AU2007200063A1 - Balancing equine device - Google Patents

Description

O1 SBalancing Equine Device 0 This invention relates to a device to balance horses that suffer from lateral Simbalance of the hoof.

It is common practice in the thoroughbred industry to perform corrective shoeing on foals. Corrective shoeing is a technique carried out by farriers to alter the appearance of a horse's leg conformation. During the first weeks of some thoroughbreds' lives a cosmetic procedure of lowering or heightening c, one side of a foal's hoof is undertaken while the bones of the leg are still growing. The objective is to make a horse that toes out, or in, appear to have straight legs, which is more desirable to purchasers. Once the bone in the leg has stopped growing and remodelled itself according to the doctored hoof, the leg as a whole is far less durable. Abnormalities continue in hoof, which continues to grow, with the lower side of the hoof growing at a slower rate to that of the other side which is bearing more pressure, this is due to less stimulation of the coronet band. As a result of this, the higher side of the hoof continues to come into contact with the ground before, and under more pressure, than the other side. This is shown both through uneven wear of the hoof or shoe, and also on examination from above whilst holding the shin bone parallel to a level surface. This imbalance causes uneven weight distribution and weakens the natural bone alignment and ligaments of the leg, and puts excess pressure/stress on parts of the leg that are not designed to sustain such pressures/stress. Imbalance in the feet causes many problems, including inflammation in the joint capsules, which in turn reduces mobility. Horses attempt to compensate/relieve pressure by adjusting their stride pattern and distribution of weight. Inevitably other parts of the horse's structure (back, hocks, hind fetlock joints, etc) are subjected to the same unusually high pressure/stress demands that initially caused the fore limbs to falter. Further effects such as remodelling of bone, bone chips and other reactions are caused through being unbalanced. To overcome this chain reaction of ill-effects, the present invention proposes a balancing equine device consisting of a wedge shaped ring that can be attached to the sole of a horses hoof.

The balancing equine device may be a wedge shaped ring attached to a horseshoe.

c-I 2 The balancing equine device may be a wedge shaped ring attached to the 0 horseshoe in such a way that the highest point of the wedge is positioned above one of the heels of the horseshoe, and a section of the wedge shaped ring that is between the heels and not attached to the horseshoe can be ICremoved.

SThe balancing equine device may be a horseshoe that has one heel higher than the other heel and level surfaces on both the ground and hoof engaging surfaces.

The invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a rear view of a normal hoof at point of contact with a level surface Figure 2 shows a rear view of a deformed hoof at point of contact with a level surface Figure 3 shows a rear view of normal hoof fitted with LANDI AND WILSON wedge and horseshoe at point of contact with a level surface Figure 4 shows a rear view of normal hoof fitted with NAKANISHI wedge horseshoe at point of contact with a level surface Figure 5 shows a rear view of normal hoof fitted with HAYDEN wedge horseshoe at point of contact with a level surface Figure 6 shows a rear view of normal hoof fitted with MAY wedge and horseshoe at point of contact with a level surface Figure 7 shows a side view of hoof fitted with wedge pad and horseshoe Figure 8 shows opposite side view of hoof fitted with wedge pad and horseshoe 'n Figure 9 shows a rear view of deformed hoof fitted with standard wedge 0 with shock absorbing pad and frog cushion and horseshoe at point of contact with a level surface IDFigure 10 shows a rear view of a deformed hoof fitted with standard wedge and horseshoe at point of contact with a level surface Figure 11 shows a rear view of a deformed hoof fitted with wedge and shock Sabsorbing device and horseshoe at point of contact with a level surface Figure 12 shows a rear view of a deformed hoof fitted with a bar shoe at point of contact with a level surface Figure 13 shows a bird's eye view of balancing equine device Figure 14 shows a cross section 1 of balancing equine device Figure 15 shows a cross section 2 of balancing equine device Figure 16 shows a side view of balancing equine device Figure 17 shows an underside view of hoof Figure 18 shows an underside view of hoof and balancing equine device and horseshoe Figure 19 shows a rear view of hoof fitted with balancing equine device and horseshoe where the section of the balancing equine device between the two heels of the horseshoe has been removed Figure 20 shows a rear view of hoof fitted with balancing equine device horseshoe Figure 21 shows a view of deformed hoof from above when holding shin facing and parallel to floor cI 4 Figure 22 shows a view of deformed hoof fitted with balancing equine 00 device and horseshoe from above when holding shin facing and parallel to 0 floor ICFigure 23 shows a rear view of a deformed hoof at point of contact with a level surface Figure 24 shows a rear view of a deformed hoof fitted with balancing equine device and horseshoe at point of contact with a level surface c-I Figure 25 shows a rear view of a normal hoof at point of contact with a level surface Figure 26 shows a rear view of a normal hoof fitted with balancing equine device and horseshoe at point of contact with a level surface Figures 1 and 2 show the difference between a deformed hoof 3 and a normal hoof 1 at point of contact with a level surface 2 Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 show a normal hoof 1 fitted with a LANDI/WILSON wedge and absorption pad 4, a NAKANISHI wedged absorption horseshoe 6, a standard wedge pad 9 and horseshoe 5, and a MAY wedge and absorption pad and frog cushion 8, respectively, at point of contact with a level surface 2.

Figures 7 and 8 show both side views of a normal hoof 1 fitted with a wedge of any description.

Figures 9, 10, 11 and 12 show a deformed hoof 3 fitted with MAY wedge 8 and horseshoe 5, standard wedge 9 and horseshoe 5, LANDI AND WILSON wedge 4 and horseshoe 5, as well as a bar shoe 10. All figures show how none of the aforementioned pads or horseshoes alter the point of contact with a level surface 2 of the deformed hoof 3.

Figure 13 shows a Balancing Equine Device 11 as viewed from above.

Figure 14 shows a cross section of a Balancing Equine Device 11.

c' Figure 15 shows another cross section of a Balancing Equine Device 11.

00 Figure 16 shows a side view of a Balancing Equine Device 11.

O Figure 17 shows the underside of a hoof 12.

SFigure 18 shows the underside of a hoof 12 fitted with a Balancing Equine Device 11 and horseshoe Figure 19 shows a deformed hoof 3 fitted with Balancing Equine Device 11 and horseshoe 5 where the section of Balancing Equine Device 11 between both heels of horseshoe 5 has been removed.

Figure 20 shows a deformed hoof 3 fitted with Balancing Equine Device horseshoe 17.

Figure 21 shows the unsymmetrical angles 13 and 16 of the deformed hoof 3 when viewed from above whilst holding the horses shin 14 parallel to the ground.

Figure 22 shows the symmetrical angles 15 achieved when a deformed hoof 3 is fitted with a Balancing Equine Device 11 when viewed from above whilst holding the horses shin 14 parallel to the ground.

Figures 23 and 24 demonstrate the balance achieved at point of contact with a level surface 2 when a deformed hoof3 is fitted with a Balancing Equine Device 11.

Figures 25 and 26 demonstrate how the Balancing Equine Device 11 unbalances a normal hoof 1 at point of contact with a level surface 2.

Claims (1)

1. A balancing equine device consisting of a horseshoe shape that has one heel higher than the other heel and level surfaces on both the ground and hoof engaging surfaces. IND S2. A balancing equine device according to claim 1, where the device is a horseshoe. 0 3. A balancing equine device according to claim 1, where the device is a material N that can be fitted between a hoof and a horseshoe.