NL2021532B1 - Horse bridle with improved nose band - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a horse bridle, comprising a headstall, cheekpieces extending from the headstall to a bit to be inserted in the horse’s mouth in a space between the horse’s front teeth and molars, and a noseband connected to the cheekpieces and circumventing the horse’s nose and mouth, Wherein at least the nose band is adjustable in size to keep the horse’s mouth closed. To overcome prior art disadvantages, the solution is proposed in the present disclosure that the noseband comprises a pressure relief at a location corresponding With the horse’s foramen at the cheekbone, Where nerves and veins debouche from the horse’s skull.

Description

HORSE BRIDLE WITH IMPROVED NOSE BAND

The present disclosure relates to a horse bridle, comprising a headstall, cheekpieces extending from the headstall to a bit to be inserted in the horse’s mouth in a space between the horse’s front teeth and molars, and a noseband connected to the cheekpieces and circumventing the horse’s nose and mouth, wherein at least the nose band is adjustable in size to keep the horse’s mouth closed.

Such horse bridles are commonly known, and exhibit a heretofore unrecognized disadvantage.

If a nose band is adjusted to be too tight, nerves and veins debouching from the horse’s skull at the infraorbital foramen (herein below simply: the foramen) thereof, i.e. at the cheekbone, may clamped too tightly, which may cause a sleeping nose to the horse, which results in irreparable physical damage, where nerves extending from the foramen to the nose can die very quickly.

In the prior art and in the past, equestrians have been presented with potential solutions to this problem, which have all involved visible deviations and deformations relative to a classic bridle appearance and design. However, in particular in higher regions of equestrian sports, any deviations from or deformations of the classic appearance and design are considered to be aesthetically unacceptable and discarded as ugly contraptions, and disregarded, even though these are intended for the hose’s well-being.

As a solution to the sleeping nose phenomenon, equestrians have simply loosened the noseband to avoid this phenomenon from occurring.

However, the objective of keeping the horse’s mouth closed using the adjustable nose band is to prevent the horse from chewing on the bit. With a loosened nose band, there’s a risk of the horse biting on its tongue and the bit or that when operating the reigns connected to the bridle, in which case the horse may be startled to the extent of running wild, with all the potential consequences to the equestrian. Another consequence is wear to the horse’s teeth, resulting from the horse being able to chew on the bit, as a consequence of the nose band being loosened or too loose, and it should be noted that such wear can be very considerable, in particular on the first molars, even in the case of relatively young animals, resulting in a need for severe dental care.

The solution to these issues and considerations in accordance with the present disclosure is that the noseband comprises a pressure relief at a location corresponding with the horse’s foramen at the cheekbone, where nerves and veins debouche from the horse’s skull.

In retrospect, the solution might be considered surprisingly simple, but it should be born in mind that an acceptable solution complying with the diversity of requirements set out above has eluded equestrians and manufacturers of horse bridles for the longest time, possibly because horses running wild and worn teeth were not so evidently deducible as effects of the nose band being too loose. Nonetheless, the solution offered in the present disclosure allows a bridle with the proposed adaptation to the nose band to be acceptable aesthetically, while ensuring the horse’s mouth may remain closed to prevent chewing on the bit and resulting wear of in particular first molars, and at the same time prevent the sleeping nose phenomenon.

In the present disclosure several preferred though optional embodiments are presented, to which the scope of protection for the present disclosure is by no means to be restricted or limited, and in particular this scope of protection for the present disclosure is defined in the appended independent claim, and may, in some jurisdictions even encompass obvious alternatives for limiting features defined in the independent claim.

In a possible embodiment, the nose band may comprise padding and the pressure relief may comprise indentations in the padding of the nose band at the location corresponding with the horse’s foramen at the cheekbone. In such an embodiment, padding may be omitted at the location corresponding with the horse’s foramen at the cheekbone.

Additionally or alternatively, the nose band may comprise a leather band or is made of similar material, such as artificial leather or a urethane material, and the like. The padding may comprise a foam material or the like.

