GB2611505A

GB2611505A - Polymer studs

Info

Publication number: GB2611505A
Application number: GB2104434.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Charlotte Kelly Eleanore; Motesharei Arash; Barton Mark
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2021-03-29
Filing date: 2021-03-29
Publication date: 2023-04-12
Also published as: GB2610670A; GB202104434D0; GB202204501D0

Abstract

A polymer-based horseshoe stud comprises a stud made from a polymer material which may be nylon reinforced with glass fibre, or other reinforced polymer. The glass composition may range from 40% to 60%. A second embodiment comprises a polymer body and screw section with a metal reinforcement bar in the centre of the polymer body.

Description

Polymer studs

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to non-metallic studs that are applied to horseshoes, constructed using particular polymers with the requisite tensile strength and rigidity to bear the weight of the horse. The invented studs are most particularly suited for use in regards to equestrian sports.

BACKGROUND

Studs have been used in equestrian sports for many years. However they have always been made from metals, mostly carbon-steel. They consist of the body of the stud and a screw section (Figure 1). The stud can be attached to the horseshoe by screwing it onto previously machined holes in the horseshoe.

The stud has always been an important aid to performance in equestrian sports. They give horses better grip, which equates to greater balance, stability and confidence. A horse fitted with studs will normally be able to run faster, jump higher, turn fighter, stop quicker and ultimately compete more safely. The horse getting more grip translates into better safety for the rider, as there is less chance of a slip and fall.

The existing studs are available in a variety of shapes and sizes, providing riders with different options to suit the course, terrain and their own preferences (Figure 2).

However metal studs can also be problematic, or even dangerous, for a number of reasons. Firstly, they can cause injury to the horse. Injury can be caused by 'overreaching' -where the horse's hind leg can collide with its front leg when travelling at speed or landing. Given the hard and unforgiving nature of the metal stud, with particularly sharp edges in certain shapes (Figure 3), the stud can easily cause fractures or lacerations to the horse's legs.

Other types of injuries to the horse can occur when jumping. This is due to the jumping technique of the horse, as it folds its front legs towards its chest during take-off. Punctures or lacerations can therefore be caused where the front metal studs come into contact with the horse's chest and undercarriage.

The metal studs can also cause injuries from one horse to another. This is particularly common in polo, which is recognised as a rough contact sport. Injuries can be caused among horses by the metal studs during contact or collisions Similarly a horse's studs can also inflict injuries on other riders during these collisions.

The injuries inflicted on horses by the metal studs can be very serious. A veterinary practitioner known to the applicants, Jessica Pons Mata (DVM, MRCVS, IAVC), provided her professional opinion to us that metal studs "have ended many horses' careers and even sometimes fives. Especially in polo competitions, where the speed of the game and proximity amongst horses is crucial, I see every year numerous puncture wounds compromising joints and tendon lacerations that have to end in surgery -producing expensive veterinary bills, and very often the horse unable to compete at least for that season." The metal studs can also cause or exacerbate injuries to riders themselves. Even when competing alone (such as show jumping or cross-country), a fallen rider may sustain injury where its horse accidentally tramples on his or her body. The hard and often sharp metal studs can cause severe bruising or lacerations to the rider.

In equestrian sports involving multiple riders competing at the same time (such as team chasing, pony club or polo), the risk of a fallen rider being trampled is even more severe.

Whilst the most dangerous aspects of the fall are the impact with the ground and bearing the horse's weight, very serious lacerations to the rider's face or body can also be suffered from blows inflicted by the metal studs of multiple horses. It is notable that metal studs are very rarely used in horse racing (where there could as many as 30 horses racing in close proximity) due to the additional danger to the riders presented by the metal studs.

It should also be noted that children and adolescents make up a large percentage of active riders. Therefore a safer (and easier to use) stud is of particular importance to improve health and safety aspects of the sport's most vulnerable riders.

In addition to the safety aspects of use, the metal studs can be painstaking to apply. Screwing the metal thread into a metal thread-hole can be difficult due to the unforgiving nature of metal-to-metal interface. The process is further complicated by the appearance of any dirt in the thread of the pre-machined metal hole, something which is almost impossible to avoid in practice. Applying a full set of eight metal studs to a horse can therefore be a very time consuming process.

Injuries can also be sustained during application. If the horse loses balance or panics, the sharp metal edges of the stud can be caught against the horse's other leg, or even the handler.

Finally, the existing metal studs are not environmentally friendly as they are not usually recycled.

DESCRIPTION

The objective of the present invention is to provide horseshoe studs for equestrian sports that are (i) safer to use (ii) easier to apply (iii) and can be recycled more easily.

According to a first embodiment of the invention, horseshoe studs are made solely from re-enforced polymers (Figure 4). In particular the studs are made from glass-reinforced nylon, with a suitable composition of glass ranging from approximately 40% to 60%. The glass-reinforced composition of the stud provides the requisite tensile strength and rigidity to bear the weight of a horse (typically between 500kg and 750kg).

The softer, more forgiving nature of the polymer drastically improves the speed and ease of application, due to a more malleable material interacting with the metal thread. The result is that the appearance of any dirt in the pre-machined holes is much less problematic during application.

In order to provide a variety of stud shapes -including sizes that are similar to the larger or longer versions of the metal types -the polymer requires additional reinforcement. This is because longer versions of the glass-reinforced polymer studs (i.e. without reinforcement) are liable to cracking or snapping under the horse's weight.

A second embodiment of the invention is therefore the use an enforcement bar (or 'pin') in the centre of the glass-reinforced polymer body (Figure 5). The enforcement bar is made from metal. The presence of the pin means that much longer versions of the invented stud can be produced which will not break under the horse's weight.

The use of all embodiments of the invention not only improves the speed and ease of application, but more importantly makes them safer to use for both horse and rider. The softer polymer makes it much less likely to cause lacerations or fractures -on the horse or rider -than the current metal versions. Not only could the invention therefore improve the safety of equestrian activities where studs are already used, they could also be used in other equestrian pursuits where they are not common practice -for example horse racing or children's riding.

The polymer material can also be recycled much more easily than the current metal studs.

Claims

Claims 1. A horseshoe stud for equestrian sports made solely from a polymer material with the requisite tensile strength and rigidity to bear the weight of a horse.
2. The horseshoe stud of claim 1, wherein the polymer material is a reinforced polymer.
3. The horseshoe stud of claim 1 or 2, wherein the polymer material is glass fibre reinforced nylon.
4. The horseshoe stud of claim 3, wherein the glass composition ranges from 40% to 60%
5. A horseshoe stud for equestrian sports, comprising a polymer body and screw section and a reinforcement bar extending through the screw section and the body.C\I
6. The horseshoe stud of claim 5, wherein the reinforcement bar is made from metal. C\ICO
7. The horseshoe stud of claim 5 or 6, wherein the reinforcement bar is in the centre of the polymer body.a) C\I