Horseshoes of the kind in question are substantially U-shaped and include two sidelegs, which extend rearwards from a common front portion. The spikes may, per se, be permanently attached on the shoes, e. g. by welding, but they are usually dismountable. In the last-mentioned case, a suitable number of threaded holes are formed in the shoe, the spikes being formed with a head, as well as a threaded shaft which may be screwed into a selected hole in the shoe. Such horseshoes may, per se, include different number of spike holes, but generally, at least two holes are formed in the front portion in connection with which there usually also is a so-called toe cap.

When horses move on grounds covered by snow and ice, a problem is that the snow sticks into the interior of the hooves while forming growing snow lumps. When a snow lump in the individual hoof has grown so large that the same protrudes under the shoe attached on the hoof, a plurality of negative phenomena arise. One of these is that the supporting function of the plane horseshoe at tramping down is lost because the putting down of the hoof is done via the snow lump. In this way, the horse looses the body balancing ability thereof to a considerable extent. The horse simply becomes unsure irrespective of the move is carried out at pace, walking-pace, trot or gallop. Furthermore, the gripping ability of the spikes is deteriorated, at which the horse easily slips on the ground; something which may lead to accidents and damage, e. g. in joints and ligament.

Prior Art Within the blacksmith art, many attempts have previ- ously been. made to manage the above-mentioned problems. Thus,

in EP 0278204, DE 3909243 and US 3952807 snow-rejecting attach- ments for shoed hooves are described. However, it is common for said attachments that the same are fastened between the hoof and the shoe. This means that fastening and removal, respec- tively, of the attachments become intricate and may only be made by those skilled in the blacksmith art. Therefore, horse owners without knowledge of blacksmith cannot use such attach- ments in the day-to-day handling of the horse. Furthermore, the attachments give the shoes a tendency to come loose too fast from the hooves. Another disadvantage is that the attachments are worn out in a short time, and thereby causing large costs.

Furthermore, in EP 0280656 an attachment that is mountable on a horseshoe by means of spikes of the initially mentioned type is described. This attachment consists of a U- shaped rubber tube, inside which a likewise U-shaped, stiff holding clamp of metal is arranged that at rear free ends has loops, which may be fixed by the heads of two rear spikes. A disadvantage of this attachment, which moreover also is inher- ent in the attachments according to the above-mentioned patent publications, is that the attachment only joins to the interior of the horseshoe, i. e. the attachment is largely open and do not cover the free space between the two sidelegs of the horse- shoe. Another disadvantage of the attachment according to EP 0280656 is that the same has to be manufactured in different embodiments in order to suit horseshoes having different dimen- sions. Furthermore, the attachment requires a front tongue that is put in between the hoof and the shoe in order to carry the front part of the attachment.

By DE 210 290, a snow-rejecting horseshoe attachment of the initially kind generally mentioned is previously known.

However, in this case, the attachment plate consists of a steel plate, to which the two turnable fingers are connected via a pin as well as a bolt. In addition, the fingers are intended to be screwed on the rear part of the horseshoe, while the front end of the attachment plate is connected to the front part of the horseshoe via a nose fastened on the top side of the plate that should engage between the top side of the horseshoe and the hoof. A disadvantage of this attachment is that the same becomes heavy and clumsy, in addition to which the manufacture

becomes complicated and expensive, above all as a consequence of the attachment being put together by a plurality of differ- ent components.

Objects and Features of the Invention The present invention aims at obviating the above- mentioned disadvantages of previously known horseshoe attach- ments and at providing an improved attachment. Therefore, a primary object of the invention is to provide a horseshoe attachment that has a low weight and is simple and inexpensive to manufacture. Furthermore, the attachment should be capable of rejecting snow and in an efficient way be mounted and dis- mounted in a simple and smooth way on shoes having different spike patterns, also by such persons who are not skilled in the blacksmith art. An additional object is to create a horseshoe attachment, which may be series produced in a single basic design and then individually be adjusted to differently large horseshoes by the individual buyer/horse owner.

According to the invention, at least the primary object is attained by the features defined in the characteriz- ing clause of claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the horseshoe attachment according to the invention are furthermore defined in the dependent claims.

