GB2444895A - Horse riding saddle - Google Patents

Abstract

A horse riding saddle (10) comprises a tree and flap unit (12) and two panel units (14), the panel units (14) being removably secured to the tree and flap unit (12). Preferably each panel unit (14) is removable from the tree and flap unit (12) by removing or releasing a fastener. Each panel unit (14) is removably secured to the tree and flap unit (12) by means of cooperating openings (28, 44) and protrusions (34) and the fastener. The openings (28, 44) may be provided on the panel unit (14) and the protrusions (34) may be provided on the tree and flap unit (12). The fastener may be a threaded fastener.

Description

Title: Horse Riding Saddle

Description of Invention

The invention relates to a horse riding saddle and in particular although not necessarily exclusively to one of European style (rather than Western style), and specifically to one in which the panels are readily removable and replaceable.

Horse riding saddles are made up of a number of components and traditionally were made in a set form that could not be altered. However, in recent years there has been a trend towards making horse riding saddles, or at least European style saddles, in a manner which permits the fit to be altered to be suitable for different horses, or for the same horse as it's condition changes, or indeed for riders of different sizes. In some cases this involves removing one or more components and replacing them with equivalent components of the same type but of a different size, shape or stiffness, whilst in other cases this involves simply securing the same components together in a slightly different configuration. There is thus a trend towards making horse riding saddles in a modular fashion. A number of methods of doing so have been disclosed, for example in W003/089367, but as yet none of these are sufficiently easy to work with that they have gained broad acceptance in the marketplace.

It would therefore be advantageous to provide a horse riding saddle the fit of which is more readily adaptable to that required.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a horse riding saddle which is readily adaptable in at least one respect, that is with regard to the removal and replacement of the panels.

According to the present invention there is provided a horse riding saddle comprising a tree and flap unit and two panel units, the panel units being removably secured to the tree and flap unit.

Preferably each panel unit is removable from the tree and flap unit by removing or releasing a fastener.

Conveniently each panel unit is removably secured to the tree and flap unit by means of co-operating openings and protrusions and a threaded fastener.

The co-operating openings and protrusions may be provided towards the rear and a fastener may be provided towards the front.

Conveniently the openings are provided on the panel unit and the protrusions are provided on the tree and flap unit.

The openings may be provided in a plate inserted into the panel unit.

The openings are preferably each keyhole shaped with a holding portion and a receiving portion.

The protrusions may be provided on a fixing secured to the tree and flap unit, or by means of screws screwed into the tree and flap unit.

The protrusions preferably each comprise a shank portion and a head portion.

Conveniently the head portion of a protrusion can pass through the generally circular portion of an opening but not through the slot portion of the opening and the shank portion of a protrusion can be received in the slot portion of an opening.

Each panel unit may be removably secured to the tree and flap unit using a pair of cooperating protrusions and openings.

The fastener may conveniently be a threaded fastener. Preferably the fastener is a single fastener.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates a saddle according to the invention with the panels removed, the tree and flap unit shown from below and one panel shown from above; Figure 2 illustrates the upper surface of one of the panels removed from the saddle; Figure 3 illustrates the rear of the saddle with a panel near to the tree and flap unit with the rear fixings aligned; Figure 4 illustrates the rear fixings (a) being brought near each other, (b) in the initial stage of attachment, and (c) attached; Figure 5 shows partial views of the underside of a saddle according to the invention with, in (a), (b) and (c) three different forms of panel attached, and in (d) all three such panels overlaid to illustrate the differences between them.

Referring now to the Figures, a horse riding saddle 10 includes a tree and flap unit 12 and two panel units 14.

The tree and flap unit 12 (which will hereinafter be referred to as the tree unit 14 for brevity) comprises within it a tree (not shown), and includes a pommel at the front thereof, a seat 16 on the upper surface, and flaps 18 extending downwards to either side. The tree and flap unit 12 is essentially of conventional form.

The panel units 14 each comprise a panel 20 and a sweat flap 22. The panel is a pocket which is filled with suitable stuffing and which extends along the upper edge and which, when assembled to form the saddle 10 provides the padding underneath the tree, and extends downwards along the front edge of the flap 22 to form a knee roll 24. These features, i.e. the panels 20 and sweat flaps 22, are also essentially conventional. The novelty in the saddle 10 lies in the manner in which the panel units 14 are constructed and then removably secured to the tree unit 12 as will now be described.

The tree unit 12 includes tongues 26 (often referred to in the saddlery industry as "points") extending downwards to either side of the front thereof on the under surface, as shown in Figure 1, and two openings 28, one to either side of the pommel 15, adjacent the upper end of the tongues 26. Conveniently each opening 28 is fitted with a threaded female insert for receipt of a threaded fastener, as will be described later, afthough this is not necessarily essential as a self tapping screw could be used. Secured to the underside of the tree unit 12 towards the rear thereof and to either side are two fixings 30. Each fixing includes a plate 32 secured to the tree unit 12 by any suitable means (typically by means of a plurality of threaded fasteners) which bears two headed protrusions 34. The headed protrusions 34 each have a shaft 34a and a head 34k. It should be noted that in place of the fixing two screws could simply be screwed into the underside of the tree unit 12 to provide the two protrusions.

Each panel unit 14 includes on the upper surface of the panel 20 towards the front thereof a pocket 36 for receipt of a tongue 26, and at the front of the upper edge an orifice 38 through which a threaded fastener can be inserted as will be described later. Preferably the orifice 38 is strengthened by an eyelet, although this is not essential, and provided on an extension portion 39. The panel unit 14 also includes towards the rear thereof a pocket 40 into which a keyhole plate 42 has been inserted. The keyhole plate 42 includes two keyholes 44 for receipt of the heads of the headed protrusions 34. Each keyhole 44 has a holding portion 44, in this case in the form of a slot, and a receiving portion 44k, in this case being generally circular.

