SADDLE STRUCTURE

Abstract

 A saddle is described for equine animal comprising a saddle tree (10), or rigid frame, the saddle tree or frame comprising:
(i) an arched seat (10) destined to support a sitting rider, the seat comprising a front arched vault (18) destined to bridge the withers of the animal,
(ii) a front arched piece (30) applied under the front arched vault;
wherein the front arched piece is mounted visible in sight on the saddle, as component mounted on the outside of the seat.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to the structure of a saddle, particularly for saddling an equine animal as e.g. a horse. The invention also relates to a saddle-tree structure that composes or is present inside the saddle.

[0002] Horse riding in general, but especially the professional one, requires both an exceptional harmony between horse and rider, and the best adaptation of the saddle to the animal. The sport results depend on how much and how the rider knows and can steer the horse, to which a small imperfection in the saddle can prevent a 100% performance. It is known that a poorly designed or poorly adapted saddle inhibits certain movements to the horse, let alone the actual physical damage that can it cause like sores or saddle-sores.

[0003] It is evident that if teams have high-performance horses, for the team is essential to secure a high-performance saddle. However, the horse and rider change naturally over time, or the horse's muscles change; and the saddle must be revised periodically.

[0004] One of the horse's delicate points that a saddle must consider is the withers, which corresponds to the highest point of the neck, in the zone where neck and shoulder blades meet. The withers should not be touched, and the saddle-tree (the "skeleton" of the saddle) has to this aim a typical arch, to bridge it and lean upon the horse's shoulders. Such a saddle-tree can be seen, for example. in US6588185, fig. 3, or in DE3702011.

[0005] The known saddle-trees are a one-piece structure, made of wood and steel or nylon and steel, and have a steel arch permanently attached under the canopy standing over the withers. Because the horse is sored or slugged if the arch presses on the withers, the saddle-tree must be constantly monitored and adjusted to track the horse's changes. When there is the need to change the arch opening, to accommodate it to the new morphology of the horse, usually one needs to disassemble the whole saddle and change the saddle-tree, since the saddle-tree is covered with leather and has a structure difficult and/or time-consuming to change. So each step maintenance involves disassembly and reassembly of the saddle. In fact on the saddle-tree are mounted the two side parts of the saddle (the so-called "saddle-flaps"), covering the animal's side and supporting the rider's thighs. The saddle-flaps are joined at the front by a strip of material acting as a "bridge" and is bordered by a folded edge which extends from one saddle-flap to the other to cover the seams. When repairing the saddle the edge must be unstitched, removed and then put back, with considerable expenditure of time and labor and the risk of damaging the rest of the saddle during the operation.

[0006] It is clear, then, the difficulty and the cost for a team if it has to "tune up" all of its own saddles.

[0007] To obviate to at least one of these problems is the main object of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims, in which the dependent ones define advantageous variants.

[0008] In particular the problems to be solved are connected to the maintenance of the saddle-tree and/or of the saddle for the part that - in use - lays over the withers.

[0009] An aspect of the invention is a saddle for equine animal comprising a saddle tree), or rigid frame,
the saddle tree or frame comprising:

(i) an arched seat destined to support a sitting rider,
the seat comprising a front arched vault destined to bridge the withers of the animal,

(ii) a front arched piece applied under the front arched vault;
wherein the front arched piece is mounted visible in sight on the saddle, i.e. as a component mounted on the outside of the seat.

[0010] Another aspect of the invention is a method for assembling a saddle for equine animal comprising a saddle-tree, or rigid frame,
the saddle-tree or frame comprising:

(i) an arched seat destined to support a sitting rider,
the seat comprising an arched front vault destined to bridge the withers of the animal,

(ii) a front arched piece applied under the arched front vault;
the method comprising the step of mounting the arched front piece visible in sight on the saddle, i.e. mounting the arched front piece on the outer surface of the saddle.

[0011] The feature that the front arched piece is mounted in plain sight on the saddle ensures many advantages, first of all the ease and speed of substitution and the fact that dismantling the saddle during its substitution is no longer needed.

[0012] Preferably the arched front piece comprises at its ends two spaced-apart tabs destined to lean on the shoulders of the animal for bridging the withers
thereof, the leaning being direct or taking place by means of cushions or padding.

[0013] This solution has proved surprisingly effective for improving the stability of the saddle on the animal's back (it does not dangles and does not move) and for improving the affinity between rider and horse.

[0014] Preferably the arched piece and the seat are parts joinable by means of shape-coupling (they are or comprise complementary parts) in order to simplify the mounting of the saddle and the production of the same components.

[0015] In particular, the arched piece and the seat may each comprise a central arched cap or vault, such central arched caps or vaults being substantially mutually complementary, in particular with a curvature radius of slightly different curvature, so that the cap of the arched piece can be arranged below and/or in contact with the cap of the seat fitting with it.

[0016] Said caps or vaults are preferably constituted by a cylindrical surface portion, i.e. substantially they have the shape of a barrel vault.

[0017] Said arched vaults or caps in use may have axis oriented in different ways: e.g. a longitudinal axis parallel to or coincident with the dorsal spine of the horse, or, which is the same, to the bottom throat of the saddle (gullet); or an axis inclined toward the other relative to a horizontal plane (or with respect to the horse's spine).

[0018] Preferably the arched piece and the seat are parts able to be joined together or overlapped in correspondence of the edge or of the front vault of the seat, so as to cover through their mating some seams of the saddle (e.g. some of the seams of the saddle-flaps or of the padding placed above said vault of the seat) and/or so as to eliminate the aforesaid bead, since the latter is replaced by a portion of the arched piece. In particular, the arched piece and the seat may be parts joinable or directly superimposable only in correspondence of a front arched edge of the seat, to further simplify the construction of the saddle.

