GB2495121A

GB2495121A - Saddle pad with pockets for padding inserts

Info

Publication number: GB2495121A
Application number: GB201116798A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tanza Suzanne Tottle-Venton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-09-29
Filing date: 2011-09-29
Publication date: 2013-04-03
Also published as: GB201116798D0

Abstract

A contoured saddle pad having three contoured pockets attached to each side portion. Each of the pockets has multiple shock absorbing, reforming padded inserts. The inserts enable the user to increase and decrease padding behind the horses withers 3, shoulders 5 and on their back 4. The saddle pad has a high wither 1 and spine and gullet clearance 2 that prevents the pad from putting pressure on the horses spine when in use under a saddle. The saddle pad may be in the shape of a saddle or a rectangle. The shape of the pad may vary dependant on the type of saddle it is used with. It may also be in the form of a contoured half pad with just the hollow wither and back pockets (fig 5).

Description

Build up Saddle Pad

Background

This invention relates to a saddle cloth which has a particular configuration of pockets with adjustable padding inserts to make it ideal for use under a saddle for horses with high withers and hollows behind the withers and shoulders, and those with loss of muscle tone and lacking topline.

Thoroughbred horses are naturally high withered and have a high neck carriage. They are bred for speed and agility. Their training means they develop different muscle tone than horses used in other disciplines. Racehorses generally develop hollows behind the withers and often the shoulder.

Horses that lack topline and have loss of muscle on their back will generally also have a visibly raised spine. Even the fittest of horses in other disciplines can suffer from hollow withers due to their confirmation and also age related muscle atrophy. Horses need to be worked in an outline and long and low using their hindquarters to develop their topline muscles, so bad riding and lack of schooling can also exacerbate this problem.

Saddle cloths are known to provide padding underneath a horse's saddle. For instance, it is known that when saddling a horse with high withers and muscle wastage; thick saddle cloths are used to pad all parts underneath the horse's saddle, however most horses don't require additional padding under the whole underside of the saddle: This causes bulkiness under the pommel and the gullet of the horse's saddle and undermines the correct fit of the saddle causing rubbing to the horses back thus making him uncomfortable. Currently most thoroughbred racehorses and ex-racehorses are ridden in this way (with multiple saddle cloths) to try and alleviate the problem of hollow withers and hollow shoulders.

When conventional saddle cloths and riser pads are used in tandam on a horse with muscle atrophy and placed correctly, they sit over the top of the withers and spine and offer no or very little clearance above the withers. This means they pull down on the top of the withers due to the contour of the horses spine and the shape of the saddle pads used.

When a saddle is then placed on top of the pads, the pressure is placed directly onto the withers and is not dispersed evenly over the horses back as it should be. This is due to these products sitting directly over the withers and not filling the hollow behind the wither and shoulder, leaving a void underneath the pads. Instead, the pads pinch the withers and the spine; creating soreness, muscle damage and swelling ultimately resulting in arthritis. Furthermore, over a period of time, pain related behavioural issues can develop. This also makes fitting a saddle difficult as not padding out the hollows means the saddle will be unlevel and will rub the withers and back, causing it to rock back and forth when used.

Statement of Invention

To overcome the issues detailed above, the invention proposes a specially shaped saddle pad with a high cut over the withers and 3 strategically placed pockets on each side portion of the pad (see figure 1). Each of these pockets will have multiple shaped foam padding inserts (see figure 9, 10 and 11) to allow the user to place the pads in the pockets to fill the hollows behind the wither, shoulder and back where necessary.

Advantages The use of the invention will enable the user to fill the hollow behind the withers and shoulders by inserting foam pad inserts into specially placed pockets on the saddle pad. The foam padding inserts will fill the voids behind the wither and shoulder and will create a level surface for the saddle to rest on without bulking out the gullet and underside of the saddle with multiple saddle pads.

The foam padding inserts will also provide an additional layer of cushioning to the horses back that will help distribute the riders weight evenly over the horses back. The use of this invention will aid with the retraining of racehorses and any horse with muscle wastage to their back and shoulder region: The invention will provide the horse with extra comfort under the saddle helping with achieving collection and encouraging the horse to work his back end effectively, thus building up topline. The invention will provide a cost effective solution and a commercial choice to fitting a saddle to this shape of horse.

