EP0208606B1 - Simulator for the different gaits of a horse and the interventions to be made for its conduct - Google Patents

Abstract

In an apparatus for simulating the different paces of a horse and the aids to be applied for controlling the horse, four representative display lamps light-up in order to represent the precise time-duration of the instant of ground contact of the different hooves of a horse and are supplied by four separate circuits in dependence on control devices for ensuring different lighting-up recurrence rates and sequences with a view to reproducing different types of paces of a horse. In addition, a signal lamp is intended to light-up so as to represent predetermined aids for controlling a horse, this lamp being connected into a circuit which includes an operating key at the user's disposal. Closing of the circuit at a predetermined instant has the effect of turning-on the lamp and blocking the circuits of the representative display lamps in their state of operation at that instant.

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus for simulating the different gaits of a horse and the interventions to be carried out for driving it.

This device is intended to allow riders and non-riders to analyze themselves the different gaits of a horse and to become familiar with them to be able to use with profit the new method of riding called "Balance Method". This method consists for a rider, by knowing the mechanisms of the horse's locomotion and its natural reflexes, to use these to his advantage to help the horse and more easily create the conditioned reflexes that the rider needs to make him take attitudes or execute changes of direction and unnatural movements for him. For this purpose, the rider should know the exact contact times on the ground of each member of the horse in order to be able to voluntarily use his own weight, via the saddle and stirrups, at such and such a time. depending on the supports he wants to strengthen or reduce. This is what we improperly call, in common parlance, the "weight aids although it is a question, by the internal forces of the rider, of using all or part of his mass to act on the horse .

To properly apply this method, riders should therefore have a perfect knowledge of the succession of supports on the ground for the horse's hooves and air supports for each of its members, according to its different gaits. However, it is also essential that they understand the sequence of horse movements and the transitions between its different gaits. Furthermore, it is necessary for the riders to train themselves to carry out a determined intervention at the exact moment when it is effective, which poses a delicate problem taking into account the different reaction times of each individual, and of each horse, the duration of these reaction times ranging between hundredths and tenths of a second.

This is why the apparatus according to the invention is designed so as to allow riders and non-riders to familiarize themselves beforehand with the various movements of a horse and to train in the chamber to carry out determined interventions in simulating the execution of these during the horse's movements.

• d'une part de quatre lampes de figuration ou similaires dont l'allumage est destiné à figurer le temps exact du moment d'appui des différents sabots d'un cheval, et qui sont alimentées par quatre circuits distincts asservis à un ou plusieurs dispositifs de commande aptes à assurer des rythmes et séquences différents d'allumage de ces lampes, de façon à reproduire différents types d'allures d'un cheval (pas, trot, galop, etc...) ;
• d'autre part, une lampe de signalisation dont l'allumage est destiné à figurer des interventions déterminées sur un cheval pour la conduite de celui-ci, cette lampe étant branchée dans un circuit comprenant une touche de commande à la disposition de l'usager et dont l'agencement est tel que la fermeture de ce circuit assure à la fois l'allumage de cette lampe et le blocage des circuits des lampes de figuration dans l'état où ils se trouvent à ce moment.

For this purpose, this device includes a display board provided with:

• on the one hand, four figuration lamps or the like, the lighting of which is intended to represent the exact time of the moment of support of the different hooves of a horse, and which are powered by four distinct circuits slaved to one or more devices for control capable of ensuring different rhythms and sequences of lighting of these lamps, so as to reproduce different types of gaits of a horse (step, trot, gallop, etc ...);
• on the other hand, a signaling lamp, the ignition of which is intended to represent determined interventions on a horse for driving it, this lamp being connected to a circuit comprising a control key available to the user and the arrangement of which is such that the closing of this circuit ensures both the lighting of this lamp and the blocking of the circuits of the figuration lamps in the state in which they are at this moment.

Thus, the user of this device can immediately realize whether the intervention planned by him was carried out at the exact desired time, or on the contrary, too early, or even too late. It is then possible for him to repeat this training until he manages to act at the right time. In addition, apart from this training possibility, the user can use this device to analyze the different types of paces of a horse and familiarize themselves with the succession of hoof posers in each case considered.

