GB2389297A

GB2389297A - Anti-cribbing nuzzle device

Info

Publication number: GB2389297A
Application number: GB0313112A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ian Mercer
Original assignee: YOUR HORSE S HAPPINESS Ltd
Current assignee: YOUR HORSE S HAPPINESS Ltd
Priority date: 2002-06-08
Filing date: 2003-06-06
Publication date: 2003-12-10
Also published as: AU2003244786A1; GB0213216D0; WO2003103381A1; GB0313112D0

Abstract

The device 1 comprises a roller 2 which is locatable at or adjacent a component otherwise accessible by an animal, such as a horse, to prevent or distract the animal from damaging such component. Particularly, the nuzzle device 1 is used with stable door structures 6 or vertical frames 8 to prevent a horse from cribbing. The roller may have a smooth, textured or grooved surface and may be mounted to allow movement between in-use and non-use positions.

Description

( NOZZLE DEVICE

DESCRIPTION

This invention relates to a nozzle device for preventing animals, such as horses, from chewing or otherwise damaging components, such as doors and other fittings, of premises or other structures in which the animals are housed or otherwise associated.

When housed in a stable, some horses demonstrate a behavioural problem whereby they tend to engage in an activity known as "crib-biting" or "cribbing" which involves the horses chewing the top edges of the 15 bottom halves of their wooden stable doors.

The horses might chew or otherwise expose areas within the stable and some horses kept in a pasture or paddock may exhibit the same behavioural problem by 20 chewing fences.

In most instances, however, the top edges of the bottom halves of the stable doors are at a suitable height to become the target of such behaviour. Also, 25 it has been suggested that this activity is prompted by boredom and a dislike of being confined in a stable, rather than being allowed to graze in the open. As a consequence, the tendency for this to occur when horses are kept in stables is higher than 0 for horses allowed to graze in more open areas.

-2 This activity of crib-biting or cribbing by horses obviously causes damage to the stable doors and can also cause the horses internal problems if they ingest the wood splinters pulled away from the top edges of the bottom halves of their stable doors.

Horses which persist in this practice will eventually degrade a stable door to the point where it requires to be repaired or replaced.

10 It is an object of the present invention to provide a nuzzle device which prevents, or at least substantially reduces, the chance of an animal, such as a horse, damaging a component, such as a stable door or outer frame therefor, or other structures 15 accessible by the animal.

Accordingly, one aspect of the invention resides in a nuzzle device comprising an element, preferably movable, which is arranged to be located at or 20 adjacent a component otherwise accessible by an animal, to prevent or distract the animal from damaging such component.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method 25 of preventing or distracting an animal, such as a horse, from damaging a component otherwise accessible by the animal, which method comprises providing a nuzzle device including an element, preferably movable, and locating the element at or adjacent the 30 component.

-3 With the nuzzle device in accordance with the one aspect of the invention defined above or the associated method in accordance with the other aspect of the invention defined above, the element, which is preferably movable, may comprise a roller or other rotatable element which can be secured to the bottom half of, say, a stable door at or adjacent the top edge thereof and for rotation about an axis lying generally parallel to that top edge.

Additionally or alternatively, one or more of the movable elements, for example, the roller mentioned above, may be attached to the vertical frame of, say, a stable door above the top edge of the bottom half 15 thereof. With a roller, one may be attached to each side of the door frame for rotation about a respective axis lying generally parallel thereto, for example, a generally vertical axis.

20 The outer surface of the roller may be smooth but is preferably textured, for example, by having axial grooves extending along the length thereof.

The element, in whatever form it takes, may be 25 mounted for movement between in-use and non-use positions. This is particularly advantageous when the element, for example, the roller(s) discussed above, is associated with the top edge of the bottom half of a stable door when in use. In this manner, the roller lo can be moved from its in-use position into its non-use position below, say, the top edge of the bottom half

of the stable door, so that the top half of the door can be closed.