Introduction to Drawings

An example of the invention will now be described by the accompanying drawings: Figure 1-Rectangular shaped version of invention (Left Side Portion) Figure 2-Rectangular shaped version of the invention (Right Side Portion) Figure 3-Saddle shaped version of the invention (Left Side Portion) Figure 4-Saddle shaped version of the invention (Right Side Portion) Figure 5-Half Pad version of the invention (Left Side Portion) Figure 6-Half Pad version of the invention (Right Side Portion) Figure 7-Half lined version of the underside of the invention (Left Side Portion) Figure 8-Full lined version of the underside of the invention (Right Side Portion) Figure 9-Wither insert pad (Left Side Portion) Figure 10-Back insert pad (Left Side Portion) Figure 11-Shoulder insert pad (Left Side Portion) Figure 12-Smaller wither insert pad for Half pad version of the invention (Left Side Portion)

Detailed Description

This invention relates to a saddle cloth which has a particular configuration of pockets with adjustable padding inserts to make it ideal for use under a saddle for horses with high withers and hollow withers and muscle atrophy along the spine and shoulder region.

The invention has been designed as a saddle pad, which will be available in two shapes: a saddle shape (figure 3 and 4) and also a rectangle (figure land 2). A separate half pad has also been designed (figure 5 and 6). saddle pads are well know and are used between a horse saddle and a horse to provide comfort to the horse when being ridden, saddle cloths are well known and form no part of the invention per se.

When conventional saddle cloths and riser pads are used in tandem on a horse with muscle atrophy and placed correctly, they sit over the top of the withers and spine and offer no or very little clearance above the withers. This means they pull down on the top of the withers due to the contour of the horses spine and the shape of the saddle pads used.

Most hollow withered horses do not require a pad that pads out the whole underside of the saddle, but instead certain areas as shown on the invention (figure 1), that leave the remainder of the saddle pad unchanged so as not to affect the correct positioning of the saddle and the distribution of the riders weight.

It is an object of the invention to provide a saddle cloth which may overcome the abovementioned disadvantages and provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice.

This pad has been designed as a multi functional build up pad specifically for thoroughbred horses: It can be used as a build up pad when the foam padding inserts are placed inside the pockets or can be used as a quilted saddle cloth with the inserts removed. This device has been designed to be used on horses that have high withers and hollow behind the withers and shoulders and also on horses with loss of muscle tone and topline alone the spine.

The use of conventional saddle cloths and half pads on hollow withered horses can cause substantial pressure injury due to the load of the saddle and rider being dispersed directly onto the horses withers and spine: This is because these items are unable to adapt to fill the hollow behind the wither and shoulder because of their shape and design.

The present invention is directed to a device which is principally a saddle cloth but which has pockets on the side portions of the cloth to pad out certain places on the horse back and shoulder region (see figure 1). In essence this saddle pad is an improvement on current saddle cloths: The pad has a multipurpose use. The insert pockets are placed behind the horses withers (figure 1 (3)) and below the spine leaving a gap between the padding and top of the saddle pad (figure 1(2)) so that the extra padding does not impinge on the withers or spine and cause pressure under the pommel of the saddle, thus optimising the horses comfort. The invention is contoured to the shape of the horse and an additional pocket behind the shoulder (figure 1 (5)) offering extra padding where a lot of horses in the retraining process have muscle wastage and lack muscle tone. The saddle cloth will be either half lined (figure 7) or fully lined (figure 8) with pure wool fleece (or a similar material). The use of wool fleece will be used to optimise the horses comfort and warm the muscles. It will also aid with sweat absorption, and due to the elasticity of wool, it will give additional high levels of protection to the horses back and will prevent the pad moving and rubbing the horse. Its natural properties also signify it is less likely to cause allergic reactions in horses with sensitive skin.

See Figure 1-(3)-this pocket has been placed behind the withers and shaped to the contour of the horses back and shoulder. This ensures that the pad does not put any pressure on the withers, but instead fills out the hollow behind the wither. The use of layers of foam padding enables the user to use as much or as little padding as required to bulk out the hollow. This also means the user can remove padding as the horse starts to build up muscles and top line.