Preferably, next to each figuration lamp for the support time of one of the hooves of a horse, there is provided a second figuration lamp, the lighting of which is intended to represent the exact support time in air from the same shoe, that is to say from lifting it to setting it down, the lamps of this second set of figuration lamps being supplied by circuits controlled by the same control devices as the figuration lamps of the supports of the hooves in order to reproduce, in combination with these, different types of gait of a horse.

In an advantageous embodiment of the present device, the display board includes the representation of the silhouette of a horse and its rider, and of traces representing the four hooves of this horse, and it is provided in. the location defined by each of these traces, a pair of lamps one representing the moment of support and the other the moment of support of the corresponding shoe, while in place of a single signaling lamp, it is provided a series of such lamps intended to each represent a specific intervention of a rider and which are arranged on or against the silhouette of the horse in positions corresponding to the particular nature of these interventions, each of these lamps being connected in a circuit comprising a control key available to the user and the arrangement of which is such that the closing of this circuit ensures both the lighting of this lamp and the blocking of the circuits of the figuration lamps in the state in which they are at this time.

• La figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'une première forme de réalisation du présent appareil.
• La figure 2 est une vue en plan de dessus, à échelle différente, d'une autre forme de réalisation de celui-ci.
• La figure 3 est une vue en plan de dessus de deux boîtiers de commande susceptibles d'être utilisés avec l'appareil représenté à la figure 2.
• La figure 4 est une vue partielle en élévation, avec arrachement d'un autre dispositif de commande susceptible d'être utilisé avec l'appareil représenté à la figure 2.
• La figure 5 en est une vue partielle en coupe selon la ligne V-V de la figure 4.
• La figure 6 est une vue en perspective d'un cheval et de son cavalier sur laquelle sont indiquées les principales interventions possibles de ce dernier.
• La figure 7 représente un cache destiné à être placé sur le clavier usuel de commande d'un ordinateur lorsqu'un tel clavier est utilisé.

However, other particularities and advantages of the apparatus according to the invention will become apparent during the following description of some exemplary embodiments thereof. This description is given with reference to the accompanying drawing on which :

• Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present apparatus.
• Figure 2 is a top plan view, on a different scale, of another embodiment thereof.
• FIG. 3 is a top plan view of two control units capable of being used with the apparatus shown in FIG. 2.
• FIG. 4 is a partial view in elevation, with cutaway of another control device capable of being used with the apparatus shown in FIG. 2.
• FIG. 5 is a partial view in section along the line VV of FIG. 4.
• Figure 6 is a perspective view of a horse and its rider on which are indicated the main possible interventions of the latter.
• FIG. 7 represents a cover intended to be placed on the usual keyboard for controlling a computer when such a keyboard is used.

In the example shown in Figure 1, the device according to the invention consists of a housing 5 whose upper face constitutes a display board. This comprises four figuration lamps 1, 2, 3, 4 arranged so as to represent the supports of the four members of a horse; lamps 1 and 3 correspond respectively to the left rear shoe and the right rear shoe, while the Iarnpes 2 and 4 correspond respectively to the left front shoe and the right front shoe. These lamps can consist of light-emitting diodes appearing behind a screen 6, transparent or translucent, occupying part of the upper face of the case 5, or arranged perpendicularly to the latter.

These lamps are powered by four separate electrical circuits which can be slaved to different control devices capable of imparting to them different ignition rhythms and sequences so as to reproduce different types of paces of a horse, in particular: trotting and galloping . At least three separate control devices corresponding to these three gears are therefore provided. ' However, for each type of speed, several separate control devices can be provided corresponding to different variants or at different speeds. The control devices thus provided may consist of devices comprising time switches, adjustable or not.