Brief Description of the Appended Drawings In the drawings: Fig 1 is a perspective view showing the attachment according to the invention regarded from a bottom side, Fig 2 is a perspective view of the same attachment regarded from the top side, Fig 3 is a partly cut side view showing the attachment in connection with a schematically illustrated hoof together with a shoe thereon, the attachment being spaced-apart from the shoe, Fig 4 is a side view corresponding to fig 3 showing the attachment mounted on the shoe, Fig 5 is a detailed view showing a portion of the attachment together with a fastening finger included therein,

Fig 6 is a planar view of only the fastening finger accord- ing to fig 5, Fig 7 is a planar view from below of a blank for forming an attachment according to the invention, Fig 8 is a planar view showing the blank according to fig 7 provisionally applied on a horseshoe, Fig 9 is an additional planar view from below showing a com- pleted attachment according to the invention, and Fig 10 is a planar view showing a surplus portion, which has been removed, from the blank according to figs 7 and 8 in order to form the attachment according to fig 9.

Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment of the Invention In figs 1 and 2, a snow-rejecting attachment accord- ing to the invention is visualised. Before this is described more in detail, reference is made to figs 3,4,8 and 9, in which a horseshoe 1 is shown. In a conventional way, this shoe is substantially U-shaped and includes two curved sidelegs 2, which extend rearwards from a front portion 3. The shoe is fas- tenable on the hoof of the horse by means of horseshoe-nails (not shown) which are tightened in quadrangular holes 4 in the shoe. In the shown shoe, which is intended for winter use, four threaded holes 5 for equally many spikes 6 are furthermore formed.

In fig 3 is shown how the individual spike 6 includes a shaft 7 formed with a male thread, which may be screwed into the hole 5, as well as a head 8, which advantageously has an acute shape. The top side of the shoe is designated 9, while the bottom side is designated 10. Furthermore, in fig 3 is shown how a toe cap 11 protrudes from the top side of the front, central portion 3 of the shoe.

In figs 3 and 4, the shoe is illustrated together with a schematically shown hoof 12. At 13, a ball is schemati- cally outlined, the height or level of which above the shoe varies individually between different horses.

Reference is now made to figs 1 and 2 that in per- spective show an attachment according to the invention in its entirety designated 14. The main part of said attachment con- sists of a plate 15, which at a front end has two projecting,

flat fingers 16, which are laterally turnable in relation to the plate and formed with front holes 17 for receipt of the threaded shafts 7 on the two front spikes 6 of the shoe. In fig 1, the bottom side of the plate 15 is shown, which side is des- ignated 18, while the top side, which is designated 19, is shown in fig 2.

The plate 15 is manufactured from plastic or a simi- lar material, suitable for casting, while the fingers 16 are made of metal. In practice, sheet metal of spring steel is pre- ferred. As is seen in fig 6, the individual finger includes, in addition to the front hole 17, a rear, circular hole 20, which is formed in a substantially ring-shaped rear portion 21. Via an interruption line 22, said rear portion is spaced apart from a front portion designated 23, which, as is seen in fig 3, extends at an obtuse angle in the forward direction/upwards from the rear portion. The obtuse angle between the two finger portions 21,23 may in practice be within the range of 170-175° and advantageously amount to 172°. It should also be noted that the front hole 17 has at least a slightly elongate shape.

The flexibility between the individual finger 16 and the plate 15 is provided in the following way: In connection with the casting of the plate, the plastic material fills out the rear hole 20 and extends over as well as under the rear portion of the finger. More precisely, the plastic is formed on the top side of the finger to a puck-like part 24, which pro- trudes a distance from the top side 19 of the plate 15 (see figs 2 and 3). Underneath the fingers, a supporting cap 25 extends, which extends forwards from the plate 15 in the exten- sion of the bottom side thereof. Against said supporting cap 25, the portions of the fingers 16 being situated behind the holes 17 support.

Rearwards from the thickened supporting cape 25, a long narrow ridge 26 extends on the bottom side of the plate.

In the example, said ridge extends along the entire length of the plate and tapers rearwards in respect of width as well as height. At tramping down the hoof, the snow is compressed in the area inside the inner edges of the shoe. In doing so, the ridge 26 thrust down into the snow and divides the same into

two halves, which easier come loose from the inner edges of the shoe.

