and the attachment-wall 400 releasablyengage with each other using a Velcro attachment or other suitable releasable fastening mechanism that can replicate this releasable-attachment function.

In this exemplary embodiment, there is no need for the attachment-wall 400 to extend any or much higher than the height at which the pastern-belt 160 will engage with the pastern of the horse's hoof.

In Figure 3, it can be seen that part of the pastern-belt 160 is attached to the attachment-wall 400, while Figure 5 shows that the ends of the two pastern-belts 160 are secured around the rear of the hoof using some rear-attachment-means, such as links or buckles 250. At the rear of the hoof, the thin straps 251 engage around bulbs on the horse's hoof, which enhances the attachment of the boot to the hoof.

The two pastern-belts 160 are adapted, in use, to press onto the upper edge of the hoof generally at the part where the hoof meets the pastern, as indicated in Figure 6. In practice, as mentioned, the pastern-belt 160 covers the upper hoof from 20 to 30 mm below the hairline of the hoof, to 20-30 mm above the hairline of the hoof. These numerical figures are given as examples, relative to the dimensions of typical horse hoofs, and in practice can vary depending on the actual dimensions of each horse.

In Figure 5, the thin straps 251 criss-cross the rear end of the hoof. This causes these thin straps to exert a force that has a downwards force-component. In other words, in use, these thin straps 251, to an extent, pull the pastern-belt 160 downwards onto the upper rim of the hoof I B to further enhance the attachment of the boot to the hoof.

In the rear view of Figure 5, the rear thin-straps 251 secure and hold the pasternbelt 160 securely in place. These thin-straps 251, as a result of their diagonal arrangement, also apply a downwards pressure on the end of the pastern-belt 160.

The thin-straps 251 also prevent the pastern-belt 160 from being accidentally detached, and the straps 251 apply the downward pressure onto the pastern-belt which, in turn, causes the pastern-belt to apply the necessary pressure onto the attachment-wall 400.

In use, when the boot is on the hoof of the horse, the height of the pastern-belt 160 and the attachment-wall 400 can not be lower than the pastern 3, because the overall boot 100 relies on the belt 160 being secured around the narrower pastern 3, in order to secure the boot to the hoof I A, 1B.

In Figures 2 to 4, there is either no overlap, or minimal overlap, between the lower edge of the pastern-belt 160 and the side flaps or side walls 170. This minimizes the likelihood of dirt being entrapped in locations where parts overlap.

Figure 6 shows a picture of a typical horse hoof I. The pastern-belt 160 is located in the position in which it would be, if it were to be part of the boot 100. This position of the pastern-belt 160, relative to the pastern and hoof, is vital due to the shape of the hoof.

This is the only area of the hoof where the pastern-belt 160 can function adequately. If the pastern-belt 160 were to be located lower on the actual hoof I B, then the strap would simply slide off the hoof, particularly when subjected to forces when the horse sides through mud, which tends to pulls the boot off the hoof.

The pastern-belt 160, in addition to securing the boot to the pastern, also performs the function of drawing the flexible side wall structure 170 towards the lateral sides of the hoof. In other words, the pastern-belt 160 performs more than one function, and avoids the need for separate components to achieve these same functions. In other words, rather than having a large compressive cover that presses down over the entire hoof surface, as was the case in the earlier invention, the present embodiment merely uses the pastern-belt 160 to press mostly on the pastern region. As has been mentioned, in practice, the example of the pastern-belt 160 covers the upper hoof from 20 to 30 mm below the hairline of the hoof to 20-30 mm above the hairline of the hoof. This has been found to be sufficient to secure the boot to the hoof. Hence, there is less material covering the hoof, and hence the resulting boot has a sleeker and less cumbersome appearance, because there is less material around the hoof area.

Differences Between the Earlier Invention In the prior art of the earlier invention, the upper part of the compressive cover (19) had a relatively loose-fit, and it was therefore necessary to rely on the second heelfastening strap (16) to secure the prior art boot to the hoof of the horse.

In contrast, the present embodiment in Figures 2 to 5 uses only one item, namely the pastern-belt 160, to firstly pull the side walls 170 and the front wall 171 onto the lower part 1A of the hoof, and secondly to secure the boot onto the pastern of the horse.

In other words, the single pastern-belt 160 of the present embodiment achieves the function which, in the earlier invention, required the three items: compressive cover (19), the first securing strap and the second heel-fastening strap (16).

Hence, there are less components and less amount of material in the present embodiment, which makes it cheaper to manufacture, and quicker to fasten to the horse.

The fewer number of components also offer fewer places where dirt can accumulate.

In the earlier invention, the compressive cover (16) extended substantially close to the top surface of its sole, which meant that it was extremely prone to picking up dirt during use. In the present embodiment, the pastern-belt 160, which performs a similar function, is raised substantially higher above the level of its sole 110, which lessens the likelihood of dirt entrapment.

In other embodiments, at the rear end of the boot, the two pastern-belt 160 can join to each other using some attachment means, such as Velcro, without the cross-over arrangement.

11 The embodiments have been advanced by way of example only, and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

In this specification, where the words comprise or comprises or derivatives thereof are used in relation to elements, integers, steps or features, this is to indicate that those elements, steps or features are present but it is not to be taken to preclude the possibility of other elements, integers, steps or features being present.

Claims

1. An equine protector boot, adapted to fit on a horse hoof, where the hoof has a lower part and an upper part and a narrower pastern thereabove, the boot comprising: a sole member having an upwardly depending partial side-wall protective structure adapted, in use, to generally cover at least the lower part of the hoof without fitting over substantially the entire hoof, an upwardly-depending attachment structure which further upwardly depends from the partial side-wall protective structure such that, in use, the upwardly-depending attachment structure is able to generally fit on the upper part of the hoof and also to fit on part of the pastern; and securing-means adapted to generally fit around the upwardly-depending attachment structure so as to secure the upwardly-depending attachment structure onto the narrower pastern so as to fully secure the boot to the hoof.

2. An equine protector boot of claim 1 wherein, in use, the securing-means surrounds the narrower pastern of the horse; and the securing-means and the upwardly- depending attachment structure are each provided with hook-and-loop connection material to engage with each other.

3. An equine protector boot of any one of the preceding claims wherein the securing-means is in the form of a pair of pastern-belts.

4. An equine protector boot of claim 3 wherein the pastern-belts have ends that are adapted to engage the rear-end of the hoof in a criss-cross manner so as to engage with bulbs on the hoof. An equine protector boot substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, minus the drawings that relate to prior art.