WO2000035805A1

WO2000035805A1 - Saddle tree

Info

Publication number: WO2000035805A1
Application number: PCT/CA1999/001133
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bernard Girault
Original assignee: Pegase Saddlery Inc.
Priority date: 1998-12-11
Filing date: 1999-11-26
Publication date: 2000-06-22
Also published as: EP1156982B1; DE69915136T2; EP1156982A1; DE69915136D1; CA2255428A1; AU1369500A

Abstract

A saddle tree (10) for a horse saddle has an arched body portion (12) shaped to fit across a horse's back, a pair of laterally-spaced fork members (14) which project downwardly from opposite sides of the arched body portion so as to extend downwardly on opposite sides of a horse's body when in use, and a pair of laterally-spaced independently resiliently deflectable spring members (16) projecting rearwardly from the arched body portion. The said spring members are of blade-like shape curved to conform with the shape of a horse's back and have a length sufficient to extend along at least eight vertebrae when in use and a lateral spacing causing at least laterally-inner rear-edge portions thereof to rest on the relevant vertebrae when in use.

Description

Description SADDLE TREE

Technical Field

This invention relates to saddle trees, that is to say frames

which are used in horse saddles to provide strength and shape

therefor.

Background Art

Saddle trees have been used in horse saddles for very many

years and many different designs have been proposed, it being

necessary to consider the anatomy of the horse, the anatomy of the

rider and the balance of the saddle and the rider on the horse's

body. Typical saddle trees are shown, for example, in US Patent

4,965,988 (Anderson), PCT Application No. PCT/GB97/02192

(Huggins), and PCT Application No. PCT/US97/20013 (Coffin).

However, known saddle trees do not satisfactorily meet all of the

above-mentioned desired criteria with respect to the rider.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide

an improved saddle tree which enables a saddle incorporating the

tree to more clearly meet such desired criteria.

Disclosure of Invention

According to the present invention, a saddle tree has an

arched body portion shaped to fit over a horse's back, a pair of laterally-spaced fork members which project downwardly from

opposite sides of the arched body portion so as to extend

downwardly on opposite sides of a horse's body when in use and a

pair of laterally-spaced independently resiliently deflectable spring

members projecting rearwardly from the arched body portion. The

spring members are of blade-like shape curved to conform with the

shape of a horse's back and have a length sufficient to extend along

at least eight vertebrae when in use and a lateral spacing causing at

least laterally-inner rear-edge portions thereof to rest on the relevant

vertebrae when in use.

It has been found that a horse saddle incorporating a

saddle tree in accordance with the invention, particularly because of

the length and spacing of the spring members, much more

satisfactorily meets the desired criteria than horse saddles with

previously-known saddle trees.

The spring members may have laterally-inner edges which,

in plan view, are substantially parallel and laterally-outer edges

which diverge in a curved manner from the arched body portion to

a maximum just beyond halfway along their length and then

converge towards their rear ends.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of

which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a saddle tree in accordance

with one embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof,

Fig. 3 is a side view thereof,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a horse

saddle incorporating the saddle tree shown in Figs. 1 to 3,

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic side view showing how the saddle

tree of Figs. 1 to 3 sits on a horse's back,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a saddle tree in accordance

with a second embodiment of the invention, and

Fig. 7 is a similar view of a saddle tree in accordance with

a third embodiment of the invention.

Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3, a saddle tree 10 for a horse

saddle is formed as an integral molding of suitable synthetic plastic

material and has an arched body 12 shaped to fit across a horse's

back, a pair of laterally-spaced fork members 14 projecting

downwardly from opposite sides of the arched body portion 12 so

as to extend downwardly on opposite sides of the horse's back, and

a pair of laterally-spaced independently resiliently deflectable spring members 16 extending rearwardly from the arched body portion 12.

The spring members 16 are of blade-like shape curved to

conform with the shape of a horse's back and having a length

sufficient to extend along about eight vertebrae thereof and a lateral

spacing such that at least laterally-inner rear edge portions 18 thereof

to rest on the vertebrae (as will be described in more detail later).

The spring members 16 have laterally-inner edges 20

which, in plan view (see Fig. 2), are substantially parallel and

laterally-outer edges 22 which diverge in a curved manner from the

arched body portion 12 to a maximum just beyond halfway along

the length thereof and then curved towards their rear ends. The

spring members 16 have a length of about 13 inches and a spacing

between the inner edges 20 of about 1.25 to 1.5 inches. The

maximum width of each spring member 16 is approximately 2.75

inches.

Fig. 4 shows the saddle tree 10 incorporated in a saddle 24.

The saddle 24 has a conventional flexible leather saddle portion 25

with a seat part 26 and side flaps 28 extending downwardly from

opposite sides thereof so as to extend downwardly on opposite sides

of a horse's back. The fork members 14 extend into pockets 30

provided on the side slaps 38 and the spring members 15 extend into

pockets 32 provided in the rear portion of the seat part 26 rearwardly of the side flaps 28. Stirrup-mounting brackets 34 are

secured to the fork members 14 and arched body portion 12 and

girth straps 36 are mounted on the spring member 16 adjacent the

arched body portion 12.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing how the saddle tree

10 sits on a horse's back and it will be noted that the spring

members 16 extend over eight vertebrae 38.

It has been found that a saddle tree, in accordance with the

invention, such as the saddle tree 10 described above, enables a

saddle incorporating the tree to be a substantial improvement over

prior art saddles, both for the horse and for the rider.

For example, there is less likelihood of the saddle moving

forward during use and causing the saddle tree to interfere with

movement of the horse's shoulder blades, as can happen with prior

art saddles with short spring members such as described in U.S.

Patent 4965988 (Anderson) which only extend over about three

vertebrae.

Other embodiments of saddle trees in accordance with the

invention will be readily apparent to a person skilled in the art. For

example, as shown in Fig. 6, the fork members 114 of the saddle

tree 110 may be loop-shaped, with the spring members 116 being

substantially the same as in the previously-described embodiment. As shown in Fig. 7, the fork members 214 of the saddle tree 210

may be hook-shaped, again with the spring members 216 being the

same as before.

The scope of the invention is defined in the appended

claims.

Claims

1. A saddle tree for a horse saddle, said tree having:

an arched body portion shaped to fit across a horse's back,

a pair of laterally-spaced fork members which project

downwardly from opposite sides of the arched body portion so as to

extend downwardly on opposite sides of a horse's body when in use,

a pair of laterally-spaced independently resiliently

deflectable spring members projecting rearwardly from the arched

body portion, said spring members being of blade-like shape curved

to conform with the shape of a horse's back and having a length

sufficient to extend along at least eight vertebrae when in use and a

lateral spacing causing at least laterally-inner rear-edge portions

thereof to rest on the relevant vertebrae when in use.

2. A saddle tree according to Claim 1 wherein in plan view

the spring members have laterally-inner edges which are substantially

parallel and laterally-outer edges which diverge in a curved manner

from the arched body portion to a maximum just beyond halfway

along their length and then converge towards their rear ends.

3. A horse saddle having:

a flexible saddle portion, and a saddle tree in accordance with Claim 1 assembled

therewith.

4. A saddle according to Claim 3 wherein in plan view the

spring members of the saddle tree have laterally-inner edges which

are substantially parallel and laterally-outer edges which diverge in a

curved manner from the arched body portion to a maximum just

beyond halfway along their length and then converge towards their

rear ends. 11251300.9pa