On the top side of the plate, a cross-section-wise wedge-shaped bead 27 is formed that is shorter than the ridge 26.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the snow-rejecting attachment is designed in the form of a blank, the width of which is greater than the inner width of the largest horseshoe in a given horseshoe assortment. Thus, in figs 7 and 8 is seen how the attachment plate 15 at least in the rear part thereof has a greater width than the width of the horseshoe 1, such as this is calculated between the inner edges 28 of the sidelegs 2. The plastic being used in the attachment plate is advantageously transparent and has a smooth or flush surface at least on the bottom side. As a consequence of the plastic being transparent, the inner contour of the horseshoe is drawn on the bottom side of the plate, e. g. with a lead pen- cil. Thus, a lead line is shown at 29 in fig 7. When the con- tour shape of the shoe has been drawn, the surplus material illustrated in fig 10 is sheared or cut away, whereby the plate gets a shape corresponding to the shape of the individual horseshoe, as is shown in fig 9. More precisely, the ready- shaped plate 15 is housed inside the shoe, with the outer edges of the plate situated in the immediate proximity of the inner edges 28 of the horseshoe.

Function and Advantages of the Attachment According to the Invention When the initially large blank according to fig 7 has been cut out and given a shape individually adapted to the individual horseshoe, the attachment is fastened on the shoe.

This is carried out by the two fingers 16 being aligned in such a way that the holes 17 are located in flush with the two front holes 5 in the shoe. After this, the two front spikes 6 is screwed into the last-mentioned hole, the fingers being pressed in between the bottom side of the shoe and the spike heads 8.

As is seen in fig 9, also other spikes may be screwed in with- out obstruction by the attachment, because the same is accommo- dated inside the sidelegs of the shoe. Furthermore, as is seen

in fig 4, the attachment plate 15 will be tilted in the direc- tion upwards/rearwards in relation to the plane of the shoe, when the front portions 23 of the fastening fingers are pressed against the bottom side of the shoe by means of the spike heads. In this state, the plate 15 may be elastic. If the obtuse angle between the front and rear portions 23 and 21, respectively, of the fingers amounts to 172°, the plate 15 may form an angle within the range of 0-8° in relation to the plane of the shoe, the actual angle being determined by the contact point between the ball 13 of the individual hoof and the rear part of the plate (see fig 4). When the horse tramps down the individual hoof, the ball and other internal, fleshy parts of the hoof (the frog and the elastic pot) will press down the rear part of the plate somewhat in relation to the plane of the shoe. Furthermore, the flexible plate may bend backwards and forwards in the part that extends between the front attachment and the rear contact point against the ball. Thus, snow tending to find its way via the open part in the shoe, is pressed out by the resilient plate. Because of the periphery edges of the plate abutting with close fit against the inner edge of the shoe, the plate covers substantially the entire space in the shoe and for that reason efficiently counteracts penetration of snow into the interior of the hoof. Furthermore, the snow- rejecting effect of the plate is enhanced if the surface of the plastic plate is flush. In this way, the snow does not stick onto the plate.

A substantial advantage of the attachment according to the invention is that the same substantially completely fills out the opening in the horseshoe in order to, in this way, efficiently counteract penetration of snow in the interior of the hoof. Another advantage is that the attachment may be mounted and dismounted by simple screwing of the two front spikes of the shoe. In this connection, it should be particu- larly pointed out that the attachment does not require any fas- tening member stuck in between the shoe and the hoof, since the attachment in its entirety is clamped to the shoe only via the fingers attached in front on the shoe. An additional advantage is that the attachment may be series produced in a single stan- dard embodiment, which after purchase may be individually

adjusted to horseshoes of highly varying shapes. In this con- nection, the turnability of the fastening fingers is of a cru- cial importance so far that the same enables fastening on shoes of highly varying hole images, i. e. varying arc length between the front holes of the shoes intended for the spikes.

Feasible Modifications of the Invention The invention is not solely restricted to the embodi- ment example described above and shown in the drawings. As has been initially mentioned, the spikes on winter shoes may be permanently fixed on the shoes, usually by welding. At attach- ments for such shoes, the turnable fastening fingers may be formed in another way than with holes for connection with the spikes. For instance, the front ends of the fingers may be formed with fork-like lugs.