TECHNICAL FIELD This invention relates to a locating sock for livestock.

BACKGROUND ART A horse's hoof has a sole which is prone to injury, bruising or a puncture wound when the horse puts the hoof down on a hard projecting object such as a stone. Any resulting injury to, or bruising of, the sole is commonly treated by the application of a hot poultice. Currently the positioning and securing in place of the poultice requires a high degree of manipulative skill including keeping the hoof of the animal raised to give clear access to the sole of the hoof, placing a hot poultice on the sole, securing the poultice in place by bandaging, providing any protective padding, and taping over the resulting dressed region. A water proof shield such as a plastic bag is often included as an outer layer for the dressing.

A conventional period for leaving a poultice in place is about twelve hours and the treatment is maintained for some three days (72 hours). During that period, with the horse able to move about, the dressing has to serve a number of purposes including (but not limited to) retaining the poultice closely in place, resisting random impacts on the dressing arising from contact of the dressed leg with an external object; and resisting any tendency on a part of the hoof, which can include an attached horse shoe, to cut or otherwise pass through the dressing from the inside. DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided a locating sock for use on the leg of a hoofed animal to provide for the positioning and retention of a pad or other item at a particular location at or near the end of the leg comprising: a sole element a tubular surround, with a first longitudinal axis, extending from a periphery of the sole element so that the combination of the sole element and the surround together provide a cup shaped unit with sides conforming to an external profile of the sides of a hoof of an animal for which the sock is to be used, the surround having a first end bounded by the sole element and a second end by a first boundary; a tubular sleeve with a second longitudinal axis extending from the first boundary to an upper boundary for the sock; the sleeve being adapted to provide a variable length inner periphery perpendicular to the second longitudinal axis so that the overall periphery of the combination perpendicular to the second longitudinal axis can be varied between an long configuration, where the overall periphery is made up made up of a perimeter of the sleeve plus an additional perimeter; and a short configuration, wherein the overall periphery is made up, or predominantly made up, of the perimeter of the sleeve alone; and closing means providing for the sleeve to be maintained in its long or short or in an intermediate configuration wherein the overall periphery of the combination is greater than that of the perimeter of sleeve alone but less than that of the perimeter of the sleeve plus an additional perimeter.

According to a first preferred version of the present the sleeve is provided with a gusset extending at least part way along the length of the sleeve between the first boundary and the upper boundary for the sock; the gusset serving to provide the additional perimeter; the sleeve and gusset providing a combination so that the sp that the long combination where the overall periphery of the combination perpendicular to the second longitudinal axis can be varied between the long configuration where the overall periphery of the combination is made up of a perimeter of the sleeve plus a perimeter of the gusset and the short configuration wherein the overall periphery of the combination is predominantly made up of the perimeter of the sleeve alone.

According to a second preferred version of the present invention the sleeve is provided with a slot extending at least part way along the length of the sleeve between the first boundary and the upper boundary for the sock; the slot serving to provide a clearance defining the additional perimeter; the sleeve and slot providing a combination so that the overall periphery of the combination perpendicular to the second longitudinal axis can be varied between the long configuration where the overall periphery of the combination is made up of a perimeter of the sleeve plus a clearance established by the slot and the short configuration wherein the overall periphery of the combination is made up of the perimeter predominantly of the sleeve alone.

According to a third preferred version of the present invention or of any preceding preferred version thereof the closing means comprise two or more discrete fastening devices located along the length of the sleeve with gaps between each device.

According to a fourth preferred version of the present invention or of any preceding preferred version thereof the closing means is of the hook and loop type.

According to a fifth preferred version of the present invention or of any preceding preferred version thereof the includes access means whereby an inner side of the sole element can be accessed in a direction other than along the first axis whether or not the sock is located on a leg of an animal.

According to a sixth preferred version of the present invention or of any preceding preferred version thereof the sleeve is adapted to accurately locate and retain a pad or other dressing against a predetermined position on a leg of an animal BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of a locating sock of which: Figure 1 is a perspective view; Figure 2 is a sectional view of the sock on axis II-II of Figure 1 with components in a first configuration; Figure 3 is a similar view to that of Figure 2 except that it shows the components in a second configuration; and Figure 4 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the invention.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Figure 1 shows a locating sock 11 in use on leg 12 of a hoofed animal, in this case a horse, to locate a poultice 13 at a particular location at or near the end of the leg 12. In this case the location is the sole 14 of hoof 15.

The sock 11 includes a sole element 16, of a plastics material, with an inner surface 16' .

A surround 17 of tubular form and of a relatively flexible plastics material is welded to perimeter 18 of the sole element 16 and extends upwardly from the perimeter 18 to waist 19. The surround has a longitudinal axis Sl. The combination of the sole element 16 and the surround 17 provide a cup shaped unit with sides conforming relatively closely to external profile of the sides of the hoof 15. The inwardly tapering conical side of the hoof and its non-circular horizontal cross-section ensures that once located around the hoof the surround 17 resists attempts to rotate around the hoof nor does it drop from it. In this way the sole element 16 serves to securely hold the poultice 13 in place. The surround 17 can be of elasticated material. It is envisaged that in practice the sock will be stocked in a range of sizes to ensure that for a given application the selected sock will have a surround conforming reasonably closely to the hoof to which it is to be applied. From waist 19 a tubular sleeve 20 with a longitudinal axis A extends to top 21 of the sock 11. The sleeve 20 has incorporated in it a longitudinal gusset 22 providing a sleeve 20/ gusset 22 combination whose overall periphery in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A can be varied anywhere between a long and a short configuration and securely and demountably held in a chosen position. The sleeve 20 is provided with three hook and eye tape links Tl, T2, T3 of a type commercially available under the brand name 'VELCRO' (RTM).

