WO2015173711A1 - A horse saddle pad - Google Patents

Abstract

A horse saddle pad (1) is described, comprising a stiffening layer (2) interposed between a temperature controlling layer (3), in contact with the back of the horse, and a thermoplastic layer (4) in contact with the lower surface of a saddle.

Description

"A horse saddle pad"

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The present invention relates to a horse saddle pad.

The use of ridden horses involves the use of a saddle, a semi-rigid device of leather and/or metal and/or synthetic fibers rigidly attached to the horse by means of a belt which surrounds the trunk thereof.

When performing a physical activity, horses produce a lot of heat, and in order to maintain the body temperature they exploit the cooling produced by sweat evaporation.

Sweating may continue up to one hour after the end of the physical activity. The sweat produced between the saddle and the horse, not being able to evaporate, tends to stagnate. If the sweat does not evaporate and flows trickling along the body, there is no longer the cooling effect.

A leather saddle is damaged by repeated and abundant sweat absorption. For this reason, a pad of various compositions and thickness has always been interposed between the saddle and the horse.

This tool, referred to as "saddle pad", has the following main functions: preventing the sweat from damaging the saddle leather and its padding;

absorbing the sweat of the horse;

harmonizing the pressures exerted by the saddle on the horse's back and sometimes changing the balance thereof.

Horses are flight animals which have particular problems in dissipating heat efficiently during long periods of exercise. In order to thermo-regulate themselves, they produce large amounts of sweat by special glands distributed over the entire body surface. The evaporation of sweat subtracts heat to the skin and to the capillary bed underneath. This mechanism is present in humans but very rare in mammals, being almost exclusively found in the Equus genus.

Horses can produce up to 40 mL/min/m2 of sweat. Horses used in sports weigh on average 500 kg and have a body surface area of about 5 m2. It has been calculated in the laboratory that approximately 8 liters are produced during a training session of medium intensity. Excessive sweating in a warm humid environment may cause serious physical problems since the sweat blocks the thermo-regulation when it does not evaporate.

Horses, unlike humans, have a thick layer of thick water-repellent hairs which would prevent the sweat from passing to the outside, thus blocking the evaporation and therefore making the body cooling impossible.

Since 1800, the richness of albumin in equine sweat has been demonstrated but only recently a protein called "latherin" has been isolated. This substance is similar to saliva, lung surfactant and soap. It is intended to facilitate the sliding of the liquid part of the sweat along the hairs to the outside. In fact, it has been shown that, like other similar molecules, it "attaches" on one side to the hydrophobic substances (such as the hairs) and on the other to water, thus allowing it to flow towards the outside, which would otherwise be blocked by the water-repellency features of horse skin and hairs. Lately, it has been discovered that latherin is secreted in an enveloped form and then, in contact with the atmosphere, it unfolds in a structure of parallel laminas between which the sweat flows.

Like soap, latherin also produces foam which is easily visible on the horse's body in the points where a rubbing occurs (such as for example between the thighs, between the body and the movable harness parts). The presence of latherin is well detectable even with the manual rubbing of parts of the mantle.

While evaporation can take place in the body in contact with air (compatibly with the ratio of sweat produced, relative air humidity, ambient temperature, air flow) and sponges or sweat splints can still be used to eliminate the sweat, and the foam therewith, produced by latherin, in the area covered by the saddle this is not possible.

If there is an accumulation of sweat and proteins, the saddle, cover and hairs are soaked. The harness is damaged by the sweat which moreover, by becoming rancid, also produces bad smell, everything must then be washed often. In winter the sweat of the horse still on the back may freeze, thus causing local lesions and health problems to the animal.

The shims which are normally applied between saddle and horse's back are chosen empirically. They are all partially absorbing, most frequently made of fabric (cotton, cotton with natural or synthetic padding, wool, synthetic materials), but they can also be made of pressed wool, fur or the like.

In addition to the interposition of a saddle pad cover between saddle and horse, other shims are also often placed between it and the saddle: gels (covered or not with fabric) and/or natural or synthetic lamb skins, with the aim to better distribute the weight of the saddle.