On one of its edges, the upper face of the casing 5 carries a series of operating members making it possible to swap the control devices, or to change the computer programs to which the figuration lamps 1, 2, 3 are controlled. , 4. These operating members can consist of keys 7 distributed in three boxes 8, 9 and 10 corresponding respectively to the step, the trot and the gallop. Each of these boxes can then comprise either a single key, or possibly several keys in order to be able to represent variants of the same shape.

In addition to the four figuration lamps already mentioned, still arranged at the corners of a rectangle, the upper face of the housing 5 includes a fifth lamp 12 constituting a signaling lamp, the lighting of which is intended to indicate a specific intervention on a horse for the conduct of it. This lamp is supplied by a separate circuit comprising a contactor actuated by a button 13.

However, the circuit of this fifth lamp 12 is connected to that of the figuration lamps 1, 2, 3, 4 and the arrangement is such that the closing of the circuit of the lamp 12 ensures the blocking of the circuits of the figuration lamps in the state in which they are at the time when the user of the apparatus acts on the button 13 for controlling the lamp 12.

As already indicated, this device allows a rider who is just starting out to analyze the different gaits of a horse and to familiarize himself with the succession of ground supports for his hoofs.

He can then easily understand the sequence of movements and the transitions between gaits. By the knowledge he thus acquires, he can then train himself to intervene at the right time in the equilibration system of the horse to use it for his benefit. Moreover, the very design of this device allows you to practice performing such interventions at the right time by checking the result each time.

Figure 2 shows another embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention. In it, the display board 5a of this device includes the representation 14 of the silhouette of a horse seen in plan from above as well as the representation 15 of the saddle of the rider thereof. However, at the location of this silhouette, there are also provided lines 16, in the shape of a horseshoe, which represent the location of the four corresponding horse hooves.

As before, this display board has four figuration lamps intended to depict the support times of the horse's four hooves. In the present case, these figurative lamps 1a, 2a, 3a and 4a are arranged inside the layout 16 of the various corresponding shoes. However, next to each of these figuration lamps, there is provided another figuration lamp 1b, 2b, 3b or 4b which is intended to represent the exact time of support in the air of the corresponding shoe, that is to say ie the time to get up from it. These two series of figuration lamps are of different colors, for example red for the supports and green for the supports.

These various lamps are connected to supply circuits slaved to control devices capable of imparting to them different ignition rhythms and sequences to reproduce different types of paces of a horse. The change from one pace to another can be controlled by successive presses of a general control key 17, a series of indicators 18 being provided to indicate the pace ordered on the device.

Instead of a single signaling lamp 12 intended to indicate on its own different types of intervention determined on a horse for driving it, there are provided several signaling lamps, each of which illustrates a particular intervention. In addition, these different signal lamps are arranged on or against the silhouettes 14 and 15 of the horse and its rider in precise positions corresponding to the type of each of the interventions to be illustrated.

Thus, facing each of the sides of the silhouette 14 of the horse, there are provided three signal lamps 19a, 20a, 21a or 19b, 20b, 21b which are intended to illustrate three different types of actions of the rider on the caliper located on the corresponding side, the two lamps 19a, 19b signaling a counterweight action towards the front, the two lamps 20a and 20b a vertical pressure in the transverse plane passing through the center of gravity of the horse and the two lamps 21a and 21b backward action. Furthermore, the lamps 19'a and 19'b have the function of signaling an action of adding weight to the right or to the left when the horse presses his right or left anterior.

On both flanks of the horse's silhouette, there is another signal lamp 22a or 22b which has the function of depicting a pressure of one or the other leg of the rider on the corresponding flank .

Two other lamps 23a and 23b, arranged at the location of one and the other hand of the rider, have the function of representing the intervention of the hands on the reins. In addition, two other signal lamps 24a and 24b have the role of illustrating the repercussion of these interventions on the mouth and on the attitude of the horse.

Two other lamps 25a and 25b, arranged at the location where the rider's buttocks would be on the saddle, have the function of indicating a weighing on the horse's back with the weight of the upper body on either one or the other of the two buttocks, or on both.

