GB2250196A - Hoof hardeners and waterproofers - Google Patents

Abstract

Hoof hardeners and waterproofers for applying to hooves especially those of horses contain a water soluble aluminium salt and an aldehyde. The aldehyde can be formaldehyde or glutaraldehyde whilst the aluminium salt may be the chloride or oxychloride.

Description

HOOF HARDENERS, WATERPROOFERS AND METHODS The present invention relates to hoof hardeners, waterproofers and methods. The hooves may be those of horses.

Referring to figure 1, (which shows a ground view of a horse's hoof in partly cut away section), the hoof is a dense horny covering at the end of a horse's digit and the term foot is used to describe the hoof and all the structures contained within it. The hoof which comprises the wall 10, sole 12, frog 14 and periople 16 is a continuation of the superficial layers of the skin and it comprises keratin, the tough fibrous sulphur-containing protein. The hoof encases the internal or sensitive foot which comprises the sensitive laminae 18, sensitive sole 20, sensitive frog 22, perioplic corium 24 and coronary corium 26. The internal foot is derived from the deep layers of the skin.

The hoof is a complex structure. Any disease or malfunction of the hoof generally renders a horse lame and useless for the use by man. Xenophon 400 B.C.

recognized this and wrote that the examination of the horse should start with the feet "for just as a house would be useless, even if the upper parts were in excellent condition, if the foundations were not properly laid, so too would a war horse, even if his other parts were good, be valueless if he had bad feet.

For then he could make no use of his good qualities".

The hoof, like a human nail is a continually growing structure. However, the use of horses on, for example, tarmac roads causes the hoof to wear away at a rate faster than it can grow. It is for this reason that horses are shod. The Celts started the practice of horseshoeing. However, the techniques used, and knowledge applied today, have changed little from a time when horses were principally used as a means of transport. In contrast however, the major use of the horse nowadays is as an athlete. Therefore it is desirable to avoid any practices which perhaps adversely affect a horse's health and performance.

The application of a shoe to a horse's hoof has many disadvantageous consequences.

Firstly, a shoe is applied to a hoof by passing a plurality of nails through the shoe and through the wall of the hoof. These nails can weaken and even break down the wall of the hoof. Furthermore, in driving the nails through the wall, a farrier may accidentally press on, or even prick, the sensitive structures encased within the hoof. This may cause infection and lameness.

Secondly, an important function of the horse's foot is the reduction of concussion and the avoidance of slippage. A shoe applied to a horses foot hinders these functions. Continual concussion can lead to degenerative and arthritic conditions in the skeletal system of the leg. Slippage can lead to accidents with disastrous consequences.

In view of the above, it is desirable to not shoe a horse at all. To date this has not been possible, because of the wear imposed upon horses hooves.

Stabling can also adversely affect hoof condition. This is because confinement leads to a situation in which horses may be left standing in their own faeces and urine. This can lead to a softening and general degeneration of the hoof. In view of this it is desirable to protect the hoof from the harmful effects of the stable environment by strengthening/hardening and/or waterproofing them.

The applicant now provides a composition which ameliorates any of the above or other problems. The composition provided is for application to hooves and in particular to those of horses. Surprisingly, the composition appears to strengthen and harden the horse's hooves. The horses no longer have to be shod, as the strengthened and hardened hooves show a reduced rate of wear for a given work load as compared to an untreated horse. The composition can of course, be applied to shod hooves to strengthen and harden them.

A strong, hard hoof provides a better surface for fixing a shoe to, than one which is weak and soft.

The present invention provides a composition comprising a water soluble aluminium salt and an aldehyde for application to a hoof. The water soluble aluminium salt may provide a chloride value. The salt may be aluminium chloride or an aluminium oxychloride.

The aldehyde may comprise formaldehyde. The aldehyde may comprise glutaraldehyde. Other aldehydes not specifically mentioned herein may be equally effective.

The composition may also comprise one or more further substances. These may be excipients, moisturisers or the like. For example, the composition may additionally comprise glycerol, methanol, water and surgical spirit. The aldehyde may be provided in combination with water. For example, where the aldehyde is formaldehyde. formalin may be used.

Preferably, the aldehyde should comprise not greater than 15t of the composition. The aluminium chloride may be provided as a hydrate eg. as a hexahydrate.

The present invention also provides a method of using a water soluble aluminium salt eg. aluminium chloride and an aldehyde eg. formaldehyde or glutaraldehyde to prepare a formulation for application to a hoof.

The present invention also provides a product containing a first composition as discussed above, together with a second composition comprising a salt of a fatty acid wherein both of said compositions are provided for separate and sequential application to a hoof, to render said hoof water repellant. The said salt of a fatty acid may be sodium stearate.

The present invention also provides a method of using a salt of a fatty acid to prepare a product for application to a hoof, to render said hoof water repellant.

The present invention also provides a method which comprises applying a composition or a product as discussed above to a hoof.

The present invention also provides a method of treating a hoof of an animal to make the hoof water repellant, which comprises applying a composition having a water soluble aluminium salt to the hoof. The aluminium salt may have a chloride value. The aluminium salt may be aluminium chloride or an aluminium oxychloride.

In order that the present invention is more fully understood, embodiments will now be described in more detail by way of example only and not by way of limitation. Reference is made to the following figures in which: Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic ground view of a horse's hoof in partly cut away section; and Figure 2 shows a diagrammatic side view of a horse's hoof.

COMPOSITION 1 A composition according to the present invention has the formulation shown below.

Aluminium chloride hexahydrate 500 g Glycerol 1000 g Water 6000 g Formalin (36.6% w/w formaldehyde and 7.3% w/w methanol) 2000 g Surgical spirit (denatured ethanol) 500 g COMPOSITION 2 Aluminium chloride hexahydrate 500 g Glycerol 1000 g Water 6000 g Glutaraldehyde (50 w/w aqueous solution) 800 g Surgical spirit (denatured ethanol) 500 g The components of the compositions are simply mixed together to form a solution.