A special case is represented by western equipment. In fact in this case, the cover also serves a padding function. The saddle pad used in western saddles consists of a compact felt with a thickness of a few centimeters.

This material is not practical for many reasons, it soaks with sweat, dust, hairs, sand, etc. and cannot be cleaned thoroughly. It needs a very long time to dry while facilitating the development of germs. Moreover, upon reaching the saturation, it does not allow the sweat to be disposed of anymore, which therefore flows down along the horse's body and still stagnates. In winter, if the conditions are extremely cold, it can freeze on the horse's body.

WO-2014044605 describes a horse saddle pad with a layered structure which consists of several layers of elastic elements. Each elastic element has a passageway for air circulation and moisture dissipation.

JP-2012231995 shows a horse saddle pad comprising a laminated layer of soft vinyl material which allows excellent air permeability with a positive effect in response to impacts.

GB-2474633 discloses a horse saddle pad comprising elastic memory foam with an air permeable fabric which allows heat and moisture to be dissipated.

Disadvantageous^, the solutions proposed so far have not proved to be capable of carrying out simultaneously and/or thoroughly the following tasks:

avoiding the sweat from reaching the saddle;

keeping the horse dry;

allowing free sweating under the saddle;

keeping the saddle pad clean from fouling of hair, sweat, saponins, germs and preventing the sweat from icing on the horse's back in winter; adapting to the horse's shape without forming folds or creases;

not being stiff;

drying quickly;

being easily washed and drying quickly after washing;

limiting bad smells of dirty covers caused by bacterial overgrowth; not moving and not slipping back.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a horse saddle pad which is lightweight, breathable, draining, easy to be cleaned, soft and simple in construction.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a horse saddle pad, characterized in that it comprises a stiffening layer interposed between a temperature controlling layer, in contact with the back of the horse, and a thermoplastic layer in contact with the lower surface of a saddle,

said stiffening layer being a fabric preferably made of polyester and consisting of two layers with a honeycomb surface texture joined together by a plurality of substantially vertical filaments,

said thermoplastic layer being a fabric consisting of two layers with a honeycomb surface texture joined by a filamentous weave,

said temperature controlling layer consisting of a hollow fiber with addition of capsules containing paraffin adapted to change its state according to a predetermined activation temperature, from solid to liquid and vice versa.

Advantageously, by using the saddle pad according to the present invention, the horse's skin under the saddle remains dry and foam-free; there is a greater ease in eliminating the sweat and saponins are almost completely eliminated from the horse's skin even under profuse sweating conditions.

Said innovative saddle pad also protects the saddle which is rarely dampened, without the onset of fermentation and unpleasant odors.

Furthermore, the saddle pad according to the present invention is easy to be cleaned and then dried.

These and other features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof, shown by way of a non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 shows a front view of a saddle pad according to the present invention;

figure 2 shows a partial sectional view according to line II-II in figure 1. A horse saddle pad 1 includes a stiffening layer 2 interposed between a temperature controlling layer 3, in contact with the back of the horse, and a thermoplastic layer 4 in contact with the lower surface of a saddle.

The stiffening layer 2 is a fabric preferably made of polyester and consists of two layers with a honeycomb surface texture 21 joined together by a plurality of substantially vertical filaments 22.

The thermoplastic layer 4 is a fabric consisting of two layers with a honeycomb surface texture 41 joined by a filamentous weave 42.

Layer 41 has a denser surface texture than layer 21 in order to provide greater comfort to the user who rests the saddle pad on said layer 41. By denser surface texture it is meant that the spaces for the passage of the fluid to be drained are smaller.

The temperature controlling layer 3 consists of a hollow fiber with addition of capsules 31 containing paraffin adapted to change state according to the temperature, from solid to liquid and vice versa.

The temperature controlling layer 3 is antibacterial, soft and always cool to the touch, making the horse activity more pleasant especially in hot weather.

Considering the basic body temperature of the horse at rest normally less than 37°C, a paraffin capsule 31 was chosen, in which for temperatures higher than 37°C (activation temperature), the change of state from solid to liquid occurs, resulting in the release of heat which, particularly by using the especially breathable stiffening layer 2, is released to the environment.