These various signal lamps are in different colors from the figuration lamps for the supports and supports of the horse's hooves. Thus, they can be yellow, with the exception of lamps 22a and 22b which are of a still different color, for example blue.

However, provision could also be made for other signaling lamps having the role of indicating other specific types of intervention by the rider.

The various signaling lamps are connected in separate supply circuits each comprising a particular control button, respectively 19c, 19'c, 20c, 21c, 22c, 23c and 25c for the lamps 19a, 19'a, 20a, 21 a, 22a, 23a and 25a, and 19d, 19'd, 20d, 21 d, 22d, 23d and 25d for lamps 19b, 19'b, 20b, 21b, 22b, 23b and 25b. These pushers are arranged on a control keyboard 26 provided next to the display panel 5a on the external face of a box comprising the various control circuits as well as the other constituent elements of the device. However, the control circuits of the signal lamps are also connected to the circuits of the figuration lamps for the supports and supports of the horse's hooves so as to block the circuits of these various lamps in the state in which they are found. actuation of any of the control buttons on the keyboard 26. Thus, the user of the device can, as in the previous embodiment, realize whether the intervention carried out by him, and which is materialized by the depression of one of the pushers on the keyboard 26, was carried out at the right time or not. However, the connection of these two series of circuits is ensured by means of an inverter controlled by the operation of a rotary bar 27 having three positions A, B, C, which correspond to the following three types of operation:

In position A, the connection of the various circuits is such that the depression of one or more push-buttons on the keyboard 25 simultaneously causes the lighting of the corresponding signaling lamps and the blocking of the figuration lamps for the supports and supports of the horse's hooves. in the state they are in at the moment.

In position B, the connection of the circuits is such that the operation of one or more of the push-buttons on the keyboard 26 causes not only the lighting of the corresponding signaling lamps, but also a change in the pace of the horse which had been previously programmed by operating the general control push-button 17. This change is then a function of the nature of the jumper's intervention (s) such as they are materialized by the depressing of one or more of the push-buttons on the keyboard 26.

In position C, the connection of the various circuits is such that during the operation of one or more of the push-buttons on the keyboard 26, the desired change in speed is obtained and immediately after the blocking of the various figuration lamps for the supports and supports of the horse's hooves, which allows to have the representation of the corresponding transition.

Thus, the positioning of the reverser in position B makes it possible to verify, during the course of the figuration of the movement of the horse, if the synchronization is respected. The operator can therefore observe the change in the pace of the horse by modifying the rhythm of the success of the supports on the ground and of the supports. These changes of pace are conditioned by the application of the principles of the riding method known as the “Balance Method”. The programs for controlling the rhythm and the sequence of lighting of the figuration lamps for the supports and supports of the hooves, are therefore designed to be modified accordingly by corresponding interventions, themselves materialized by the actuation of one or more buttons on the control panel 26.

So that the beginner can familiarize himself with the device, there is preferably provided a system for slowing down the normal course of the selected pace on the push button 17. For this purpose, there is provided a second inverter actuated by a rotary button. 28. In a first position D thereof, the control circuits are blocked during the course of the selected gait in a very slow idle allowing a detailed study of each gait. In the second position E, this reverser makes it possible to control the course of the selected pace with a potentiometer comprising a rotary control button 29. It is then possible to choose at will the speed of course of the desired pace. The display panel 5a can also include the indicator light 30 of a counter making it possible to control the duration of the different phases of the selected pace, within a _' cycle divided into 100.

FIG. 3 represents two control boxes, respectively 33 and 34, which can be used with the device illustrated in FIG. 2. These boxes can then be connected to the device by a connection cable 35 connected to a socket 36 carried by the casing thereof. The control keyboard 26 can then remain, while being somehow short-circuited when the control boxes 33 and 34 are used. However in another version of the device, this keyboard can be completely removed.

The box 33 is intended to be placed on the ground so that the control pushbuttons provided on the two separate parts 33e and 33f of this box can be actuated by the operator with one or the other of these feet. The pushers 19e, 20e, 21e and 22e provided on the part 33e, as well as the pushers 19f, 20f, 21f and 22f provided on the part 33f control the signaling lamps indicating the actions of the rider carried out with one or the other leg.

