Equine support pad with integral frog support
OwnerMyron E. McLaneinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An equine support pad with integral frog support comprises a flat or wedge pad integrally molded with a frog support. The support pad is open surrounding the triangular frog support to permit cleaning of the hoof. The support pad and frog support are molded from a substantially non compressible material that flexes in response to weight. Thus, the device effectively shifts weight bearing from the hoof wall to the frog while permitting the hoof to breathe and promoting normal blood flow in the foot and affording complete support of the bony column of the digit.
Claims14
A support pad for an equine foot, said support pad comprising:
- a bi-laterally symmetrical oval pad having a toe end, a heel end opposite the toe end, a substantially planar hoof surface, a substantially planar opposite shoe surface and defining a central opening through said hoof and shoe surfaces;
- and
- a generally triangular frog support formed as one piece with the wedge pad and having a generally planar frog support face, an opposite ground contact face, a rounded tip of the frog support projecting toward said toe end from the heel end of the pad such that said tip is positioned in said central opening and centered on a line drawn from said toe end to said heel end to separate said support pad into equal lateral portions,
- wherein said tip is surrounded by said central opening toward said toe end and laterally relative to said line.
A combination of a horseshoe and support pad, said support pad comprising:
- a bilaterally symmetrical oval pad having a toe end, a heel end opposite the toe end, a substantially planar hoof surface, a substantially planar opposite shoe surface surrounding the entire periphery of said pad, said pad defining a central opening through said hoof and shoe surfaces;
- a generally triangular frog support formed as one piece with the wedge pad and having a generally planar frog support face, an opposite ground contact face, a rounded tip of the frog support projecting toward said toe end from the heel end of the wedge pad such that said tip is positioned in said central opening and centered on a line drawn from said toe end to said heel end to separate said support pad into equal symmetrical lateral portions;
- and
- a horseshoe mountable to said shoe surface, said horseshoe having a traction face and a mounting face,
- wherein said tip is surrounded by said central opening toward said toe end and laterally relative to said line.
The combination of claim 11, wherein said horseshoe has a configuration selected from the group consisting of egg bar, straight bar, or open shoe.
The combination of claim 11, wherein said ground contact surface projects to the ground surface of said traction surface when said horseshoe is mounted to said shoe surface.
The combination of claim 11, wherein said frog ground contact face has an angular orientation relative to said frog support face such that said frog support is thickest at said tip and tapers toward the heel end of said support pad.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.