It is worth noting that the temperature controlling layer 3 is that in contact with the horse's back, if the horse sweats while moving, the change of state of the paraffin favors the dissipation of heat, and thus of the moisture due to the horse's perspiration.

There will be no water stagnation in contact with the horse's skin due to fungi or the like.

The large surface texture of the honeycomb layers 21 together with the substantial verticality of filaments 22 (said filaments will obviously tend to arch over time under the user's weight) not only allow the perspiration but also and especially the drainage of large amounts of liquid substances, for example when washing the saddle pad 1.

The combination with the thermoplastic layer 3 advantageously improves the comfort of the product without preventing drainage thereof: in fact, the filamentous weave 42 increases the softness of the saddle pad 1 but it is so thin as not to block the passage of liquids.

If there was no stiffening layer 2, the thickness of the thermoplastic layer 4 should be increased, thus preventing drainage.

On the other hand, without thermoplastic layer 4, the saddle pad 1 would be too rigid.

In addition, the temperature controlling layer 3 allows a "smart" use of the breathable effect according to the horse's effort. The combination of the temperature controlling layer 3 with the thermoplastic layer 4 and the stiffening layer 2 allows dirt to be dehumidified, thus making the subsequent removal easier with a jet of water; as the saddle pad 1 does not remains wet, no molds or mites are formed therein.

The activation temperature of the temperature controlling layer can vary according to needs by differently designing the amount of paraffin capsules 31 and the size of the hollows in the fabric.

The coupling between the temperature controlling layer 3 and the stiffening layer 2 only can give rise to a multilayer (mattress top) which can be placed on a mattress and therefore serves as aid for persons confined to bed due to serious diseases. The perspiration is increased while not having to change the mattress.

Comparative test between a prototype of saddle pad 1 according to the present invention and a traditional saddle pad

Considering that it is currently impossible to measure the amount of sweat produced in total and per surface unit on the field, especially in the areas covered by the harness, there seem to be indeed no scientific studies on saddle pads, and a prototype of the saddle pad 1 according to the present invention was tested, being used on alternate days during specific standard workouts for dressage under real conditions (involving sessions of about 50' followed by a cool-down).

The purely spring environmental conditions were variable from 14° to 22°, with humidity from 70% to 90%.

On the other days, a traditional saddle pad was used, consisting of a cotton sandwich and natural plant padding of a known type.

The same horse, the same rider and the same harness material (saddle, headboard, girth etc.) were used.

The amount of sweating was estimated as recently proposed by Zenyer et al. ("Scoring of sweat losses in exercised horses - a pilot study", Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 2014, April).

The following variables were assessed:

dry weight before the application;

weight immediately after training;

tactile estimate of the moisture on the horse side and on the saddle side of the saddle pad;

tactile and visual estimate of the moisture on the horse in the saddle area after training;

tactile verification of the presence of saponins in the saddle area and in the sweat-humid areas due to rubbing;

extent of sweating.

The results were as follows ("N" means new, "T" traditional, 0-5 is the assessment scale, "0" corresponding to the more positive judgment).

Day: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Saddle pad: N N T N T N T

Weight before (grams): 950 900 1000 900 1025 900 1000

Weight after (grams): 1000 1000 1060 1050 1075 1300 1300

Difference in weight 50 100 60 150 50 400 300

(grams):

Saddle pad humidity

bottom side (0-5): 2 3 5 3 3 3 5 top side (0-5): 0 1 3 1 2 2 4

Horse sweating (0-5): 3 3 3 3 2 4 4 saddle area humidity 0 0 2 0 3 1 3

(0-5):

foam (0-5): 0 0 2 0 3 0 2 return (0-5): 0 0 0 0 2 0 2

Ambient temperature 20 15 20 20 20 22 23

(°C): From the above data, it is apparent that both saddle pads showed a similar amount of sweat retention.

Weight differences were measured before and after the test, of 50 to 400 grams, in relation to the ambient temperature. With the same climate conditions, the amount of sweat retained by the two types of saddle pad was substantially the same.

