Optionally glued-on or nailed-on horse shoe

A horse shoe for alternative glued-on or nailed-on installation comprising:

• a horseshoe made of transparent material with heel portions defining a gap, a top surface of the horseshoe including a grid of recesses interconnected via a channel in the horseshoe for receiving an adhesive material and a bottom surface thereof including treads and a plurality of notches suitable for driving a nail therethrough;
• an upper with two side walls attached to a rear lateral periphery of the horseshoe and folded inward to butt against a hoof of a horse wearing the shoe, said side walls containing lateral perforations;
• a toe clip attached to a front end of the horseshoe;
• a lateral tab attached to each side of a front lateral periphery of the horseshoe, said tab extending no more than ¾ of an inch above the top surface of the horseshoe;
• a bridge connecting the heel portions of the horseshoe;
• a pad over an inner region of said top surface of the horseshoe;
• a rigid plate incorporated into each side of said horseshoe, said plate including slots aligned with said notches in the bottom surface of the horseshoe;
• and
• a longitudinal slot in each of said heel portions, said slot being adapted to receive a lateral extension of a wedge insert;
• wherein the bridge is a resilient structure cantilevered inward from said heel portions of the horseshoe so as to urge closure of said gap when the horseshoe is expanded during fitting of the shoe;
• and said horseshoe, side walls, toe clip and bridge are made of a urathane of integral unitary construction.

A method of fitting a horse shoe to a hoof of a horse, comprising the following steps:

• providing a horse shoe that includes:
• a horseshoe with heel portions defining a gap, a top surface of the horseshoe including a grid of recesses for receiving an adhesive material and a bottom surface thereof including a plurality of notches suitable for driving a nail therethrough;
• an upper with two side walls attached to a rear lateral periphery of the horseshoe and folded inward to butt against a hoof of a horse wearing the shoe;
• a toe clip attached to a front end of the horseshoe;
• and
• a bridge connecting the heel portions of the horseshoe;
• wherein the bridge is a resilient structure cantilevered inward from said heel portions of the horseshoe so as to urge closure of said gap when the horseshoe is expanded during fitting of the shoe.
• applying bonding material on said top surface of the horseshoe and on interior surfaces of the side walls;
• fitting the shoe to the hoof of the horse by stretching the heel portions to widen the gap in the horseshoe, sliding the horseshoe to press against the toe clip, and releasing the heel portions to cause the side walls to clamp around the hoof;
• and
• holding the shoe in place until the bonding material has cured.

A method of fitting a horse shoe to a hoof of a horse, comprising the following steps:

• providing a horse shoe that includes:
• a horseshoe with heel portions defining a gap, a top surface of the horseshoe including a grid of recesses for receiving an adhesive material and a bottom surface thereof including a plurality of notches suitable for driving a nail therethrough;
• a rigid plate incorporated into each side of said horseshoe, said plate including slots aligned with said notches in the bottom surface of the horseshoe;
• an upper with two side walls attached to a rear lateral periphery of the horseshoe and folded inward to butt against a hoof of a horse wearing the shoe;
• a toe clip attached to a front end of the horseshoe;
• and
• a bridge connecting the heel portions of the horseshoe;
• wherein the bridge is a resilient structure cantilevered inward from said heel portions of the horseshoe so as to urge closure of said gap when the horseshoe is expanded during fitting of the shoe.
• removing said side walls from the horseshoe;
• fitting the shoe to the hoof of the horse by sliding the horseshoe to press against the toe clip, and by widening the gap of the horseshoe by an amount necessary to register the horseshoe with a bottom surface of the hoof;
• driving nails into said notches of the shorseshoe and through the hoof;
• and
• clinching the nails.

A method of correcting a contracted-heel condition in a horse, comprising the following steps:

• providing a horse shoe that includes:
• a horseshoe with heel portions defining a gap, a top surface of the horseshoe including a grid of recesses for receiving an adhesive material and a bottom surface thereof including a plurality of notches suitable for driving a nail therethrough;
• a longitudinal slot in each of said heel portions adapted to receive a lateral extension of a wedge insert;
• a toe clip attached to a front end of the horseshoe;
• and
• a bridge connecting the heel portions of the horseshoe;
• wherein the bridge is a resilient structure cantilevered inward from said heel portions of the horseshoe so as to urge closure of said gap when the horseshoe is expanded during fitting of the shoe;
• alternatively:
• fitting the shoe to the hoof of the horse by sliding the horseshoe to press against the toe clip, and by introducing a wedge insert into said slots in the heel portions so as to enlarge said gap by a predetermined amount necessary to register the horseshoe with a bottom surface of the heel;
• driving nails into said notches of the shorseshoe and through the hoof;
• and
• clinching the nails;
• or:
• applying bonding material on said top surface of the horseshoe and on interior surfaces of the side walls prior to said fitting step;
• fitting the shoe to the hoof of the horse by stretching the heel portions to widen the gap in the horseshoe, sliding the horseshoe to press against the toe clip, and releasing the heel portions to cause the side walls to clamp around the hoof;
• and
• holding the shoe in place until the bonding material has cured;
• and periodically replacing said wedge insert with a wider wedge insert to accommodate and promote a natural expansion of the hoof's footprint.