Additionally or alternatively, the pressure relief may comprise a bridge element bridging the foramen radially relative to the near-circular shape of the nose and mouth circumventing nose band. In such an embodiment, the bridge element may be inserted in or attached to the nose band, to radially divert the nose bend from the foramen.

The pressure relief may extend over any length of the nose band, in particular between 2 and 6 centimeters thereof, and more preferably between 3 and 5 centimeters. Other lengths may also be applicable in as far as the pressure relief is effective at the foramen and sufficient tightening of the nose band is possible.

Following the above discussion of embodiments of bridles according to the present disclosure in more generic terms, corresponding with the features of the appended claims, herein below a more detailed description is provided, referring to the appended drawing. In particular detail, features of specific embodiments will be disclosed in order to provide a sufficient disclosure for the skilled person to comprehend, but none of the specifically revealed features of particular embodiments should be interpreted as imposing any limitation whatsoever on the scope of protection for the assembly of embodiments according to the present disclosure, in as far as covered by - in particular - the independent claim of the appended set of claims. Moreover, in separate figures of the appended drawing, the same or similar aspects, elements, functionalities and components can be indicated using the same or similar reference numbers, even though distinct embodiments may be involved. In the appended drawing:

figure 1 shows a horse’s head with a bridle arranged thereon;

figure 2 shows a cross sectional view of a nose band in a preferred embodiment; and figure 3 shows a nose band in an additional or alternative embodiment of the present disclosure.

Figure 1 shows a horse’s head 1 with an indication where, in vivo, veins and nerves debouche through infraorbital foramen 2 from the skull of the horse’s head 1.

Arranged on the shown head 1 is a horse bridle, comprising: an assembly of a headstall 5 and a browband 4 to arrange the horse bridle on a horse’s head, with ears of the horse protruding between the browband 4 and the headstall 5. Attached to the assembly of headstall 5 and browband 4, cheekpieces 6 extend to a bit 7 via a chain 8. Bit 7 is to be inserted in the horse’s mouth in a space between front teeth 9 and molars 10.

The bridle further comprises a noseband 11 connected to cheekpieces 6 and circumventing the horse’s nose and mouth. Nose band 11 is adjustable in size to keep the horse’s mouth closed. An aid band 13 may additionally be provided to secure proper closure of the horse’s mouth. Nose band 11 and optionally aid band 13 should be adjusted to fit snugly around the horse’s mouth in order keep the horse’s mouth closed and thereby preventing the bit from escaping from the space between front teeth 9 and molars 10.

Other parts and components of the bridle may also be adjustable to a particular horse’s head.

Noseband 11 comprises a pressure relief 12 at a location corresponding with the horse’s foramen 2, which is located near the horse’s cheekbone, where nerves and veins debouche from the horse’s skull through the foramen 2.

Figure 2 shows a detail of nose band 11 in side or cross sectional and perspective view in the direction of arrow II in figure 1, with the nose band 11 stretched out horizontally in figure 2, exhibiting an embodiment of a pressure relief 12. The nose band 11 in figure 2 of the horse bridle comprises padding 14 and the pressure relief 12 comprises indentations 18 in the padding 14 of the nose band 11 at the location corresponding with the horse’s foramen 2 at the cheekbone in figure 1. The padding 14 is indented to form the pressure relief 12, or may be entirely omitted, at locations corresponding with the foramens 2 (on either side of the horse’s nose). Nose band 11 is a leather band, or may be made of a similar material, such as artificial leather or a urethane material, and the padding may comprise foam material or any other suitable padding material. The choice of any material is irrelevant for the present disclosure. The nose band of figure 2 comprises an upper skin 15 and a lower skin 16, and stitching 17 to hold the assembled skins 16, 17 and padding 14 together. The lower skin 16 may be somewhat stretched at the intended locations of the pressure relief 12, prior to assembly by stitching 17, to ensure that the lower skin 16 follows the contour of the indentation in or omission of the padding 14, at the location of the pressure relief 12.

