# US 2017/0280682 A1 · Equine exercise boot assembly and ice spa

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- Number: US 2017/0280682 A1
- Document ID: US20170280682A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/630,803
- Filed: 2017-06-22
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Earliest claimed: 2013-10-31
- Inventors: Monty L. Ruetenik
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170280682A1

## CPC

- A01K 13/007: {Leg, hoof or foot protectors}
- A01K 15/027: {Exercising equipment, e.g. tread mills, carousels}
- A01K 15/0275: {comprising fitness monitoring devices, e.g. for equines or dogs}
- A01K 29/00: Other apparatus for animal husbandry
- A01L 5/00: Horseshoes made of elastic materials
- A01L 15/00: Apparatus or use of substances for the care of hoofs
- A61D 9/00: Bandages, poultices or compresses specially adapted to veterinary purposes
- A61D 11/00: Washing devices or gaseous curative baths specially adapted to veterinary purposes (milking machine accessories for treatment of udders or teats A01J7/04)
- A61H 9/0078: {with intermittent or alternately inflated bladders or cuffs (mattresses for preventing bed-sores with alternated pressurized chambers A61G7/05776)}
- A61H 9/0092: {Cuffs therefor}
- A61H 33/02: Bathing devices for use with gas-containing liquid, or liquid in which gas is led or generated, e.g. carbon dioxide baths {(A61H33/6026 takes precedence)}
- A61H 35/006: {for the feet}
- A61H 2033/048: {Baths using solutions, e.g. salts}
- A61H 2201/0214: cooled
- A61H 2201/0242: by a fluid circulating in the apparatus
- A61H 2201/0257: by a heat accumulator, e.g. a sand or liquid reservoir
- A61H 2201/164: Feet or leg, e.g. pedal
- A61H 2201/165: Wearable interfaces
- A61H 2201/5002: Means for controlling a set of similar massage devices acting in sequence at different locations on a patient
- A61H 2203/03: especially adapted for animals
- A61H 2205/106: for the lower legs
- A01K: ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
- A01L: SHOEING OF ANIMALS
- A61D: VETERINARY INSTRUMENTS, IMPLEMENTS, TOOLS, OR METHODS
- A61H: PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY (electrotherapy, magnetotherapy, radiation therapy or ultrasound therapy A61N)

## Abstract

A boot assembly and method that simulates, in a static equine animal (stalled or hauled), the natural mechanical action of walking or other gaited exercise. The assembly has a boot, containing a shock absorbing pad that is fitted with one or more pulsing bladders disposed under or inside the shock absorbing pad. Pressuring and relaxing the pulsing bladder in the bottom of the boot rhythmically pushes against the sole and frog and against the toe of the equine hoof in much the same way that the hoof is exercised when the animal is moving. The pulsing action helps stimulate blood flow through the hoof and is beneficial to shod, injured, and transported horses. The assembly may be fitted on one or more hooves, and may be automated to provide timing and sequencing to simulate different gaits of the animal. In some aspects, the assembly is disposed in an ice boot or ice spa boot to also provide cryotherapy as well as simulated exercise.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An equine boot assembly comprising:
a boot comprising a reservoir made of a flexible material for containing coolant having side walls, a closed inside bottom, an open top, an underside with a top and bottom, the underside bottom having a sole plate with a bottom, inside top side and side walls into which the closed inside bottom of the reservoir is disposed and attachment means to attach the underside of the reservoir to the inside top side of the sole plate;
a removable elastomeric shock absorbing pad disposed inside the boot in the bottom of the reservoir on top of a layer of reservoir material, and
pressure pulsing means disposed under or within the shock absorbing pad.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The boot assembly of claim 1 wherein the underside of the reservoir has a wall extending upward around its entire circumference attached to the side walls and the pressure pulsing means is two or more inflatable bladders adapted to allow fluid is to be injected and released to cause the bladders to inflate and deflate the bladder or bladders.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The boot assembly of claim 1 comprising at least one zipper in a side wall of the reservoir.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The boot assembly of claim 1 wherein the removable elastomeric shock absorbing pad has a top, side, bottom, top front and top rear and is ridged on the top side or is a shock absorbing pad having a front bumper projection on the top front and separate side clip projections on the top sides.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The boot assembly of claim 1 wherein the removable elastomeric shock absorbing pad has lower density particles disposed in the pad to reduce weight.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The boot assembly of claim 5 wherein the lower density particles are expanded polystyrene foam and the elastimeric pad is mad of polyurethane gel.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The boot assembly of claim 1 wherein the sole plate is fitted with a rocker attachment.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The boot assembly of claim 1 having means to removably connect the boot to an equine leg, said means comprising a fabric collar that is designed to removably and adjustably surround an equine leg above the coronet bone of the leg and that has hook and loop straps attached and positioned to allow the straps to be connected to matching hook and loop straps attached to the inside bottom of the boot to enable the fabric collar to be attached to the equine leg in a way that it will not slip past the coronet bone of an equine leg and thereby hold the leg and boot together so that when an equine lifts it legs the boot is also lifted.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The boot assembly of claim 1 comprising boot sides and bottom of water retaining fabric, a sole plate that is semi-rigid and has a solid bottom and side walls extending entirely around the circumference of the sole plate and means to removably an elastomeric pad to the inside bottom of the reservoir and a removable elastomeric shock absorbing pad has a top, side, bottom, top front and top rear and is ridged on the top side or is a shock absorbing pad having a front bumper projection on the top front and separate side clip projections on the top sides.

