GB2377153A

GB2377153A - Driving saddle and harness

Info

Publication number: GB2377153A
Application number: GB0116238A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Margaret Dorothy Wooding; Carol Mary Pawson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-07-03
Filing date: 2001-07-03
Publication date: 2003-01-08
Anticipated expiration: 2021-07-03
Also published as: GB2377153B; GB0116238D0

Abstract

The saddle comprises two adjustable back bands 2, 3 which in use are attached to a tug mounting buckle 4. The bands are located at the front and rear of the saddle to evenly distribute the weight of a carriage attached to the harness. The saddle is secured to the animal by straps 6-9. All the straps and bands pass under the animal in a single girth 12. The saddle is formed with under flaps (28) which in use are located under straps 6-9 and an outer flap 29 which is located over straps 6-9 and through which bands 2 and 3 pass. Both the bands and the straps are attached to a single saddle tree 1 (fig 1). Pads 10, 11 may be placed under the saddle in use.

Description

Saddle This invention relates to a saddle, and more particularly to a driving saddle for a harness horse.

Driving saddles/pads are well known to those who work with harness horses. For all horses the driving saddle/pad acts as an anchor or guide for other parts of the harness and carriage.

Driving saddles/pads are secured under the belly of the horse with a single narrow strap called a girth. A single strap passing through the top of the driving saddle/pad, called a back band, to which two tugs are attached, continues around the horse, the two ends of which are joined together with a strap, called a belly band. The tugs are the means by which the shafts of the carnage are supported. All pressure put on the tugs when the driving turnout corners, descends and ascends hills or stops and starts is concentrated on the small area of the horse's back on which the driving saddle/pad lies, the skeletal structure immediately in front of the driving saddle/pad, or the belly underneath the girth. The motion of the carriage causes the narrow saddle/pad to rock and tilt with the changing pressures. Driving saddles/pads do not take ergonomics into consideration.

To move bio-mechanically efficiently, the horse must be comfortable and not have either its skeletal or muscular structures impinged on or restricted. Driving saddles/pads are normally fitted around the horse on the narrow area, which lies immediately behind the shoulders and in front of the belly. The shoulders prevent the driving saddle/pad moving forward and the roundness of the belly prevents It from moving back. Thus, driving saddles/pads restrict the free movement of the horse's shoulders and impinge on the muscles behind the shoulders and under the belly, causing muscle wastage, rubbing and pinching.

The present invention seeks to address these problems in order to provide a more ergonomic harness horse driving saddle.

According to the present invention, there is provided a driving saddle having a pair of independently sliding back bands for supporting a carriage, in use, and arranged to spread the weight of the carriage over the saddle.

In a preferred embodiment, the driving saddle comprises an inner saddle member, called a tree, which follows the contours of the horse's back and keeps the finished saddle in an ergonomic shape. The back bands are mounted to slide in separate, spaced apart, channels extending over the tree from one side of the saddle to the other. The back bands are secured together on either side by means of a self balancing tug strap, which also connects the back bands to a metal tug buckle.

Each tug buckle has three slots, the upper two slots are used in conjunction with the tug strap and the lower slot receives a tug for supporting a carriage shaft.

Preferably, a unique cushioned girth having three internal straps is used to secure the tug, as well as the dual girth straps, to the underside of the horse A variable combination padding system may be positioned between the driving saddle and the horse.

Thus, the preferred embodiment provides an ergonomic driving saddle, which- . will not restrict or Impinge on the horse's muscle structure as it changes shape when moving or when the weight of the carriage puts pressure on the tugs remains stable without compromising the efficiency and comfort of the horse spreads the weight of the carriage over a large area of the back allows the horse's shoulders to move freely . clears the spinus processes of the thoracic spine.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 shows the tree on which the dnvlng saddle is constructed Figure 2 shows the driving saddle from the front Figure 3 shows the driving saddle from underneath Figure 4 shows the tug buckle Figure 5 shows the tug buckle with self balancing strap Figure 6 shows the independent dual back bands with the self-balancing strap and tug buckle attached Figure 7 shows the flexible padding system Figure 8 shows the girth Figure 9 shows the dual girth straps with the girth attached Figure 10 shows the driving saddle with its component parts on a horse.