Similarly, any such roller(s) associated with the frame of, say, a stable door can be moved from its in-

use position to its non-use position inside that frame, again so that the top half of the stable door can be closed.

10 Preferably, such movement between the in-use and non-use positions of the element is pivotal.

The invention further provides, in combination, a stable door and a vertical frame therefor, and a 15 nuzzle device in accordance with the one aspect of the invention defined above, or any modifications thereof, the device being secured to the bottom half of the stable door at or adjacent the top edge thereof or being attached to one or both sides of the vertical 20 frame above the top edge of the bottom half of the door. In order that the invention may be more fully understood, a nuzzle device in accordance therewith 5 will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanied drawings in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view of a nuzzle device associated with a stable door; SO Figure 2 is a diagrammatic elevational view of three nozzle devices associated with a stable door;

- s - Figure 3 is a sectional end view of a roller employed in the devices of Figures 1 and Z; Figure 4 is a sectional elevational view of the roller shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a diagrammatic elevational view of the roller of Figures 3 and 4 shown in its in-use and non-use positions; and Figure 6 is a partial view of one end of the roller shown in Figure 5, in its non-use position in more detail.

As shown in Figure 1, a nuzzle device, indicated generally at 1, comprises a roller element 2 which is mounted adjacent the top edge 4 of the inside of the bottom half 6 of a stable door.

9() The roller element 2 is shaped and dimensioned to span substantially the full width of the bottom half of the stable door and has a diameter of 200mm which is greater than the average open mouth size of a 25 horse, thereby protecting the top edge 4 of the bottom half of the stable door from crib-biting or cribbing by a horse.

The roller element 2 is constructed from a o metal, preferably aluminium, but could be made of any suitable material.

-6 The roller element 2 is rotatable about an axis generally parallel to the top edge 4 of the bottom half 6 of the stable door when nuzzled by a horse, therefore preventing or distracting the horse from damaging the bottom door half 6 to which the roller element 2 is attached.

Figure 2 shows an embodiment of the invention wherein two further roller elements 2 are attached to lo respective ones of the vertical frames 8 of a stable door above the top edge 4 of the bottom half thereof.

The roller elements 2t can be rotated about generally vertical axes, in addition to the roller element 2 which is rotatable about a generally horizontal axis, IS as described above in relation to Figure 1.

Figures 3 and 4 show that the outer surface, indicated generally at 10, of each roller element 2, 2 is textured by having axial grooves 12 extending along 20 the length thereof. Each axial groove 12 is preferably 1.5mm deep by 3mm wide. Twenty-five such axial grooves 12 are arranged equidistant from one another such that they are spaced angularly around the roller element 2, 2i preferably at 25mm intervals.

- Figures 5 and 6 show one end of the roller element 2 mounted on a pivotable arm 14 and a bracket 16 to the inside of a bottom stable door 6. The bracket 16 is fixed slightly below the top edge 4 of 0 the inside of the bottom half 6 of the stable door by woodscrews 18.

-7 Each end of the roller element 2 is rotatably mounted to one end of the pivotable arm 14 which, in turn, is pivotally mounted at its other end to the bracket 16 fixed to the bottom half 6 of the stable boor. The roller element 2, when mounted in this manner, can move between an upper in-use position, generally indicated at 20, and a lower non-use lo position, indicated generally at 22, by pivoting on the pivoting arms 14 about an axis 30 of the brackets 16. In its in-use position 20, the roller element 2 15 sits above the top edge 4 of the bottom stable door 6, such that it can be nuzzled by a horse, thus preventing damage to the actual door.

In its non-use position 22, the roller element 2 20 lies below the top edge 4 of the bottom half 6 of the stable door, so that the top half of the door (not shown) can be closed. When in the non-use position 22, a stop 24 attached to the underside of the pivotable arm 14 prevents the roller element 2 from 3> contacting the bottom stable door 6. This means that a horse can still rotate the element 2 when the stable door is shut.

