GB2132464A - Training device for horses - Google Patents

Abstract

A training device for horses comprises a moving endless belt 7 on the upper run of which a horse runs and which upper run passes over a supporting floor 12. The belt 7 is relatively thin and hard, so that it will not be deformed into any elevations or folds in front of the horse's hooves. The floor 12 is resiliently yieldable so that, in combination with the belt 7, it provides characteristics similar to a real ground surface. The inclination of the belt 7 and floor 12 is adjustable as is the rate at which the belt is driven by a motor 8. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Training device for horses This invention relates to a training device for horses of the kind incorporating a moving belt on which the horse runs.

There is a need for such training devices for horses as it is important that horses maintain their physical condition even during periods when it is not possible to train them out of doors.

There are previously known devices of the above indicated kind. However, considerable difficulty has been encountered in relation to such devices, in providing adequate simulation of the type of ground on which a horse normally runs. Up to now such belts in such training devices have been of a soft type, and in use, the horse's hooves sink slightly into such a belt and an elevation in the form of a wave or fold is formed in front of each hoof as the horse is running. Such an elevation stops the natural sliding movement of the hoof and may be injurious to the horse. When a horse is running on a real ground surface no such elevation is formed because the real ground is formed by small particles such as sand, grit and earth which are moved aside by the moving hooves of the horse.

An object of the present invention is to avoid the last-noted problem and to provide a training device which provides a running surface for a horse which surface is as similar to normal ground surfaces as possible.

According to the invention, there is provided a training device for horses, including an endless belt having an upper run arranged to run across a supporting floor, providing, via said upper run of the belt, support for the weight of a horse running on said upper run of the belt, the belt being relatively thin and of relatively hard material, whereby, in use, the action of a horse's hoof on the belt does not distort the material of the belt substantially to form any appreciable elevation or the like in front of the hoof, and wherein said supporting floor is resiliently yieldable.

An embodiment of the invention is described below by way of example with reference to the sole figure of the accompanying drawing which is a diagrammatic perspective view of an embodiment of the invention, in use, with parts omitted for purposes of illustration.

The training device shown comprises a carriage or housing. 1 which includes a main structure incorporating a main framework, which comprises a rectangular base frame 2, vertical pillars 3 upstanding from the four corners of the base frame 2, and a top frame fixed to the upper ends of the pillars 3 and including roof beams 5 and 6, which support a roof, not shown in the drawing.

The pillars 3 also have side walls 4 secured to them. In the figure one of the longer and one of the shorter side walls have been removed to show internal details of the device.

The training device illustrated incorporates a flexible endless belt supporting by spaced-apart, parallel rollers 10 around which, in use, the belt runs, the belt, in its movement, running from one roller 10 to the other, in an upper run on which the horse being exercised runs, and passing around said other roller 10 to a lower run in which the belt runs back to said one roller 10. The rollers 10 are journalled at their ends in side beams 11 forming part of a further structure which is adjustably mounted within the main structure.

The beams 11 extending parallel with one another and perpendicular to the rotary axes of the rollers 10, also support a supporting floor 12 which extends between the beams 11 directly below the upper run of the belt 7 (and is thus disposed between the upper and lower runs). The supporting floor 12 via the upper run of the belt 7, supports the weight of the horse being exercised.

The belt 7 is of a material which is relatively hard and relatively thin as compared with the belts of known training devices, such that in use, the hooves of the horse being exercised do not sink appreciably into the belt and accordingly substantially no elevations are formed in front of the horses hooves as they slide along the belt on landing thereon. The belt 7 is driven at a desired speed by means of a driving motor 8 driving one of the rollers 10. The speed at which the belt 7 is driven by motor 8 may be set at any desired value within a continuous range by means of a control lever 9. The floor 12 which is provided, on its upper surface 13, with a material having a low coefficient of friction, such as a PVC-laminate, in order to reduce the friction between the supporting floor 12 and the moving belt 7.The floor 12 is somewhat resiliently yieldable and the characteristics of the floor 1 2 and belt 7 in combination are very similar tp those of a real ground surface from the training point of view.