The composition is applied to that portion of the outer wall 10 of the hoof which comes into contact with the ground and which lies just outside of the white line 28. The composition may also be applied to the sole 12 and to the approximate lower region 30 of the wall as shown in figure 2. The composition should not be applied to the frog 14 as it is desirable that this structure retains its elasticity, nor should it be allowed to come into contact with the coronary band 31 (fig. 2).

The composition is to be applied regularly for example once a week.

STRENGTH AND HARDNESS EVALUATION DATA ON COMPOSITION 1 STRENGTH EVALUATION Strips of horn 40mm x 5mm were cut from adjacent sectors of the same freshly-slaughtered horse's hoof and clamped in a mass-loaded purpose-built tensitometer. The sections were treated with the composition by painting it on to a penetration of approximately 3-4 mm and then leaving for varying times before testing. Those sections treated with the composition showed the following mean increases in failure load, compared with untreated strips: Time after Treatment Increase 1 hr 7% 6 hrs 10% 12 hrs 12% 24 hrs 14% 48 hrs - 1 week 16% HARDNESS EVALUATION A standard Brinell steel ball test was devised, in which a lOmm steel ball was forced at constant pressure into freshly-slaughtered horses' hooves.The hooves were treated with the composition by painting it on and then leaving for various times before testing.

The point of application was the apex of the toe, 5mm above the bearing surface of the hoof. After treatment with the composition, the mean increase in hardness of the treated hooves in comparison with the untreated, was observed to be: Time after Treatment Increase 1 hr 5% 6 hrs 7% 12 hrs 10% 24 hrs 10% 48 hrs - 1 week 10% The applicant considers that the composition causes hardening of the hoof by the condensation of active hydrogen with the aldehyde to form crosslinkages with the keratin molecules. The active hydrogen may be provided by certain substantially adjacent groups such as -NH2, -NH and -SH in keratin.

The bridges may be created between groups present on the same polypeptide chain, in which case the bridges stabilise the structure of that chain. Alternatively, the bridges may be created between groups present on the different polypeptides which comprise the plaited rope structure of keratin. In this way, the plaited rope structure is stabilised. The applicant also considers that aluminium chloride catalyses the reaction of the aldehyde with the reactive groups on the keratin molecules, and that the aluminium chloride forms a co-ordination compound with nitrogen atoms in the keratin, thus providing further physical stability to the structure of the molecules.

The composition can also confer water-repellant properties to hoof. When the treated hoof is exposed to ammonia generated by the decomposition of urine in stables, yards or pastures, the ammonia reacts with the aluminium chloride to form a gelatinous deposit of aluminium hydroxide within the pores of the hoof. This makes the hoof water-repellant and helps to prevent the ingress of ammonia or urea in water solution. Ammonia, and particularly urea, damage the keratin of the hoof by breaking the hydrogen bonds which hold keratin molecules together. Thus, the aluminium chloride, by its ability to react with any ammonia at the surface of the hoof, confers the beneficial property of making the hoof water repellant, in addition to the strengthening and hardening effects. This water repellency effect is not dependent upon the aldehyde used.Indeed, where only a waterproofing effect is desired, the compositions need not contain an aldehyde at all. They need only have as effective ingredient, a water soluble aluminium salt eg. aluminium chloride or an aluminium oxychloride.

Water repellency effect can also be achieved by applying a soap eg, sodium stearate to the hoof after application of a composition containing a water soluble aluminium salt eg. aluminium chloride. In which case for example, the chloride groups as provided by the aluminium chloride now integrated into the hoof structure, are replaced with stearate groups. This is a double decomposition reaction resulting in the creation of an aluminium salt of a fatty acid. Such aluminium salts are hydrophobic and repel water. Thus, this treatment renders a hoof water repellant.

Although the above discussion has largely concerned horses hooves, the compositions, products and methods may also be applied to the hooves of other species

Claims (13)

CLAIMS:

1. A hoof hardening composition for applying to a hoof which comprises a water soluble aluminium salt and an aldehyde.

2. A composition according to claim 1 wherein the aluminium salt provides a chloride value.

3. A composition according to claim 1 wherein the aluminium salt is aluminium chloride or an aluminium oxychloride.

4. A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the aldehyde is glutaraldehyde or formaldehyde.

5. A composition according to any one of the preceding claims which comprises aluminium chloride, glycerol, water, formaldehyde or glutaraldehyde and surgical spirit.

6. A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5 which comprises an excipient and/or moisturiser.

7. A product containing a composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5 together with a further composition comprising a salt of a fatty acid, wherein both of said compositions are provided for separate and sequential application to a hoof to make it water repellant.

8. A product according to claim 7 wherein the salt of a fatty acid is sodium stearate.

9. A method of using a soluble aluminium salt and an aldehyde to prepare a composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6, or to prepare a product according to claim 7 or claim 8 for application to a hoof to strengthen and/or harden it.

10. A method of using a composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and a salt of a fatty acid to prepare a product according to claim 7 or claim 8 for application to a hoof to make it water repellant.

11. A method of treating a hooved animal to strengthen/harden a hoof which comprises applying a composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6 to a hoof of that animal.

12. A method of treating a hooved animal to strengthen/harden and waterproof a hoof which comprises applying a product according to claim 7 or claim 8 to a hoof of that animal.

13. A product substantially as provided herein with reference to the examples.

13. A method of treating a hoof of an animal to make the hoof water repellant, which comprises applying a composition having a water soluble aluminium salt to the hoof.

14. A composition substantially as provided herein with reference to the examples.