1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an equine boot, boot pad and an equine boot and pad assembly for horses. More specifically, it relates to a unique boot, boot pad and a boot and pad assembly to reduce stress on the legs and tendons of animals, treat animals for hoof and leg diseases and injuries and to provide comfort and leg support.
2. Discussion
People have long attempted to protect the hoofs of animals with protective devices of various sorts. Steel or aluminum shoes have been used to protect the hoofs from damage while the animal is walking or running. In recent years many animal hoof shock absorbing pads and shoes have also been proposed. Some of these shock-adsorbing shoes consist of pads attached to the hoof by means of a more or less conventional metal shoe. Others are attached by adhesives or held in place by specially designed boots. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,466, Sep. 11, 1984, U.S. Pat. No. 4,444,269 Apr. 24, 1984, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,010, Jan. 1 1991. Some pads described in the patent literature are directed to the treatment of laminitis or to correct injured or anatomically incorrect hoofs. Many of the proposed pads have some means of support for the frog of the animal's hoof e.g. see U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,898, Jan. 13, 1998.
Race horses and show horses are constantly being transported and are therefore standing for long periods of time on hard and unnatural surfaces. Traveling by roadway or by air subjects the animal's legs to constant vibration and jolting putting stress on the animal's legs, tendons and joints.
Moreover, increasingly the show and competitive event arenas are using hard surface stalls and staging areas. The hard surface, asphalt, concrete, etc. make these areas easier to clean but are very hard on horses' legs and hoofs.
Horses, particularly, have injuries and diseases of the hoof that need special treatment. The present invention greatly facilitates recovery from injured hooves and from laminitis. The boot assembly of the present invention allows horses to stand and walk more comfortably and allows the hoof to be positioned properly to allow healing.
As result of trial use of certain embodiments of the previous invention, I have discovered significant and critical improvements in equine boots.