Figure 2 shows a section of leg 12 of the horse with the sock 11 in an open position where local working periphery Pl around the leg 12 is made up of the periphery PS of the sleeve 20 and the periphery PG of the extended gusset 22.

Figure 3 shows the sock in its fully closed, working, position around the leg 12 of the horse. In this case working periphery P2 is effectively made up predominantly by the periphery PS of sleeve 20 alone with little or no contribution from the gusset 22. This working configuration is demountably secured in place by means of tape links Tl, T2 and T3.

It will be apparent that a working periphery can be readily established at any intermediate position between peripheries Pl and P2. Thus if a dressing is also to be held in place on the side of leg 12 of the horse then the working perimeter of the sleeve/gusset combination will need to be longer than would be the cases in the absence of the dressing.

To readily apply a poultice a conventional poultice is heated and, depending on the size of the hoof to be dressed, the appropriate size of sock is selected from a range of available sizes. The sock 11 is prepared by opening the sleeve 20 to its fully open configuration with the tapes Tl to T3 left unclosed. The heated poultice is placed in the sock 11 to seat on inner side 16' of sole element 16. The leg 12 of the horse is then raised and the hoof 15 turned to expose the sole 14. The sock 11 containing the heated poultice, with gusset 22 in its open configuration, is then readily drawn over the hoof 15 and the sleeve 20 and gusset 22 are drawn up the leg to enable the surround 17 to be closely positioned around the hoof 15 with the poultice against the sole 14. The gusset 22 is then readily drawn up to ensure that the sock 11 is drawn closely around leg 12 and the tape links Tl, T2, T3 are manipulated and pressed home so as to hold the sleeve/gusset combination in place on the leg 12. If desired once in place on the leg further taping can be applied between the sock 20 and the leg 12.

The dressed hoof can then be placed back on the ground to mobility to the horse. The dressed hoof is checked each time the poultice is replaced.

As presently envisaged the sock is intended for one-time use. However a more permanent version can be readily provided which is capable of re-use following cleaning.

The sleeve 20 can also be used to locate in place a dressing for application to other parts of the leg 12 apart from the sole 14. Thus a pad could be pinned or otherwise secured to the inside of the sleeve 20 so that when the sock is closed the pad is driven, and held in contact with a selected portion of the leg covered by the sleeve. The ad can be medicated or merely serve as a protective pad.

Apart from functioning as an injury dressing the sock 11 can also be used as a protective shoe covering for each hoof of a horse for example while travelling or in the event of the horse being likely to walk over a surface or material which could be slippery or a source of abrasion, infection or contamination. For this purpose the sock can have a resilient pad located on the inner surface of each sole element.

Figure 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention similar to that shown in Figure 1 but further including access means whereby an inner side of the sole element can be accessed in a direction other than along the first axis (and even when the sock is already located on leg 12' of a horse). Items shown in Figure 4 which are similar in form and function to those shown in Figure 1 are given the same reference with the addition of an apostrophe. In this case sock 11' is shown in position with sleeve 20' and gusset 22' drawn together around leg 12' and held in place in that working configuration by tape links Tl, T2, T3 as described earlier.

Rear end R of sole element 116 is provided with a slot 117 around a section of perimeter 18'. The slot 117 can be closed water tightly by means of an integral lip and slot seal 118. This embodiment provides for access to the sole 14' f or example for inspection or further dressing without needing to remove the sick. In the exemplary embodiments the surround 17 and sleeve 20 are identified as separate components since their functions differ. The surround 17 serves to locate the sock securely around the hoof of an animal and the sleeve 20, in combination with gusset 22, to allow for ready access to the interior of the surround and any contents. However for practical purposes the surround and sleeve could be fabricated as a single component, In addition the gusset need not necessarily be limited to the sleeve section of the sock but could extend into the surround.

The above embodiments make use of a gusset 22, 22' to provide for a variable peripheral length for the sleeve around the leg. Apart from anything else the provision of the gusset ensures that the sock in use is effectively waterproof along its length. Where a waterproof dressing is deemed unnecessary then a sock in which a gusset is replaced by a slot or gap of variable size so that the working periphery can be varied between a short configuration provided by the sleeve predominantly in its own and a long configuration provided by means of the sleeve along with any further space that is needed provided by the slot or gap to give the required overall peripheral length. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention provides a readily used means in the form of a sock for applying a poultice to the leg of an animal such as a horse. The invention covers various configurations of sock. The exemplary embodiments have been described in terms of a locating sock for a horse. However the concept is also applicable to other hoofed animals such as cattle or goats.