US3691995A - Swimming pool for horses - Google Patents

Abstract

A swimming pool for use in exercising and conditioning horses in the form of a recessed water-filled tank of circular configuration having a sloping ramp portion providing ingress and egress of said tank and an island in the center of said tank creating thereby an annular-shaped pool, and a pair of diametrically opposed counterbalanced pedestrian bridges linking the island with the pool perimeter, with the bridges normally maintained with their island ends elevated.

Description

United States Patent Little n51 3,691,995 [451 Sept. 19, 1972 [54] SWIMMING POOL FOR HORSES [72] Inventor: Glen Melvon Little, P.O. Box 244,

Burns, Oreg. 97720 [22] Filed: April 13, 1970 211 Appl. No.: 27,644

[52] US. Cl. ......l19/29, 119/158 [51] Int. Cl. ..A0lk 15/00 [58] Field of Search .1 /5,158, 29,

- l;4/172;l72.12172.l6;52/l69' [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,208,434 9/1965 Barton ..1l9l158 3,259,105 7/1966 Shepard ..119/29 3,488,782 1/1970 Billig et a1 ..4/172 984,956 2/1911 Messer ..4/172.16

2,751,880 6/1956 Markowski ..1 19/5 3,478,370 11/1969 Sternet a1. ..4/172 1,345,801 7/1920 Mullins ..1 19/158 1,354,113 9/1920 Leverett ..119/1 3,179,084 4/1965 Norris et al ..1 19/5 Primary Examiner-Aldrich F. Medbery Attorney-Daniel P. Chernoff [57] ABSTRACT 4 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PATENTED EP B 3.691 995 sum 1 (IF 2 FIG. 1

PATENTEDSEPISIBIZ 3,591 995 sum 2 or 2 FIG. 2

' SWIMMING POOL FOR HORSES This invention is a simple economically constructed swimming pool for horses which will be used primarily for conditioning race horses. It may be constructed of either concrete or steel. Many trainers today resort to lakes, ponds and even the ocean for this exercise and conditioning.

This pool provides a safe method for horse swimming in that it allows attendants to supervise this activity and quickly remove an animal in the event he is experiencing difficulty. Many horses are not able swimmers, and initially it will be desired to take an animal straight through the pool with an attendant on either side as a precautionary measure. The ramps which join the center island are counterbalanced and allow a man to walk under them when supervising horses in the pool. The island in the center affords an opportunity to give the horse as much swimming as desired for the animal may be required to swim around it several times to gain the desired exercise.

Length or width is not critical, for this inventionprovides any amount of exercise desired in a minimum area. The pool may be preconstructed, whether it be concrete or steel, and as the drawing indicates, it is not perfectly round, but rather it is constructed in panels.

With these and other objects definitely in view, this invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions as will be hereinafter fully described in the specification, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the drawings which form a material part of this disclosure, and in which thefollowing drawings more fully explain this novel idea;

FIG. [is an overhead view, and

FIG. 2 is a side view.

With reference to FIG. 1, the view shows the entire pool, indicated by the number 2, which is constructed island 4, it will raise to a point whereby he can easily walkunder it and supervise the swimming while holding the horse. When the attendant desires to remove of concrete and has a walkway 7 around the entire pool. The octagonal shaped island in the center has a steel railing 6 entirely around it, except for those two areas where it is met by the ramp 5.

FIG. 2 more appropriately shows the workings of this invention. Number 1 indicates the ramp whereby the animals enter the pool. As the horse reaches the depth where it must swim, it may be accompanied by an attendant on either side or both sides, using the walkways 7 with one attendant proceeding onto the counterbalanced rarnp 5. At the time the attendant reaches the the animal, he simply pulls the other counterbalanced ramp 5 to a level position and moves the animal out via the exit ramp 3.

I claim:

1. In a swimming pool for use in exercising and conditioning horses of the type having a recessed waterfilled tank of generally circular configuration with its upper edge substantially flush with ground level the improvement wherein an island of which an attendant may stand is provided proximate the center of said tank creating thereby an annular-shaped pool for horses; said island being linked to the perimeter of said pool by a pedestrian bridge having counterbalancing means for normally maintaining the island end of said bridge elevates at a height above sai island sufficient to enable sai attendant on said IS and to pass underneath said bridge, and yet at a height low enough to place said island end within manual reach of said attendant on said island, said counterbalancing force imposed by said counterbalancing means constituting a means for maintaining said island end of said bridge in said elevated position and being sufficiently weak as to be overcome by said attendants manual downward pull on said island end to enable him to lower said bridge from said island in order to cross to the perimeter of said pool.

2. A swimming pool for horses as set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that a pair of such bridges are provided linking said island with said pool perimeter, said bridge pair being in substantially diametrical alignment.

3. A swimming pool for horses according to claim I further characterized in that there is a circumferential walkway for an attendant provided around said pool perimeter.

4. A swimming pool for horses as set forth in claim 2, further including a pair of ramps communicating with said pool at respective locations on the perimeter thereof in a line parallel to and adjacent said pair of diametrically aligned bridges, one of said ramps comprising an entry ramp for the horses and the other comprising an exit ramp for the horses, said pair of bridges serving to support an attendant as he guides a horse from said entry ramp to said exit ramp across said pool.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CGRRECTION Patent No. 3,691,995 Dated September 19 1972 Invent r(s) Glen M. Little It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. 1, Line 39 after "center" insert -4-.

Col. 2, Line 12 change "of" to --on.

Signed and sealed this 30th day of January 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER, JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Con'mlissioner of Patents FORM PO-1050 (1 USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 {r UYS. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: I969 O-366-334

Claims (4)

1. In a swimming pool for use in exercising and conditioning horses of the type having a recessed water-filled tank of generally circular configuration with its upper edge substantially flush with ground level the improvement wherein an island of which an attendant may stand is provided proximate the center of said tank creating thereby an annular-shaped pool for horses; said island being linked to the perimeter of said pool by a pedestrian bridge having counterbalancing means for normally maintaining the island end of said bridge elevated at a height above said island sufficient to enable said attendant on said island to pass underneath said bridge, and yet at a height low enough to place said island end within manual reach of said attendant on said island, said counterbalancing force imposed by said counterbalancing means constituting a means for maintaining said island end of said bridge in said elevated position and being sufficiently weak as to be overcome by said attendant''s manual downward pull on said island end to enable him to lower said bridge from said island in order to cross to the perimeter of said pool.

2. A swimming pool for horses as set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that a pair of such bridges are provided linking said island with said pool perimeter, said bridge pair being in substantially diametrical alignment.

3. A swimming pool for horses according to claim 1 further characterized in that there is a circumferential walkway for an attendant provided around said pool perimeter.

4. A swimming pool for horses as set forth in claim 2, further including a pair of ramps communicating with said pool at respective locations on the perimeter thereof in a line parallel to and adjacent said pair of diametrically aligned bridges, one of said ramps comprising an entry ramp for the horses and the other comprising an exit ramp for the horses, said pair of bridges serving to support an attendant as he guides a horse from said entry ramp to said exit ramp across said pool.

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