A livestock animal leg restraining apparatus, comprising:
- (a) a livestock chute having a floor and sidewalls, the livestock chute being oriented in a longitudinal direction, the sidewalls further spaced apart to define an entrance suitable for livestock animal to enter the livestock chute at a first end of the livestock chute and an exit suitable for egress of a livestock animal at the other opposite end of the livestock chute, a center pad assembly that is elongated, mounted to the floor of the livestock chute and centered between the sidewalls of the livestock chute, the center pad assembly being mounted in a raised position above the center of the floor of the livestock chute, the center pad assembly presenting two opposite center pads that are oriented in the outboard direction and being located at an elevation that corresponds to the lower end of the legs of the livestock animal which is substantially closer to the hoofs of the livestock animal than to the knee joints of the livestock animal, two opposite pivot panel assemblies that are each pivotably mounted to one of the sidewalls of the livestock chute, each pivot panel being able to pivot about an axis that is aligned with the longitudinal direction of the livestock chute and which is spaced away from the floor of the livestock chute, each side panel having an inwardly oriented side pad that is elongated and arranged along the lower margin of each side panel, each side pad having a length that corresponds to the lengths of the center pads and the side pads being situated at an elevation that corresponds to the elevation of the center pads, the center pads and the side pads being arranged in a longitudinal fashion and such that the side pads and the center pads are arranged to be parallel to each other and, at least one actuator connecting at least indirectly between the frame and the pivot panels, the at least one actuator being arranged to be able to pivot the pivot panels in unison between a first open position in which each side pad is spaced away from and parallel the most proximate center pad of the center pad assembly and a second closed position in which each side pad is in close proximity and parallel to the most proximate center pad of the center pad assembly, whereby a livestock animal is able to walk into the livestock chute when the side panels are in the first open position such that the side pads are spaced away from the center pads and whereby the lower legs of the livestock animal are secured between the center pads and the side pads when the side panels are pivoted by the at least one actuator into the second closed position such that the side pads are in close proximity to the center pads of the center pad assembly and such that the lower legs of the livestock animal are secured at locations that are above the hooves and below the knees of the livestock animal and in closer proximity to the hooves than to the knees.