See Figure 1-(4)-this pocket has been placed in line with the wither pocket (3) and is shaped to the contour of the spine. This pocket has been designed to enable to user to put extra padding under the back of the saddle which can be adjusted by the use of more or less layers of foam padding. This is specifically for horses that have no or little topline and a raised spine to prevent the saddle causing sores. It also gives the saddle pad a multipurpose use as the additional layer under the saddle cushions the horses back and helps distribute the riders weight evenly over the horses back.

See Figure 1-(5)-this pocket has been placed below the wither pocket (3) to accommodate the hollow of the shoulder caused by lack of muscle tone, which is very common in high withered horses with a hollow behind the wither. This pocket is contoured to the shape of the horses shoulder and to fit under the flap of a saddle. It can be adjusted by using more or less layers of foam padding during the retraining/muscle build up process.

See Figure 1-(1)-the pad has been shaped at the front to accommodate a higher wither to ensure clearance of the wither thus optimizing comfort (See Figure 6) See Figure 1 -(2) -the pad has been shaped to the contour of the horse's spine with a high spinal clearance to ensure the pad does not bulk out the gullet of the saddle and affect the saddle fit, thus optimizing comfort under the saddle, and to prevent pressure sores occurring along the horses wither and spine.

See Figure 3 and 4-Shows an alternative embodiment of the invention. The pad has been cut to the shape of a saddle. This shape can be altered to fit the type of saddle used: i.e. more forward cut for a jumping or racing saddle, or a straighter cut for a dressage saddle.

See Figure 5 and 6-Shows an alternative embodiment of the invention. The half pad is designed to sit behind the wither and is a half version of the build up pad that can be used with a conventional saddle cloth. This pad has multiple foam padded inserts (Figure 9, 10 and 11) which enables the user to adjust the pad to fit the individual horse. The pad has smaller contoured inserts made specifically to the shape of the hollow behind the wither (Figure 12). These smaller inserts can be fitted in the pocket of the half pad to give extra padding behind the withers where necessary.

The shape of the saddle pad may approximate the shape of conventional saddle cloths. A conventional saddle cloth shape is either square, rectangular or cut to the shape of a saddle when viewed in plan. The front portion of the cloth may be rounded (that is the portion extending towards to horse's neck).

The saddle pad has two side portions which extend down the side of the horse's back when fitted.

These side portions are slightly padded and the pockets are attached to the saddle pad for instance by sewing. It is preferred that the side portions are formed from two separate pieces of cloth and attached together for instance by sewing. In practice however, a single piece of cloth is considered suitable, provided it is contoured to the shape of the horses withers and spine. It is preferred that the pockets are made of the same material as the saddle pad.

The saddle pad can be made from various materials but it is preferred that it is made from a high quality durable fabric. It is considered that the person skilled in the art would be able to determine the correct type of fabric. The size of the cloth can vary to suit. It is preferred that the saddle cloth has a length of between 80-150cm (the length being from the bottom of one side portion over the spine of the horse and to the bottom of the other side portion), and a width of between 50-100cm (the width being the length from the back of the saddle cloth to the front of the saddle cloth and generally in line with the backbone of the horse). These sizes can of course vary depending on the size of the horse, the type of saddle, and the particular requirements.

The saddle cloth thickness will be dependent on the fabric and fill used although it is anticipated to be a minimum of 170 gram fill and the outer made using a high quality heavy cotton, although it can be of any thickness dependant on personal preference and on the fabric and fill used. It is emphasised that it must be of a suitable material to prevent the saddle cloth becoming so flimsy that it becomes unusable or too thick that it alters the shape and design of the invention. The foam padding inserts will be of high quality shock absorbing and reforming material of a suitable thickness. (Memory foam could be used or a similar shock absorbing reforming product). These inserts will be cut to the same shape of the pocket. Additional inserts will be provided with each pad to enable the pad to be used on different horses at different stages of their training program. It should be appreciated that the type and shape of the padding may vary, for instance the padding may give greater protection, comfort and support or may be made more durable or more or less flexible depending on the precise requirements.

The underside of the pad will be lined with pure wool fleece (or a similar material). It can be partially lined (figure 7) or the whole underside of the pad lined (figure 8). The half pad will be fully lined using wool fleece or a similar suitable material. The use of wool fleece will be used to optimise the horses comfort and warm the muscles. It will also aid with sweat absorption, and due to the elasticity of wool, will provide the horse with additional high levels of protection to the back it will prevent the pad moving and rubbing the horse. Its natural properties also signify it is less likely to cause allergic reactions in horses with sensitive skin. A non lined version of the saddle pad and half pad will also be available.