In all situations tested, the most considerable difference related to the following aspects:

horse's back dry or slightly damp but always without foam with the saddle pad according to the present invention; wet and sometimes with foam with the traditional saddle pad;

the surface towards the saddle of the saddle pad was dry or nearly dry with the new saddle pad, while the traditional saddle pad was definitely wet, especially where in contact with the saddle;

subsequent sweating (return): with the new saddle pad, no further sweating occurred in the area subjected to pressure under the saddle; on the other hand, with the traditional saddle pad, in some cases the horse continued to sweat profusely, proving that the sweat cooling effect was not optimal and that the body required a further cooling;

only with a considerable sweating which showed a pre- and post- weight difference of more than 300 grams, the saddle side of the new saddle pad also was slightly damp; on the other hand, with the traditional saddle pad, the saddle side was very wet over the whole area covered by the saddle; the drying time of the saddle pad soaked with sweat left to the air is shorter with the new saddle pad and the typical smells due to sweat fermentation did not form.

In conclusion, the measurements made under field conditions allowed a clear behavior difference between the saddle pad according to the present invention and the traditional one to be noticed.

In particular, it is clear that with the new saddle pad, the sweat produced in the covered areas and especially in those subjected to pressure is easily conveyed elsewhere, towards the sloping edges of the saddle pad itself, and therefore it evaporates more easily, thus leaving the horse's skin cooler, and the skin does not show the need to sweat further to cool down.

Under less intense sweating conditions, the new saddle pad is almost dry at the end of the training. Since the sweat retained in the two saddle pads is equivalent, it can be inferred that the new saddle pad allows more evaporation.

Advantageously, many of the drawbacks of the traditional saddle pads are overcome by using the saddle pad according to the present invention, in particular:

the horse's skin under the saddle is always much drier and free of foam;

there is a greater ease of sweat elimination;

saponins are eliminated almost completely from the horse's skin even under profuse sweating conditions;

the saddle is protected and it is rarely moistened;

there are no fermentations or unpleasant smells;

ease of cleaning and subsequent drying are obtained.

Under conditions of prolonged use (endurance races, walks, long horse riding rides), the draining and thus refreshing capacity of the new saddle pad is even more evident. Moreover, in the practice of riding with American saddles, the draining and refreshing capacity will be particularly appreciated because of the impracticality of the saddle pads in use.

At the upper part of the saddle pad 1 and possibly also partially in the front area towards the horse's head, the thermoplastic layer 4 may be partially covered by a double layer comprising a further stiffening layer 2 and a further thermoplastic layer 4.

This allows the perspiration to be further improved by better conveying the animal's sweat to the outside. In fact, the top/front part of the saddle pad 1 is that most stressed by the weight of the saddle and of the rider, thus determining a load peak which, in the absence of said double layer, could cause a crushing of the first thermoplastic layer 4, thus penalizing the breathable capacity especially after repeated use of the saddle pad 1.

The double layer described advantageously absorbs the blows given by the rider to the horse with his/her weight, thus preventing blows and abrasions to its back.

It is worth noting that a thermoplastic layer 4 is always in contact with the lower surface of the saddle.

Claims

1. A horse saddle pad (1), characterized in that it comprises a stiffening layer (2) interposed between a temperature controlling layer (3), in contact with the back of the horse, and a thermoplastic layer (4) in contact with the lower surface of a saddle,

said stiffening layer (2) being a fabric preferably made of polyester and consisting of two layers with a honeycomb surface texture (21) joined together by a plurality of substantially vertical filaments (22),

said thermoplastic layer (4) being a fabric consisting of two layers with a honeycomb surface texture (41) joined by a filamentous weave (42), said temperature controlling layer (3) consisting of a hollow fiber with addition of capsules (31) containing paraffin adapted to change its state according to a predetermined activation temperature, from solid to liquid and vice versa.

2. A saddle pad (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the layer with honeycomb surface texture (41) of the thermoplastic layer (4) has a denser surface texture than the layer with honeycomb surface texture (21) of the stiffening layer (2).

3. A saddle pad (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said activation temperature is of 37°C.

4. A saddle pad (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, at the upper part of the saddle pad (1) and possibly also partially in the front area towards the horse's head, said thermoplastic layer (4) is partially covered by a double layer comprising a further stiffening layer (2) and a further thermoplastic layer (4).