EP2327657A1

EP2327657A1 - Horse-riding saddle

Info

Publication number: EP2327657A1
Application number: EP10172709A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Carsten Engelke
Original assignee: Prestige Italia SpA
Current assignee: Prestige Italia SpA
Priority date: 2009-11-27
Filing date: 2010-08-12
Publication date: 2011-06-01
Also published as: ITVR20090205A1; IT1397312B1

Abstract

A horse-riding saddle (1) comprising a supporting frame (2) which has at least one lower supporting element (3), designed to be directed toward the back of the horse, and at least one upper sitting element (4), designed to form a sitting region (5) for the rider, the upper sitting element (4) being movable with respect to the lower supporting element (3) at least along a first direction of motion (100) which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the saddle (1), shock-absorbing means (6) being provided which act, along the at least one direction of motion (100), between the upper sitting element (4) and the lower supporting element (3).

Description

The present invention refers to a horse-riding saddle.
Horse-riding saddles are normally constituted by a supporting 'tree' or frame made of wood, tempered steel, or a composite material, the purpose of which is to bear the rider on a support, typically made of strong canvas, that extends from the front fork to the rear cantle.
On the other side of the saddle there is a steel hook, called a stirrup bar, to which the stirrup leathers are connected, which are very strong strips of leather or nylon that retain the stirrups.
On the lower border of the saddle there are also other strong belts of leather or nylon called billets, to which the girth, i.e. the belt that keeps the saddle on the horse, is connected.
The saddle and its various parts are covered by an upholstering of leather, nylon or microfibre, which is modelled in such a way as to define the seat, on top, and the support pads, on the bottom.
Normally, saddles are also provided, on both sides, with a flap of leather called a skirt, arranged, in use, between the leg of the rider and the horse.
One of the most important characteristics of a saddle is that it adapts perfectly to the back of the horse while providing, at the same time, a sitting position that is comfortable for the rider.
One drawback that has been found, especially in the equestrian disciplines of show jumping, cross country and eventing, relates to the fact that the inertial force determined by the weight of the rider at the moment of impact on the ground after a jump is borne completely by the shoulder blades and by the front legs of the horse.
The aim of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned drawback, by providing a horse-riding saddle the use of which is considerably less traumatic for the horse.
Within this aim, an object of the invention is to make available a horse-riding saddle that does not require the rider to vary his or her style of mounting.
Another object of the invention is to provide a horse-riding saddle that can be made at low cost, so that its use is advantageous also from an economic viewpoint.
This aim, as well as these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a horse-riding saddle, characterized in that it comprises a supporting frame which comprises at least one lower supporting element, designed to be directed toward the back of the horse, and at least one upper sitting element, designed to form a sitting region for the rider, such upper sitting element being movable with respect to said lower supporting element at least along a first direction of motion which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the saddle, shock-absorbing means being provided which act along said at least one direction of motion between said at least one upper sitting element and said at least one lower supporting element.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of some preferred, but not exclusive, embodiments of a horse-riding saddle according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the supporting frame of the horse-riding saddle according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken along a plane of arrangement that passes through the shock-absorbing means, of the supporting frame with the upper sitting element in the rearward position;
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 in which the upper sitting element is in the forward position;
Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the supporting frame, taken along a plane of arrangement that passes through the coupling means;
Figure 5 is in a perspective view of the various components of the supporting frame.

In the embodiments that follow, individual characteristics shown in relation to specific examples may in reality be interchanged with other, different characteristics, which exist in other embodiments.
Moreover, it should be noted that anything found to be already known during the patenting process is understood not to be claimed and to be the subject of a disclaimer.
With reference to the figures, a horse-riding saddle, which is globally indicated with the reference numeral 1, comprises a supporting frame 2. In particular, the supporting frame 2 comprises at least one lower supporting element 3, designed to be directed toward the back of the horse, and at least one upper sitting element 4, designed to form a sitting region 5 for the rider.
Advisably, the mutually facing surfaces of the lower supporting element 3 and of the upper sitting element 4 are substantially correspondingly shaped and, in general, have a respective concavity which is directed toward the back of the horse.
The upper sitting element 4 is movable with respect to the lower supporting element 3 at least along a first direction of motion 100, which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the saddle 1.
According to a particularly important aspect of the present invention, between the upper sitting element 4 and the lower supporting element 3 there are shock-absorbing means 6 which act along the first direction of motion 100.
More precisely, the upper sitting element 4 is movable with respect to the lower supporting element 3 along the first direction of motion between a rearward position (shown in the sectional view in Figure 2) and a forward position (shown in the sectional view in Figure 3).
In particular, in the rearward position the sitting element 4 is spaced further from the neck of the horse than when it is in the forward position.
Advantageously, the shock-absorbing means 6 comprise elastic loading means 6a that are adapted to contrast the movement of the upper sitting element 4 from the rearward position towards the forward position.
According to a first embodiment, it is possible for the shock-absorbing means 6 to be constituted exclusively by elastic loading means 6a; alternatively, the shock-absorbing means 6 can be constituted, paired, by a shock-absorbing body, for example single-acting, that is adapted to act during the movement of the upper sitting element 4 from the rearward position to the forward position.
Advisably, the above-mentioned elastic loading means 6a are adapted to maintain or return, in the "normal" mounting condition, the upper sitting element 4 in/to the rearward position. In more detail, the saddle 1 comprises means 7 for mating the lower supporting element 3 and the upper sitting element 4.
The mating means 7 comprise at least one longitudinal guide 7a that extends in parallel with the first direction of motion 100.
For illustrative purposes, the longitudinal guide 7a can be implemented by providing a first interconnection plate 10 that is jointly associated with the upper sitting element 4 and upon which at least one guide rail 10a is formed that extends longitudinally along the first direction of motion 100 and, advisably, at the axis of symmetry of the upper sitting element 4.
Sliding inside the (or inside each) guide rail 10a, along the first direction of motion 100, there is at least one respective sliding body 11a which is jointly associated with the lower supporting element 3 by means of, for example, interposition of a second interconnection plate 11.
The fixing of the (or of each) sliding body 11a to the second interconnection plate 11 can be performed by providing threaded elements 12 that can be inserted into threaded holes 11b formed in the second interconnection plate 11 and which can be engaged inside threaded holes 11c formed in the sliding bodies 11a.
According to this practical embodiment, the first interconnection plate 10 and the second interconnection plate 11 cooperate to define, moreover, at least one respective striker portion for the shock-absorbing means 6.
Practically speaking, as shown in the figures, on the second interconnection plate 11 there can be at least one front blocking striker 20 for a respective first engagement end 22 of the shock-absorbing means 6 whereas, on the first interconnection plate 10, there are one or more rear travel limiters 21 that are designed to be engaged, normally by adjacent contact, by respective second engagement ends 23 of the shock-absorbing means 6.
If shock-absorbing means 6 are used that are capable of operating "in traction", then the front blocking strikers 20 will be formed on the first interconnection plate 10 whereas the rear travel limiters 21 will be integral with the second interconnection plate 11.
On the first interconnection plate 10 and/or on the second interconnection plate 11 there can be recesses that are designed, during use of the saddle 1, to extend from the front blocking strikers 20 to the respective rear travel limiters 21 and which are designed to accommodate the shock-absorbing means 6.
The lower supporting element 3 can be coupled stably to the body of the horse by means of, for example, a girth (not shown in the figures).
According to a particularly important aspect of the invention, the saddle 1 is provided with means for adjusting the shock-absorbing means 6: such adjustment means make it possible, in particular, to "calibrate" the behaviour of the shock-absorbing means 6 according to the weight of the rider, his or her riding style, the type of ride to be performed, etc.
Purely for the purposes of example, the shock-absorbing means 6 are chosen from the group that comprises:

mechanical shock-absorbing devices;
pneumatic (e.g. gas) shock-absorbing devices;
elastic bodies or inserts (e.g. compressible pins);
springs;
hydraulic devices.

The adjustment means can be implemented by providing the possibility of directly intervening on the shock-absorbing means 6 and thus causing, for example, a variation in the preloading of a spring or in the pressure applied by the gas; alternatively, the adjustment can be implemented by substituting the shock-absorbing means 6 used.
Advantageously, means are provided for adjusting the relative position between the lower supporting element 3 and the upper sitting element 4 in order to define the rearward position.
Such adjustment means can be constituted by inserts or shims to be inserted between the rear travel limiters 21 and the second ends 23 of the shock-absorbing means 6.
As is known, the supporting frame 2 can be covered by an upholstery made of leather or another material adapted to be associated at the sides with skirts and, optionally, with the stirrups.
The operation of a horse-riding saddle follows in an evident manner from the above description.
In particular, the possibility of translational movement (in contrast with the action of the shock-absorbing means 6) of the upper sitting element 4 with respect to the lower sitting element 3 causes a reduction in the effect of the inertial force of the rider which, during the airborne descent phase from a jump, would tend to be borne by the front legs of the horse.
Therefore, by using a saddle according to the invention, the shoulder blades and front legs of the horse are protected owing to, as explained, the decrease in the pressure brought to bear by the rider during the phase of impact on the ground after a jump but without compromising or influencing the rider in his or her system or style of mounting.
Once the jump phase has ended, and the action which is due to the inertia of the rider has ceased, the shock-absorbing means 6 act to return the upper sitting element 4 to the rearward position.
All the characteristics of the invention, indicated above as advantageous, advisable or similar, may also be missing or substituted by equivalent characteristics.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.
In practice it has been found that in all the embodiments the invention has fully achieved the aim and objects.
In practice the dimensions may be any, according to requirements.
Moreover, all the details may be substituted by other, technically equivalent elements.
The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. VR2009A000205 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
Where the technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

A horse-riding saddle (1), characterized in that it comprises a supporting frame (2) which comprises at least one lower supporting element (3), designed to be directed toward the back of the horse, and at least one upper sitting element (4), designed to form a sitting region (5) for the rider, said upper sitting element (4) being movable with respect to said lower supporting element (3) at least along a first direction of motion (100) which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the saddle (1), shock-absorbing means (6) being provided which act along said first direction of motion (100) between said at least one upper sitting element (4) and said at least one lower supporting element (3).
The horse-riding saddle (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that said upper sitting element (4) can move with respect to said lower supporting element (3) along said first direction of motion (100) between a rearward position and a forward position, in said rearward position said sitting element (4) being spaced further from the neck of the horse than when it is in said forward position.
The horse-riding saddle (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said shock-absorbing means (6) comprise elastic loading means (6a), which are adapted to contrast the movement of said upper sitting element (4) from said rearward position toward said forward position.
The horse-riding saddle (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said elastic loading means (6a) are adapted to keep said upper sitting element (4) in said rearward position.
The horse-riding saddle (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for mating between said lower supporting element (3) and said upper sitting element (4), said mating means comprising at least one longitudinal guide (7) which runs parallel to said first direction of motion (100).
The horse-riding saddle (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said lower supporting element (3) can be coupled stably to the body of the horse.
The horse-riding saddle (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for adjusting said shock-absorbing means (6).
The horse-riding saddle (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said shock-absorbing means (6) are selected from the group that comprises: mechanical shock-absorbing devices, pneumatic shock-absorbing devices, elastic bodies, springs, hydraulic devices.
The horse-riding saddle (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for adjusting the relative position between said lower supporting element (3) and said upper sitting element (4) to define said rearward position.