Improvements in and relating to horseshoes

Abstract

A horseshoe (10) comprising a relatively rigid insert (14) operatively connected to a sole (12), the relatively rigid (14) insert typically being made of metal and being generally U-shaped with a front, central portion and a pair of spaced-apart branches extending from opposite ends of the central portion. The sole (12), in certain embodiments, is overmoulded onto the insert (14) and forms a “frog” for protecting the sole of a hoof and through which loads can be transmitted to a walking surface. The sole (12) comprises central portion having a generally W-shaped lateral cross-section (76) comprising an apex (70) and a valley (74, 76) interposed between the apex (70) and each of the branches. Thus, when a load (82) is applied to the sole (12) of the shoe (10) from above, the apex (70) of the W-cross-sectioned portion (76) of the sole (12) is depressed, and this deflection spreads the sole (12) such that it exerts a radially outward force onto the branches of the metal insert (14), thus widening the shoe (10). This expansion corresponds substantially to the natural expansion of an un-shod hoof under load. The shoe (10) may additionally have a crease (12) comprising a plurality of radially inwardly and radially outwardly displaced notches for positioning nail heads at different radial and circumferential positions. The sole (12) may further comprise a glue/cushioning retaining lip (42).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.