The pivotable arms 14 are dog-leg in shape, being o bent at position a such that, when in the in-use position 20, the roller element 2 is positioned with

- 8. its centre of gravity just outside the stable to give it stability. When in the non-use position 22, the stop 24 contacts the door preventing the roller element from touching the door.

Similarly, roller elements 2 associated with the vertical frames 8 of a stable door, as shown in Figure 2, can be moved from an in-use position 20 to a non-

use position inside or outside the vertical frames 8, lo allowing closure of the top half of the stable door (not shown).

Thus, it can be seen that the invention provides a nuzzle device which prevents a horse from engaging 15 in crib-biting or cribbing behaviour manifested by chewing the top edge of the bottom half of a stable door which would otherwise degrade the appearance and functional integrity of the door, as well as causing health problems for the horse itself.

Further, it is to be appreciated that the invention also provides a stable door or other structure with a nuzzle device in accordance with the invention associated therewith.

Claims

1. A nuzzle device comprising an element, preferably movable, which is arranged to be located at or 5 adjacent a component otherwise accessible by an animal, to prevent or distract the animal from damaging such component.

2. A device according to claim l, wherein the 10 element comprises a roller or other rotatable element.

3. A device according to claim l or 2, wherein the element can be secured to the bottom half of a stable door at or adjacent the top edge thereof.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein the element comprises a roller or other rotatable element rotatable about an axis lying generally parallel to the top edge of the bottom half of the door to which 20 the roller or other rotatable element is secured in use.

5. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein one or more of the elements are attachable to 25 the vertical frame of a stable door above the top edge of the bottom half thereof.

6. A device according to claim 5, wherein an element is attachable to each side of the door frame.

JO

7. A device according to claim 6, wherein each element is rotatable about a respective axis lying

- ID -

generally parallel to the side of the door frame to which the element is attached in use.

8. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the element comprises a roller or other rotatable element whose outer surface is smooth.

9. A device according to any of claims l to 7, wherein the element comprises a roller or other lo rotatable element whose outer surface is textured.

10. A device according to claim 9, wherein the roller or other rotatable element has axial grooves extending along the length of the outer surface thereof.

ll. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the element is mountable for movement between in-use and non-use positions.

20

12. A device according to claim 11, wherein such movement between the in-use and the non-use positions of the element is pivotal.

13. A nuzzle device substantially as hereinbefore 25 described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

14. A method of preventing or distracting an animal, such as a horse, from damaging a component otherwise accessible by the animal, which method comprises 30 providing a nozzle device including an element, preferably movable, and locating the element at or adjacent the component.

- 1 1

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the element comprises a roller or other rotatable element.

16. A method according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the À element is secured to the bottom half of a stable door at or adjacent the top edge thereof.

17. A method according to claim 14, 15 or 16, wherein the element is attached to the vertical frame of a lo stable door above the top edge of the bottom half thereof.

18. A method according to any of claims 14 to 17, wherein an element is attached to each side of the 15 frame.

19. A method according to any of claims 14 to 18, wherein the element comprises a roller or other rotatable element provided with a smooth outer 20 surface.

20. A method according to any of claims 14 to 18, wherein the element comprises a roller or other rotatable element provided with an outer surface which 25 is textured.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the textured outer surface of the roller or other rotatable element is provided by axial grooves (, extending along the length thereof.

( -12

22. A method according to any of claims 14 to 21, wherein the element is movable reciprocally between in-use and non-use positions, preferably in a pivotal manner. -

23. A method of preventing or distracting a horse from damaging a component otherwise accessible by the horse, substantially as hereinbefore described.

10

24. In combination, a stable door and a vertical frame therefor, and a nuzzle device according to any of claims 1 to 13, which device is secured to the bottom half of a stable door at or adjacent the top edge thereof or is attached to one or both sides of 15 the vertical frame above the top edge of the bottom half of the stable door.