An improved equine hoof boot, boot pad and boot and pad assembly that consists of a flexible boot and a shock absorbing pad disposed inside at the bottom of the boot, the pad having optionally a combination of soft and harder components.
1. An equine boot comprising an upper section made from fabric shaped to fit around the hoof of a horse and of a height to reach above the hoof of the horse, comprising an upper portion, comprising a front, sides, rear and bottom that is attached to said front, sides and rear, wherein the front slopes back and upward, the sides are separated with a slit so that when the front and rear are pulled together there is an opening on each side; a fastening means at the top front and rear to fasten the front and rear together around the leg of a horse, and said bottom is attached to the front, sides and rear, and; a molded sole plate comprising an elastomer base entirely circumscribed by a peripheral wall defining a receiving area sized to fit over the bottom of the upper section providing a horizontal constraint for a deformable pad that may be placed inside said boot, said sole plate fitted over the bottom of the upper section and being securely attached to the lower circumference of the upper portion and wherein the bottom of the sole plate is sloped upward in the front at an angle of about five (5) to thirty (30) degrees from the bottom plane to allow the boot sole to rock forward when in use.
2. The equine boot of claim 1 wherein the rear of the upper portion is entirely enclosed and the walls of said molded sole plate is of sufficient height and strength to prevent horizontal deformation of a shock absorbing deformable pad under the pressure of a horses weight when such pad is placed in the bottom of the inside of the boot.
3. The equine boot of claim 1 wherein said openings on each side of the upper portion are at least ¾ inch in diameter when the boot is strapped closed.
4. The equine boot of claim 3 wherein said openings are at least one inch in diameter when the boot is strapped closed.
5. The equine boot of claim 1 wherein the fastening means of the upper portion are straps that overlap when closed comprising a first set comprising two straps attached to the front of the upper portion, and a second set attached to the rear of the upper portion in such a way that when closed the first strap of the set overlaps the second strap of the set.
6. The equine boot of claim 5 wherein each of the straps of the first set has an end portion of an stretchable elastic material.
7. The equine boot of claim 5 wherein the straps attached to the front of the upper section attached to both sides thereto one half of a fabric loop and hook connector and straps attached on the rear having connected to both sides thereto the other half of a fabric hook and loop connector, said strap being from about one half to three inches in width.
8. The equine boot of claim 1 wherein the sole plate is made of an elastomer material having a Shore A hardness of between 55 and 75.
9. The equine boot of claim 1 wherein the bottom of the sole plate has a patterned bottom side and is sloped upward in the front at an angle of about five (5) to thirty (30) degrees from the bottom plane to allow the boot sole to rock forward when in use.
10. The equine boot of claim 1 wherein the slope begins at a point on the bottom of the sole plate twenty (20) to forty (40) percent of the length from front to rear of the sole plate.
11. The equine boot of claim 1 wherein the front and rear of the sole plate is sloped upward at an angle of from about five (5) to thirty (30) degrees from the bottom plane.
12. The equine boot of claim 1 wherein there is disposed at the top of the upper portion on the front and rear a padding means.
13. A method of treating laminitis in an affected horse comprising;
providing an equine boot comprising an upper section made from fabric shaped to fit around the hoof of a horse and of a height to reach above the hoof of the horse, comprising an upper portion, comprising a front, sides, rear and bottom that is attached to said front, sides and rear, wherein the front slopes back and upward, the sides are separated with a slit so that when the front and rear are pulled together there is an opening on each side; a fastening means at the top front and rear to fasten the front and rear together around the leg of a horse, and said bottom is attached to the front, sides and rear, and; a molded sole plate comprising an elastomer base entirely circumscribed by a peripheral wall defining a receiving area sized to fit over the bottom of the upper section providing a horizontal constraint for a deformable pad that may be placed inside said boot, said sole plate fitted over the bottom of the upper section and being securely attached to the lower circumference of the upper portion and wherein the bottom of the sole plate is sloped upward in the front at an angle of about five (5) to thirty (30) degrees from the bottom plane to allow the boot sole to rock forward when in use; and fitting a horse suffering with laminitis with said equine boot.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the pad is made of an elastomeric material and is tapered from front to back to form a sloping pad to force the hoof forward and down.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein the pad a duel density pad made of an elastomeric material.