Nitinol horseshoes

Abstract

A light weight horseshoe made of Type 55 Nitinol is bio-compatible and non-corrosive. It can be shaped at room temperature to fit the horse's hoof, and is extremely durable for long life and infrequent shoe changes, which helps avoid shoe nail damage to the hoof. It has low thermal conductivity to protect the horse's hoof from heat and a high specific damping capacity to protect the horse's hooves and legs from shock and vibration and also make it a quiet shoe. The horseshoe material has low initial yield strength, so it conforms to the microtopography of hard surfaces, which improves the grip of the horseshoe on such surfaces, but when strained its yield strength increases greatly so it becomes effectively unbreakable in use. The horseshoe may be treated to have a hard, extremely durable integral ceramic surface that improves the heat insulative properties of the horseshoe and give it an attractive color such as gold, blue or black that will not wear off, and the ceramic material is an electrical insulator. The shoe blank and nail holes are laser cut from a sheet of hot rolled Nitinol material and then hot forged on Type 60 Nitinol tooling to give the horseshoe the desired final surface profile. Alternatively, the shoe is cast from Type 55 Nitinol using a “lost wax” investment process. The formed or cast shoe is heat treated to give the desired properties of strength and toughness and to give it the desired integral ceramic surface finish.