The present invention relates to horseshoes and, in particular, to a horseshoe having various replaceable elements, e.g., a sole, calks and a snowguard, to suit varied riding conditions.
A horseshoe having a replaceable sole fabricated from an elastic material is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,068 to Jungerson. This horseshoe includes a basic part that is formed by drawing metal. The basic part forms a channel delimited by a base wall, an inner side wall and an outer side wall. Nail holes are provided in the base wall for fastening the basic part to the hoof with horseshoe nails. The side walls include a plurality of hooks that project into the channel and are spaced along the lower border of the side walls. The hooks are formed as one piece with the basic part. The horseshoe also includes a replaceable sole that consists of an elastic material. The sole is provided with a rear beading that is intended to be inserted into the channel. The rear beading has fastening cutouts into which the hooks of the basic part engage when the sole is inserted into the base part.
Hot-shoeing the conventional type of horseshoe that has an exchangeable sole, however, is possible over only a very limited range. Hot-shoeing is a process by which a basic part of a horseshoe that approximately matches the size of a particular hoof is heated such that it can be shaped to follow the contour of the hoof. Because this conventional horseshoe has a U-shaped cross section, the side walls are thin and tend to collapse inward or bow outward during the hot-shoeing process. Accordingly, the basic part of the conventional horseshoe must be provided in a great number of sizes and shapes to fit the range of horse hooves. In addition, the thinness of the basic part of the conventional horseshoe is not suitable for mounting special fittings to adapt the horseshoe to special conditions and requirements. Consequently, providing a horseshoe having replaceable elements that overcomes these drawbacks would be desirable.