As for the control unit 34, it is intended to be placed next to the display panel 5a to be controlled with one or the other hand. It in fact comprises two pushers 23e and 23f which control the lamps indicating the interventions carried out with the hands on the horse's mouth at 24a and 24b.

The use of the control boxes represented in FIG. 3 allows the operator to approach practical riding conditions since he has to carry out fictitious interventions with one or the other foot and one or the other hand.

However, Figures 4 and 5 show another control device which allows to get even closer to practical riding conditions. This device is designed so that the interventions intended for the feet are actually carried out with them under the usual conditions, that is to say on stirrups 37 inside which one and the other feet are engaged. . To this end, this device comprises a horizontal bar 38 capable of being fixed, by means of flanges 38a or the like, on the edge of a table or on a support representing a horse. Below the two ends of this bar are suspended the two stirrups 37 whose stirrup 37a is attached to a vertical rod 39 forming part of a control device with multiple contacts, associated with the corresponding stirrup .

This rod is disposed inside a housing 40 fixed under the corresponding end of the bar 38 and which contains a spring 42 on which the upper end of the rod 39 is supported. An adjustment system makes it possible to adjust the compression initial of the spring 42, this adjustment being controlled by an adjustment button connected by a circuit 43 to the table 5a to display the pressure exerted by the spring, which makes it possible to control the latter.

The lower end of the vertical rod 39 crosses the bottom 44 of the housing 40 through an opening 45 thereof. This opening has an elongated shape in the longitudinal direction so as to allow possible movements towards the front and towards the rear of the lower end of the rod 39. However, it also has a notch 46 allowing a possible movement of this rod to the inner side. On the opposite side, however, a projection 47 carrying a contact 48 intended to be actuated by a collar 49 carried by the rod 39 is provided, during a purely vertical weighing action on the stirrup 37.

On the other hand, if this stirrup is actuated forwards or backwards, the rod 39 can then act on one or the other of the two contacts 50 and 51 provided opposite. Finally, another contact 52 is provided on the internal side to be actuated by the rod 39 in the event of action on the stirrup 37 in this direction.

Consequently, one or other of these four contacts can be actuated by the rod 39 depending on the nature of the action exerted on the corresponding bracket. Of course, these contacts then replace the push buttons provided in the previous embodiments for controlling the lamps embodying the corresponding interventions. To this end, the two control devices carried by the bar 38 are connected ₃ tr display panel 5a by a connection cable. In combination, there can be provided a manually controlled device constituted by two handles intended to be held with the hands and which comprise contacts which can be actuated with one or the other of these in replacement of the actions provided on the pushbuttons of the housing 34 of FIG. 3.

Thus, in the embodiment according to FIGS. 2 to 5, the apparatus according to the invention allows the user thereof to practice performing, at the desired time, different types of intervention on a horse in order to modify the gait and / or the direction and this, by applying the principles of the method known as “Method of Balances”. The main types of intervention provided according to this method are indicated by the various arrows F1, F2, F3 .... F12 shown in Figure 6. The user of the device can thus familiarize himself with the application of this method and immediately realize the result obtained in each case on the change in gait and / or direction of the horse.

Consequently, the present apparatus allows novice riders to save the many hours of training which are usually necessary to acquire the desired equestrian tact. However, this device can also be used with profit by riders not beginners, or even experienced, _'in order to improve and acquire the desired reflexes to then carry out in practice the different types of intervention provided by the riding method known as "Method of Balances •.

However, the present device is not limited to the few embodiments described above simply as examples. On this subject it should be noted that the present device could also be produced from an individual portable computer or not by equipping the latter with software designed to make appear on the screen not only the reproduction of the different gaits of a horse, but also the active points of connection of the rider with the horse and of this one with the ground, as well as the changes of pace and attitude.