### Claim 10

A method of simulating gaited movement of an equine animal comprising:
placing at least one of the equine animal's hooves inside each of one or more boot assemblies comprising a boot having a reservoir made of a flexible material for containing coolant and having a closed inside bottom, an underside bottom, an open top, an underside and having an attached sole plate having a bottom, inside top side and side walls into which the closed inside bottom of the reservoir is disposed and attached to the underside of the;
a removable elastomeric shock absorbing pad disposed inside the boot and having pressure pulsing means disposed under or within the shock absorbing pad, and
passing a fluid into and out of the pressure pulsing means to expand and deflate said pressure pulsing means in sequence.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein the means of passing fluid into and out of the pressure pulsing means that are disposed under or within the shock absorbing pad that comprises a fluid pump, inlet valves to force fluid to pass by conduit to each of one or more multiple boot assemblies having pulsing means to inflate the pressure pulsing means and outlet valves to allow the fluid to flow to a reservoir, thus deflating the pressure pulsing means and wherein the fluid pump, pulsing means, inlet valves and outlet valves are automated with a controller to provide timing and sequencing of inflation and deflation of the pressure pulsing means to simulate gaits of an equine animal.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein the removable elastomeric shock absorbing pad has a top, side, bottom, top front and top rear and is ridged on the top side or is a shock absorbing pad having a front bumper projection on the top front and separate side clip projections on the top sides.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10 wherein the boot sole plate is fitted with a rocker attachment.

### Claim 14

A method of treatment of equine hooves and legs needing treatment comprising fitting an equine animal leg that will benefit from cryotherapy treatment into a boot assembly comprising a boot comprising a reservoir made of a flexible material for containing coolant, filling the boot assembly reservoir with coolant for sufficient time and at a sufficient temperature to effect measurable cooling of the leg and hoof wherein the boot assembly comprises:
a reservoir made of a flexible material for containing coolant having side walls, a closed inside bottom, an underside bottom and open top, an underside and having a sole plate having a bottom, inside top side and side walls into which the closed inside bottom of the reservoir is disposed and attachment means to attach the underside of the reservoir to the inside top side of the sole plate;
a removable elastomeric shock absorbing pad disposed inside the boot in the bottom of the reservoir on top of a layer of reservoir material and having pressure pulsing means disposed under or within the shock absorbing pad, and
means for injecting air into coolant in the reservoir.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 comprising providing means to removably connect the boot to an equine leg, said means comprising a fabric collar that is designed to removably and adjustably surround an equine leg above the coronet bone of the leg and that has hook and loop straps attached and positioned to allow them to be connected to matching hook and loop straps attached to the inside closed bottom of the boot to enable the fabric collar to be attached to the equine leg in a way that it will not slip past the coronet bone of an equine leg and thereby hold the leg and boot together so that when an equine lifts it legs the boot is also lifted.

### Claim 16

the removable elastomeric shock absorbing pad has a top, side, bottom, top front and top rear and is ridged on the top side or is a shock absorbing pad having a front bumper projection on the top front and separate side clip projections on the top sides.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 wherein the pulsing means is operated to pulse the elastomeric shock absorbing pads in a predetermined sequence.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 wherein an equine leg is fitted into in the boot assembly for intervals of time of 10 to 30 minutes, removed and allowed to warm.