The components of the saddle 10 may each be made of any suitable material.

In particular the fixings 32 and keyhole plates 42 may suitably be made of metal or some kind of plastics material with appropriate characteristics.

A panel unit 14 is removably secured to the tree unit 12 as follows. The panel unit 14 is aligned with the tree unit 12 as shown in Figure 3, and the heads 34 of the headed protrusions 34 are inserted into the receiving portions 44 of the keyholes 44 (as illustrated in Figure 4(b), the receiving portions 44k being of sufficient size that the heads 34 can pass through them. The panel unit 14 is then moved forwards slightly relative to the tree unit 12 such that the shanks 34 of the headed protrusions 34 are moved into the holding portions 44 of the keyholes 44, (as illustrated in Figure 4(c)), the holding portions 44 being of sufficient width that the shanks 34 can slide into them. In this position, the headed protrusions 34 are retained within the keyholes 44 by the cooperation of the headed protrusions 34 and the keyholes 44, as the heads 34 cannot pass out of the keyholes 44 through the holding portions 44g.

The tongue 26 is then inserted into the pocket 36, and the orifice 38 is aligned with the opening 28 on the correct side of the tree unit 12. A threaded fastener (not shown) is then passed through the orifice 38 and screwed into the opening 28.

Thus each panel unit 14 is removably secured to the tree unit 12 by means of a single threaded fastener. Conveniently the threaded fastener is relatively large such that it is easy to handle, and it may have a hexagonal recess in the head for receipt of an Allen key by which to insert or remove it as this form of tool provides the most positive location within the head and thus the most positive form of operation.

To remove a panel unit 14 from the tree unit 12 the above process is reversed, and takes only a few seconds. Thus the panel units 14 fitted to a tree unit 12 to form a saddle 10 can readily be removed and replaced in order to alter the fit of the saddle 10. Figure 5 illustrates three different configurations of panel unit 14, 14' 14" fitted to a tree unit 12. The panel units 14, 14' and 14" include different lengths of extension portion 39, 39' and 39" which locate the panels 20, 20' and 20" at different positions beneath the tree unit 12, and thus provide a saddle 10 of different fit. Of course other variations of the panel units 14 can also be provided, for example the thickness or compliance of the panels 20 can be altered, which may for example adapt the saddle from one discipline to another, e.g. dressage to show jumping, as well as the location of the panels in the assembled saddle 10.

The invention provides a significant advantage over previous modular saddles, in that it is much easier to remove and replace the panel units. Thus a saddle fitter can attend a fitting with a tree unit and a range of panels and can reconfigure the saddle a number of times during the fitting to obtain the best fit to the horse and rider. It is much simpler to travel with a tree unit and a number of pairs of different panel units than it is to travel with a plurality of complete saddles. Furthermore the saddle fitter is likely to have less money tied up in stock, which will clearly assist in the running of their business. In addition, if the condition of the horse changes, or indeed the owner obtains a new horse, the fit of the saddle can readily be adapted as required by purchasing a different pair of panel units instead of having to purchase a whole new saddle. As the method of changing the panels is so simple to use they may even be changed by the owner without the assistance of a trained saddle fitter.

Whilst the above description refers to the saddle 10 including two panel units 14 it should be understood that the two panel units 14, rather than being totally separate, as illustrated, could be joined by a web along their upper edges, and thus could form a single component. This is however not the preferred manner of construction.

Other forms of fastener could be employed in saddles according to the invention in place of the threaded fastener described above, for example a push fit fastener such as a popper. Whilst it is most advantageous for each panel to be secured using a single fastener, more than one could be used if desired.

When used in this specification and claims, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.

Claims (16)

1. A horse riding saddle comprising a tree and flap unit and two panel units, the panel units being removably secured to the tree and flap unit.

2. A horse. riding saddle according to claim I wherein each panel unit is removable from the tree and flap unit by removing or releasing a fastener.

3. A horse riding saddle according to claim I or 2 wherein each panel unit is removably secured to the tree and flap unit by means of co-operating openings and protrusions and a fastener.

4. A horse riding saddle according to claim 3 wherein the co-operating openings and protrusions are provided towards the rear and a fastener is provided towards the front.

5. A horse riding saddle according to claim 3 or 4 wherein the openings are provided on the panel unit and the protrusions are provided on the tree and flap unit.

6. A horse riding saddle according to any one of claims 3 to 5 wherein the openings are provided in a plate inserted into the panel unit.

7. A horse riding saddle according to any one of claims 3 to 6 wherein the openings are each keyhole shaped with a holding portion and a receiving portion.

8. A horse riding saddle according to any one of claims 3 to 7 wherein the protrusions are provided on a fixing secured to the tree and flap unit.

9. A horse riding saddle according to any one of claims 3 to 7 wherein the protrusions are provided by means of screws screwed into the tree and flap unit.

10. A horse riding saddle according to any one of claims 3 to 9 wherein the protrusions each comprise a shank portion and a head portion.

11. A horse riding saddle according to claim 9 or 10 as dependent upon claim 7 wherein the head portion of a protrusion can pass through the generally circular portion of an opening but not through the slot portion of the opening and the shank portion of a protrusion can be received in the slot portion of an opening.

12. A horse riding saddle according to any one of claims 3 to 11 wherein each panel unit is removably secured to the tree and flap unit using a pair of cooperating protrusions and openings.

13. A horse riding saddle according to any one of claims 2 to 12 wherein the fastener is a threaded fastener.

14. A horse riding saddle according to any one of claims 2 to 13 wherein the fastener is a single fastener

15. A horse riding saddle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

16. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or in the accompanying drawings.