For a simplified and reliable use of the control keyboard, special covers adaptable to each type of keyboard are then provided, in order to clearly separate the group from the “display keys (to display the gaits and their course in FIG. 2-5a) from the group “control keys (Figure 2-26) allowing the user to perform a fictitious intervention on the horse.

FIG. 7 shows, moreover, an exemplary embodiment of such a cover which can be placed on a keyboard of the AZERT type. This cover comprises, in its middle part, transparent windows 32 revealing only a determined number of keys of the corresponding keyboard, in this case the keys controlling the fictitious interventions desired by a jumper. However, these windows each carry a coded indication indicating the exact nature of the intervention to which this intervention corresponds, these different coded indications being those shown in FIG. 6.

In another more advantageous embodiment, the group of “control keys may be replaced by a system of several external control members, such as those used particularly in electronic games or other types of control members allowing the manipulator to intervene without using the keys. However, even more advantageously, such control members can be replaced by direct coupling of the computer with the control device shown in FIG. 3, or with that shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the contacts 48, 49, 50, 51 triggering the actions provided for in the programs from both hands and both feet, without using the keys of the keyboard or of other usual control elements of a computer.

But the present device can also be produced so as to constitute a recreational electronic game making it possible to become familiar with the progress of the different gaits of a horse and the various possible interventions on it.

Claims (11)

1. Apparatus for simulating the different paces of a horse and the aids to be applied for the purpose of controlling this latter, characterized in that it includes a display panel provided with :

on the one hand four representative display lamps (1, 2, 3, 4) or the like which are intended to light-up so as to represent the precise time-duration of the instant of ground contact of the different hooves of a horse and which are supplied by four separate circuits in dependence on one or a number of control devices which are capable of ensuring different recurrence rates and sequences of lighting-up of these lamps so as to reproduce different types of paces of a horse (walk, trot, gallop) ;

on the other hand a signal lamp (12) which is intended to light-up so as to represent predetermined aids for controlling a horse, this lamp being connected into a circuit which includes an operating key at the user's disposal and the arrangement of which is such that closing of this circuit has the effect both of turning-on this lamp and blocking the circuits of the representative display lamps (1, 2, 3, 4) in their state of operation at that instant.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein provision is made next to each lamp (1a, 2a, 3a, 4a) representing the time of ground contact of one of the horse's hooves for a second representative display lamp (1 b, 2b, 3b, 4b), lighting-up of which is intended to represent the exact time of uplift of the same hoof, that is to say the time interval which elapses between leaving the ground and landing, the lamps of this second set of representative display lamps being supplied by circuits controlled in dependence on the same control devices as the lamps representing the hooflanding periods in order to reproduce in combination with these latter different types of paces of a horse.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2, characterized in that display panel provides a representation (14) of the silhouette of a horse and that (15) of the saddle of its rider and outlines (16) representing the four hooves of this horse, and provision is made in the location defined by each of these hoof-outlines for a pair of lamps (1a-1b, 2a-2b, 3a-3b, 4a-4b) having the function in one case of displaying the instant of ground contact of a hoof and in the other case of displaying the instant of uplift of the corresponding hoof, provision being made instead of a single signal lamp for a series of such lamps (19a, 19'a, 20a, 21 a, 22a, 23a, 25a and 19b, 19'b, 20b, 21 b, 22b, 23b, 25b) which are intended in each case to represent a predetermined aid applied by a rider and which are placed on or against the horse-silhouette (14) in positions corresponding to the particular nature of these aids, each of these lamps being connected into a circuit provided with a control key at the user's disposal and so arranged that closing of this circuit at a predetermined moment has the effect both of turning-on this lamp and blocking the circuits of the representative display lamps (1 a-1 b, 2a-2b, 3a-3b, 4a-4b) in the state of said circuits at that moment.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 3, characterized in that a lamp (19a, 19'a, 21 a and 19b, 19'b, 21 b) for indicating an aid applied by the rider is placed against each pair of lamps (1 a-1 b, 2a-2b, 3a-3b, 4a-4b) representing the times of ground contact and uplift of the different hooves of a horse, two other lamps (20a, 20b) for indicating an applied aid being located on each side of the horse-silhouette (14) between the two first signal lamps provided on the corresponding side in the transverse plane of the centre of gravity of the horse.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4, characterized' in that provision is made at a location corresponding to each hand of the rider and on each side of the outline of a horse's mouth for additional signal lamps (23a, 23b and 24a, 24b) for the purpose of illustrating the control action and the effect produced by the hands on the horse's mouth and posture, two other signal lamps of a similar type (22a, 22b) being provided at the locations of the flanks of the horsesilhouet- te (14) in order to illustrate pressures applied by the rider against the horse's flanks.