Consequently, the upper skin 15 is not in any way visibly distinguishable from a nose band of a classic bridle.

hi addition to or as an alternative for locally indenting or omitting padding and stretching the lower skin 16, a bridge element 19 of figure 3 may be provided on the side of the nose band 11 facing the horse’s skin and stitched to this side during assembly of the nose band (dashed lines indicating bridge element 19), or the bridge element may be incorporated into the nose band 11 (solid lines for bridge element 19). By including the bridge element 19 under or in the nose band 11 before stitching and thereby assembling the nose band 11, the bridge element 19 is firmly held in place to ensure that the pressure relief 12 has the desired effect of relieving pressure on veins and nerves exiting the foramen 2, regardless of how tight the adjustable nose band is applied. Bridge element 19 bridges the foramen 2 radially relative to the near-circular shape of the nose and mouth circumventing nose band 11 in the state of figure 1 going round the horse’s mouth and nose. Consequently, bridge element 19 is inserted in or attached to the nose band 11 to radially divert the nose band 11 from the foramen 2.

Such a bridge element needs to be firm or rigid enough to define or emphasize the indentation 18 defining a potential embodiment of pressure relief 12. At the same time, it needs to be penetrable by a stitching needle, when stitching is used to fix the bridge element 19 against or in the nose band 11. As an alternative for stitching the bridge element to or in the nose band 11, bridge element 19 may be provided in the form of an add-on, to be arranged onto the side of the nose band 11 that in use faces the skin of the horse’s nose, for example by fixing the nose band 11 over the add-on bridge element 19 using glue or adhesive, after the nose band 11 is premanufactured, to be able to offer to equestrians and their horses a solution for already used bridles, as post-production adaptation, to avoid them having to purchase new nose bands 11 for their already owned / used bridles.

It is therefore noted here that the scope of protection for the developments described in the present disclosure are by no means limited to any particular feature of the embodiments described above and illustrated in the appended drawing. The scope of protection is exclusively determined based on the limitations of the appended independent claims, but may, in some jurisdictions, even encompass obvious alternatives for features in the independent claims. Variations for specifically described elements, components and functionalities, that may also be embodied within the scope of the appended claims of the present disclosure, have been at least hinted at in the above embodiment description or the skilled person may be considered to be able to contemplate these variations within the range of this skilled person’s general knowledge. This exemplary reference to alternative embodiments substantiates that any limitation to any specific feature, that is not defined as a limitation in the independent claims, is unwarranted.

Claims (8)

CONCLUSIONS Horse bridle, comprising: a headgear; cheek pads extending from the harness to a bite to be inserted in the horse's mouth between the front teeth and the horse's molars; and a noseband, which is connected to the cheek pads, and surrounds the horse's nose and mouth, at least the noseband being adjustable in size to keep the horse's mouth closed, the noseband comprising: a pressure relief at a position corresponding to the horse's foramen at the cheekbone, where nerves and blood vessels exit the horse's skull. Horse bridle according to claim 1, wherein the noseband includes padding and the pressure relief includes notches in the padding of the noseband, at the location corresponding to the horse's foramen at the cheekbone. Horse bridle according to claim 2, wherein, at the location corresponding to the horse's foramen at the cheekbone, the padding is omitted. Horse bridle as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the noseband comprises a leather strap or is made of similar material. Horse bridle according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the pressure relief comprises: a bridge element, which bridges the foramen radially with respect to the almost circular shape of the nose band surrounding the nose band. Horse bridle according to claim 5, wherein the bridge element is inserted into or fitted to the noseband to keep the noseband radially spaced from the foramen. Horse bridle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the pressure relief extends over a length of the noseband, in particular between 2 and 6 centimeters thereof, and more preferably between 3 and 5 centimeters. Noseband of or for a horse bridle according to any of the preceding claims.