The saddle pad will be bound around the outer edge using high quality cotton binding (figure 1 (7), (or similar material). The half pad will not need to be bound as this preferably will be stitched together from the inside edge to prevent chaffing to the sides of the horse (figure 5 (4)).

The cloth has two side portions which extend down each side of the horse's back. The side portions function to hold the pockets in position and to minimise any slipping or movement. To facilitate this, the side portions should be large enough so that each part of the side portion extends past the saddle and is therefore exposed when the saddle is fitted. The pockets at the top of the side portions are placed lower down so that the top portion of the saddle cloth is unpadded, which in use should sit under the gullet and pommel of the saddle not affecting the correct spinal clearance of the gullet of the saddle.

The invention will be available in a variety of colours.

It should be appreciated that various other changes and modifications can be made to the embodiment described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Claims

<claim-text>Claims I claim..1. A specially adapted saddle pad for use in horses with muscle atrophy, to be used under the horses saddle which uses three specially shaped pockets placed on the outer of the pad to allow padding to be placed in the hollow region behind the withers, shoulder and along the back of the horse.</claim-text> <claim-text>2. A saddle pad according to claim 1, further comprising of pockets and inserts which have been shaped to fill the hollows behind the horses wither, shoulder and along the horses back.</claim-text> <claim-text>3. A saddle pad according to claim 1, designed to evenly distribute the pressure on the horses spine caused by the weight of a saddle and rider by means of using specially placed pockets and shaped inserts that fill the hollows on the back to form a level surface for the saddle to rest on.</claim-text> <claim-text>4. A saddle pad according to claim 1, in which the shape of the pad has been designed to follow the curve of the horse's spine.</claim-text> <claim-text>5. A saddle pad according to claim 3, in which the pad has been shaped and has a raised area at the front giving clear clearance over the horses withers.</claim-text> <claim-text>6. A saddle pad according to claim 4, in which the pads are placed below the spine leaving a clear unpadded channel down the centre of the pad to relieve pressure on the horses spine and withers.</claim-text> <claim-text>7. A saddle pad according to claim 2, in which the shaped pockets are attached to the outer side of the main saddle pad.</claim-text> <claim-text>8. A saddle pad according to claim 6, in which the padding can be adjusted by the means of removing or adding additional specially shaped inserts into the shaped pockets.</claim-text> <claim-text>9. A saddle pad according to claim 1, in which a pocket is placed behind the withers and placed below the spine, leaving an unpadded channel along the top of the saddle pad.</claim-text> <claim-text>10. A saddle pad according to claim 1, in which pocket is placed along the back of the horse and placed below the spine, leaving an unpadded channel along the top of the saddle pad.</claim-text> <claim-text>11. A saddle pad according to claim 1, in which a pocket is placed behind the shoulders and below the hollow of the wither to offer padding in the hollow behind the shoulders.</claim-text> <claim-text>12. A saddle pad according to claim 1, in which shock absorbing reforming inserts are placed in the pockets to alleviate hollowing of the wither, shoulder and along the spinal region.</claim-text> <claim-text>13. A saddle pad according to claim 11, in which the shock absorbing material is synthetic and will have properties of resistance to deformation, durability and resistance.</claim-text> <claim-text>14. A saddle pad according to claim 1, in which the pockets have been placed lower down the side portions of the pad to give wither and spinal clearance along the top of the pad.</claim-text> <claim-text>15. A saddle pad according to claim 1, in which the padding can be removed to enable the invention to be used a normal shaped saddle pad.</claim-text> <claim-text>16. A saddle pad according to claim 1, in which the wither and back pockets and inserts can be used to form an alternative embodiment of the invention by way of a half pad for use under a horses saddle.</claim-text> <claim-text>17. A saddle pad according to claim 13, in which the size of the pads can be altered to give additional padding behind the withers.</claim-text> <claim-text>18. A saddle pad according to claim 1, in which the pockets and inserts can be adjusted to fit the shape of the horse.</claim-text> <claim-text>19. A saddle pad according to claim 1, in which the pad is generally rectangular in shape or shaped to the shape of saddle.</claim-text> <claim-text>20. A saddle pad according to claim 13, in which the pad is shaped to fit under the top of the saddle.</claim-text>