6. Apparatus in accordance with any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that provision is made either on the display panel (5a) itself or on ancillary unit or another control device for a changeover switch (27) providing the three following control positions :

first position (A) enabling an operator at the time of action produced on the control contact (19c, 20c, 21 c, 22c, 23c, 24c, 25c or 19d, 20d, 21 d, 22d, 23d, 24d, 25d) of a signal lamp for indicating a predetermined aid to obtain both lighting-up of said lamp and blocking of the lamps (1a-1b, 2a-2b, 3a-3b, 4a-4b) representing the ground contacts and uplifts of the different hooves in their positions at that moment ;

second position (B) enabling the operator to carry out a number of different actions on the contacts of the signal lamps for the indications of different predetermined aids in order to apply the teachings of the method of horse-riding known as the « balance method •, the arrangement of the circuits being such that this produces on the lamps representing ground contacts and uplifts of the horse's hooves changes in operation corresponding to the desired changes in pace and posture of the horse ;

third portion (C) which makes it possible to obtain blocking of the representative display lamps for ground contacts and uplifts of the hooves only after the desired change of pace has taken place in order to obtain a representation of the corresponding transition.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5, characterized in that the contacts (19e. 20e, 21 e, 22e and 19f, 20f, 21f, 22f) for controlling at least a certain predetermined number of the aid-indicating signal lamps are placed on the top face of a control unit casing (33) which is intended to be placed on the ground in order to enable the operator to actuate these contacts with either one foot or the other whilst the contacts (23e, 23f) for controlling the other signal lamps for different aids are provided on a separate control unit casing (34) in order to permit actuation by hand.

8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 5, characterized in that it includes a control device provided with two suspended stirrups (37) which are capable of receiving both of the operator's feet and which are associated with different contacts (47, 50, 51, 52) for controlling the operation of certain predetermined signal lamps having the function of indicating predetermined aids applied by a rider, the arrangement being such that, depending on the effort and/or the displacement applied to each of these stirrups, the operator is capable of producing action on any one of the contacts associated with these latter in order to obtain lighting-up of the signal lamp which indicates the corresponding aid applied by a rider.

9. Apparatus in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that lighting-up of the four lamps or pairs of lamps representing the times of ground contact and/or uplift of the different hooves of a horse is controlled by logic systems having different programmes which are capable of reproducing various types of paces and the arrangement is such that these programmes are capable of being influenced and of sending different operating instructions to the corresponding lamps as a function of the action produced by the operator on the control contacts of the signal lamps for indicating the different possible aids applied by a rider.

10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 characterized in that, in order to make use of the usual keyboard of a portable or non-portable individual computer, provision is made for masks. ' (31) adaptable to different types of keyboard and having transparent windows (32) showing only those keys which are assigned to display of the type of pace simulation required and to control of the different fictitious aids applied by a rider, these windows being provided with coded indications for identifying each of the aids produced by the corresponding keys.

11. Apparatus in accordance with claim 8, characterized in that this latter is constructed from a computer of an existing type equipped with logic circuits which are capable of displaying on its screen the different paces of a horse and the various aids to be applied by a rider, this computer being coupled with an external control device constituted either by the combination of two control units (33 and 34) carrying keys which are intended to be actuated respectively by the feet and by the hands or by the combination of stirrup-irons (37) which are capable of producing action on different control contacts and handles provided with other contacts actuated by the hands.

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