In 1899, black American inventor James Ricks was issued a patent for an "Overshoe for Horses" (U.S. No. 626,245). The invention was a rubber horseshoe "to prevent a horse from slipping in sleety weather and to secure noiseless travel when preferred, and is applied over the horseshoe in common use." It was formed from rubber and canvas so as to cover the entire bottom of the foot, and was fastened to the hoof by means of a strap. The rough outer surface provided traction, but also prevented snow or ice packing against any part of the foot and pressing the shoe out of place. Ricks held an earlier patent for the rough-shoeing of horses (30 Mar 1886, No.338,781). The Inventive Spirit of African Americans: Patented Ingenuity, by Patricia Carter Sluby. - book suggestion.