GB2348592A

GB2348592A - Riding crop with mirror

Info

Publication number: GB2348592A
Application number: GB0018543A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Meru Ullah
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-07-29
Filing date: 2000-07-29
Publication date: 2000-10-11
Anticipated expiration: 2020-07-29
Also published as: GB0018543D0; GB2348592B

Abstract

The riding crop has a mirror 14 attached to its handle 10. The mirror can alternatively be affixed to a person's arm or another hand-held object. The mirror may be double-sided, made out of a material other than glass and may be convex. The mirror may be adhesively secured to body from which ties extend, the ties being used to secure the mirror to the handle (figs 3 and 4). The mirror may be wrist mounted 22.

Description

"RIDING AID" This invention relates to a riding aid, and more particularly to a convenient way of providing a horse rider with a rear view.

When riding astride it is more difficult to look behind one than, for example, when sitting in a vehicle. It is often necessary to ride a horse along a road used by vehicles and in modern traffic conditions the necessity to be constantly looking behind one is at least uncomfortable and may be injurious to the neck. The discomfort may discourage a rider from checking behind as frequently as he should.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a cheap, simple and effective solution to this problem.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a riding aid comprising a mirror adapted to be affixed to an arm or to a hand-held object such that a rider may readily lift the mirror to a position affording a rear view without substantially turning the head.

In preferred forms the aid is for use by a horse rider riding astride, and the mirror is mounted on the handle of a riding whip or crop.

The mirror may be affixed to the handle of the crop to extend from the distal end of the handle, a median plane of the mirror surface being generally coincident or parallel with the longitudinal axis of the handle.

In this case the mirror may be double-sided.

Alternatively the back of the mirror may be adhesively secured to a body from which ties extend, the ties being used to secure the mirror to the handle of the crop.

The or each reflective surface of the mirror is preferably of a material other than glass.

The or each mirror is preferably slightly convex.

The or each mirror may be circular and is preferably not more than 2.5 cm in diameter. Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the handle of a riding crop with a mirror mounted thereon respectively in side and front elevation; Figures 3A-3B illustrate a kit of parts used to mount a mirror on the handle of a riding crop; Figure 4 illustrates how the parts shown in Figures 3A-3B are used, and Figure 5 illustrates a wrist-mounted mirror.

Figures 1 and 2 show a handle 10 of a riding crop. The actual crop extends from the end 11 of the handle but is omitted from the drawings. On the distal end 12 of the handle 10 is mounted a double-sided mirror 14 such that the median plane of the mirror is coincident with the longitudinal axis of the handle 10. The mirror 14 including its two reflective surfaces is preferably manufactured from a synthetic material other than glass and the two reflective surfaces are slightly convex so as to afford a wide-angle view.

In use the crop of which handle 10 is a part is held in one hand by a horse rider riding astride. When the rider wishes to see to the rear of the horse it is not necessary to turn round in the saddle or even to turn the head significantly. Instead the handle 10 is inverted and raised to a position in which one of the reflective surfaces of the mirror 14 will serve the rider as a rear-view mirror.

The handle 10 and mirror 14 of Figures 1 and 2 may be made and sold as a unit, but to adapt an existing riding crop the components of Figures 3A to 3C may be used as illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 3A is a front view and Figure 3B is a rear view of a commercially available"blind spot"mirror 21 which has a reflective surface 15 and a non-reflective rear surface 16 to a central area 17 of which a contact adhesive has been applied. As is known per se a layer of plastics material covers the adhesive until the mirror is used, whereupon the plastics layer is peeled off to expose the adhesive.

A body 18 of plastics material is penetrated by two ties 19 and 20 at right angles. To mount the mirror 21 on the handle 10 of a riding crop (Figure 4) the body 18 is fixed to the back of the mirror by the adhesive and then the two ties are wrapped around the handle 10 to secure the mirror beside the handle. The manner of use of the aid of Figure 4 is the same as that of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 5 illustrates a riding aid 22 which does not utilise the handle of a riding crop or whip. In this embodiment a mirror 21 similar to that of Figures 3A and 3B is secured to a wrist-band which is worn by a rider after the fashion of a wristwatch. A rider not carrying a crop or whip is thus given the benefit of a rear view mirror.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A riding aid comprising a mirror adapted to be affixed to an arm or to a hand-held object such that a rider may readily lift the mirror to a position affording a rear view without substantially turning the head.
2. A riding aid as claimed in claim 1, for use by a horse rider riding astride, wherein the mirror is mounted on the handle of a riding whip or crop.
3. A riding aid as claimed in claim 2, wherein the mirror is affixed to the handle of the crop to extend from the distal end of the handle, a median plane of the mirror surface being generally coincident or parallel with the longitudinal axis of the handle.
4. A riding aid as claimed in claim 3, wherein the mirror is doublesided.
5. A riding aid as claimed in claim 2, wherein the back of the mirror is adhesively secured to a body from which ties extend, the ties being used to secure the mirror to the handle of the crop.
6. A riding aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or each reflective surface of the mirror is of a material other than glass.
7. A riding aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or each mirror is convex.
8. A riding aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the or each mirror is circular and not more than 2.5 cm in diameter.
9. A riding aid substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figures 1 and 2, Figures 3A-4 or Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.