Referring to the drawings the ergonomic harness horse saddle of the preferred embodiment of the present invention compnses a) the driving saddle constructed of- . a tree 1 which follows the contours of the horse's back and keeps the finished saddle in an ergonomic shape as shown in Fig 1 girth straps attached to the tree 6,7, 8 & 9 as shown in Fig 1. back band channels 14 and 15 as shown in Fig 1.

panels 13 secured to the underside of the saddle creating a gully to provide clearance of the spinus processes of the horse's skeleton when the saddle is secured on the horse, as shown in Fig 2 and Fig 3. under flaps 28 attached to each side of the saddle under the girth straps protecting the horse's sides from friction as shown in Fig 3 and Fig 9 outer flaps 29 attached to each side of the saddle on top of the girth straps protecting the horse's sides from friction and separating the balancing tug buckles 4 from the girths 6,7, 8 & 9. as shown in Fig 6 and Fig 10 b) independently sliding dual back bands 2 and 3 which pass through the channels 14 and 15 as shown in Fig 6 c) tug buckle 4 to which the self balancing tug strap 5 is attached. The strap is threaded through a fastening 23. The outer layer of the strap is then threaded through the top slot 32 and finishes at the bottom of the fastening 25. The inner layer of the strap from fastening 23 is threaded through the middle slot 33 and finishes by passing through the bottom of fastening 25. All layers are then stitched together at 27, as shown in Fig 5. The tug buckle allows the strap to move freely with minimal wear and friction and to provide a constantly balanced load as the horse manoeuvres d) dual girth straps 6,7, 8 & 9 attached to the tree 1 as shown in Fig 1 e) girth as shown in Fig 8 comprises- . a wide cushioned outer protective layer 30 a a wide strengthened inner layer 31 girth fasteners 15,16, 17 and 18 belly band fasteners 19 and 20 f) base pad 10 and the front pad 11 as shown in Fig 7.

The harness horse saddle of the preferred embodiment of the present invention is used as follows- The base pad 10, covering the same area on the horse's back as the dnving saddle IS placed on the horse's back as shown in Fig 7. The front pad 11 is placed on top of the base pad 10 to level the saddle as necessary. The combination of the pads makes the driving saddle fit the exact shape of each individual horse allowing for muscle expansion and contraction during movement.

The driving saddle as shown in Fig 2 is placed on top of the pads 10 and 11 as shown in Fig 9 and is secured with the wide girth 12 under the horse's belly. The buckle 15 attaches to the girth strap 6 and the buckle 16 attaches to the girth strap 7 on the offside and in a similar way on the near side buckle 18 attaches to girth strap 8 and buckle 19 attaches to girth strap 9.

The driving saddle remains stable by a combination of the ergonomically shaped tree as shown in Fig 1, the panels 13, the pads 10 and 11 and the wide cushioned girth 12.

The independently sliding back bands 2 and 3 pass over the top of the tree 1 through channels 14 and 15 as shown in Fig 1. The self balancing tug straps 5, are buckled onto the sliding back bands 2 and 3 on either side of the saddle as shown in Fig 6 and Fig 10 Anyone who works with harness horses and saddles will appreciate, different combinations of the features of the described embodiment are possible for different uses The present invention IS intended to embrace all such new and inventive combinations of these features

Claims

Claims 1 A driving saddle for a harness horse having a pair of independently sliding back bands for supporting a carriage, in use, and arranged to spread the weight of the carriage over the whole saddle.
2 A driving saddle as claimed in Claim 1 whereby the independent sliding back bands are threaded through the saddle with one adjacent the front of the saddle and other adjacent the rear of the saddle.
3 A driving saddle as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 having a pair of girth straps fixed to either of the saddle for attachment by means of a girth to the underside of a horse
4 A driving saddle as claimed in Claim 1,2 and 3, whereby the weight of a carriage is taken by a tug buckle attached to the independent sliding back bands by a self balancing strap.
5 A saddle as claimed in any preceding claim, further including padding, the padding comprises a combination of independent pads attached to the saddle by any means.
6 An ergonomic harness horse driving saddle substantially as described herein with references to Figures 1-10 of the accompanying drawings.
7 A fastener for connecting a tug to a pair of back bands of a driving saddle, the fastener comprising a buckle having three openings, and a looped strap having a fastening, at respective opposite ends thereof, for fastening to one of said back bands, whereby one side of the looped strap passes through a first of the three slots of the buckle and the other side of the looped strap passes through a second of the three slots of the buckle, and a tug passes through the third of the three slots of the buckle, whereby, in use, the strap can slide freely through the buckle to balance the tug as the tug and buckle move with respect thereto.
8 A girth for use with the driving saddle as claimed in Claim 6, comprising straps for attaching to corresponding girth straps for securing the saddle to a horse, and another strap providing a belly band for attaching to a tug strap.
9 A girth as claimed in Claim 8 wherein the straps extend through a wide cushioned girth