Shoe for horses

A shoe for horses, said horse shoe comprising, in combination:

• a sole member including a sole member bottom and a sole member wall extending upwardly from said sole member bottom and defining an interior for receiving a horse hoof, said sole member bottom and said sole member wall being of integral, relatively rigid construction, said sole member wall generally conforming to and encompassing the outer surface of a horse hoof positioned in said sole member and having an upper end terminating at a location below the coronary band;
• sleeve means affixed to said sole member wall an extending upwardly therefrom, said sleeve means engageable with a portion of a horse's leg above the coronary band and adjacent said hoof and formed of flexible sheet material whereby flexure of the horse's leg above the hoof is unimpeded by said sleeve;
• and
• securement means for securing said sleeve means in engagement with said leg portion to retain said shoe on said horse, said sleeve means comprising a first sleeve element affixed to and extending upwardly from the front and sides of said sole member and a second sleeve element affixed to and extending upwardly from the rear of said sole member, said first and second sleeve elements being in partially overlapping relationship when said shoe is retained on said horse, said second sleeve element being elongated and having two end portion s with distal ends spaced from each other and from the location of securement of said second sleeve element to the rear of said sole member, said end portions being at least partially wrapped about and engaging said first sleeve element when said shoe is retained on said horse.