The further structure incorporating the beams 11 is supported in the main structure by means of movable members of respective screw jacks 1 8, to which members respective ends of respective beams 11 are pivotally connected for pivoting about axes parallel with the rollers 10. These movable members may be, effectively, screw nuts engaged on rotatable jack screws 1 9 of the respective jacks 18, such jack screws being rotatable, to raise or lower the respective members, by means of respective hand cranks 20.

The screw jacks 18 are themselves pivotally mounted at 24 on the base frame of the main structure for pivoting about axes parallel with those of the rollers 10. The main structure is mounted on road-engaging wheels 1 5 mounted on the base frame 2 for rotation about an axis 14 parallel with the axes of rollers 10. The lower ends of the pillars 3 are provided with telescoping support legs 1 6 the extension of which from the respective pillars is adjustable and which can be locked in desired adjusted positions by means of locking devices 1 7. Thus, by means of the legs 1 6 it is possible to fix the training device relative to the ground, while by means of the jacks 1 8 it is possible to set the belt 7 at the desired inclination for exercising the horse.Whilst, in the position shown in the drawing, the belt inclination is set to simulate uphill running, it will be appreciated that the further structure incorporating beams 11 may be set so that the upper run of the belt is level or is inclined in the opposite direction to simulate running downhill.

In a simpler embodiment of the device, the jacks 1 8 are omitted and the beams 11 are fixed in the main structure, parallel with the plane of the base frame 2 or lying in the latter plane, and adjustment of the inclination of the surface of belt 7 is effected by adjusting the inclination of the main structure as a whole, about axis 14, relative to the ground, the main structure being held in the desired inclination by the telescoping legs 1 6.

In order to ensure that the horse is not injured by falling during the training a safety device is provided in the form of a loop 21 extending around the horse's belly. The loop 21 is formed by a rather wide loosely hanging belt and is connected, e.g. by a rope 22, to a suspension device 23 for adjustable locking at the correct height. If the horse should fall during training it is restrained by the safety device 21 before it has fallen down and it is likely that the horse will be able to return to the correct position by itself.

It will be appreciated that whilst the device has been illustrated as a mobile unit having ground or road-engaging wheels, a similar stationary device may be constructed if preferred. The device preferably has removable wall portions (not shown in the drawing) so that it may also be used as a mobile horse box for transporting a horse, and to this end the device may be provided with a suitable towing facility (not shown).

Claims (7)

1. A training device for horses, including an endless belt having an upper run arranged to run across a supporting floor, providing, via said upper run of the belt, support for the weight of a horse running on said upper run of the belt, the belt being relatively thin and of relatively hard material, whereby, in use, the action of a horse's hoof on the belt does not distort the material of the belt substantially to form any appreciable elevation or the like in front of the hoof, and wherein said supporting floor is resiliently yieldable.

2. A training device according to claim 1 including means for varying the inclination of said belt and supporting floor relative to the horizontal.

3. A training device according to claim 1 or claim 2 including driving means for driving said belt and means for adjusting the rate at which said belt is driven by said driving means.

4. A training device according to any preceding claim which comprises a main structure and a further structure incorporating said supporting floor and rotatably supporting parallel rollers around which said endless belt runs, said further structure being pivotally mounted in said main structure for pivoting about at least one axis parallel with the axes of said rollers to vary the inclination of said belt and supporting floor, and means for fixing said further structure in a desired inclination relative to the main structure.

5. A training device according to any preceding claim which comprises a main structure supported by legs of which the extension relative to the main structure is adjustable, inter alia to vary the inclination of said belt and supporting floor relative to the ground.

6. A training device for horses, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as shown in, the accompanying drawing.

7. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.