[0019] Preferably the central part or arched vault of the arched piece comprises a recess in which an arched front edge of the seat can be housed. Through such housing the concealment of seams and/or the elimination of the bead is easily obtained, and with excellent finish

[0020] Preferably in the arched piece the recess is formed in the central part or arched vault of the arched piece, and such central part or vault comprises a protruding lip curved backwards (with about U-shape cross-section) which delimits an arched recess or groove in which a front arched edge of the seat and the coating of the seat are housed. This is a simple but effective construction to create a coupling between the arched piece and the seat, with the advantages described above.

[0021] Preferably the cap or arched central vault of the arched piece comprises a front edge that is curved to extend toward the rear of the cap and delimit with an end of the cap the arched recess or groove.

[0022] Preferably, in the components of the saddle, or of only the saddle-tree, on the front arched piece there are fins that extend downwards for resting on the shoulders of the horse directly or through padding. The main advantage is the absence of fins on the saddle-tree, which becomes lighter, compact and easy to dis/mount.

[0023] In particular, the arched piece may comprise or be constituted by
the said cap or vault, comprising or not said arched lip, and
two fins that extend from the side edges of the cap or vault, the fins having width less than the axial depth of the cap or vault.

[0024] The fins of the arched piece may e.g. have tapered shape or shape of a regular polygon.

[0025] The fins of the arched piece may comprise some islands or everted areas protruding locally from the overall shape of the fin. These islands or areas are used for the attack of the saddle-flaps and/or of the lower padding of the saddle, those that define the sides of the lower gullet. Advantageously the islands or everted areas have such an extension to protrude from the overlying plan or profile of the fin (when present) belonging to the seat, so as to form anchoring areas for the seat components. Advantageously for this purpose the islands or everted areas may comprise holes or pass-through openings

[0026] Preferably, the arched piece and/or the seat are made of carbon or carbon compounds. The advantage is to lighten the structure and make it very resistant to stress. As preferred thicknesses one may consider:

for the cap or the vault of the arched piece: 10 to 16 mm, preferably 12 to 14 mm;

for the cap or vault of the seat: 3 to 8 mm, preferably 5 to 6 mm.

[0027] In particular, the saddle may comprise:

a saddle-tree as defined above or below described,

two saddle-flaps attached to the sides of the saddle-tree,

a front padding adapted to cover the front of the saddle-tree or of the seat session,

wherein

the saddle-flaps are elements separated from each other and detached from each other, and

the front edge of the padding is accommodated inside the groove or recess of the arched piece.

[0028] In this way the arched lip forming the groove or the recess remains visible (in plain sight) on the front end of the saddle and replaces the well-known bead.

[0029] Preferably also the front upper edges of the saddle-flaps are housed in the groove of the arched piece.

[0030] Another aspect of the invention is a production method for a saddle, comprising the steps of
providing a saddle-tree as defined above or described below,
mounting at the front on the saddle-tree or on the seat a padding, adapted to cover the front part of the saddle-tree or of the seat;
fastening the sides of the saddle-tree two saddle-flaps made as elements separate and detached from each other,
inserting the front edge of the padding inside the groove or recess of the arched piece.

[0031] Another aspect of the invention is a saddle-tree as defined above or described below.

[0032] Positional terms such as front, top, bottom, side, etc. are referred to the saddle or saddle-tree in conditions of normal use, that is mounted on the animal's back.

[0033] The term axis for the vaults or caps described here should be understood geometrically as the straight line around which the generating lines rotate to generate the vault or cap.

[0034] The advantages of the invention will be more apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the saddle and saddle-tree, making reference to the attached drawing in which

Fig. 1 shows a 3/4 view from above of a combinable saddle-tree in assembled configuration;

Fig. 2 shows a 3/4 view from above of the saddle-tree of Fig. 1 in disassembled configuration;

Fig. 3 shows a view from above of the saddle-tree of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 shows a view from below of the saddle-tree of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 shows a view from below of the saddle-tree of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 shows a cross-sectional view along the plane V-V of Fig. 3;

Figs. 7-9 show assembly stages for a saddle comprising the saddle-tree of figs. 1-6.

[0035] In the figures identical numbers indicate identical or conceptually similar parts, and the saddle is described as in normal use.

[0036] The saddle-tree MC comprises two pieces assemblable together: a sitting or seat 10, and a front arch 30.

[0037] The seat 10 comprises a central portion 12, on which to accommodate and support the rider, bordered on the back by an upper flap 14 and arranged on the sides 20 for the mounting of two saddle-flaps Q (in dashed lines in FIG. 1).

[0038] At the front the seat 10 forms a raised cap or vault 18 from whose lower ends extend two fins 16. The vault 18 has axis V and in use is on top of the horse's withers, while the fins 16 serve for leaning on the animal's shoulders.

[0039] Above the vault 18 it is mounted a padding I (in dashed lines in Fig. 1).

[0040] The arch 30, preferably made of carbon, has a cap or central vault 32, with axis B, from the ends of which extend fins 34. The vault 32 has a shape complementary to the vault 18, so that the two vaults 32, 18 can fit together by adhering one to the other (i.e. the axes V and B substantially coincide). In particular, the vault 32 has a lower curvature radius, so that it can be applied to snugly fit below, and in the concavity of, the vault 18.

[0041] The flaps 34 too have shape and size to snugly adhere to the lower surface of the fins 16 (fig. 3).

[0042] The fins 16 may however have various dimensions, see shorter fins 16b shown in broken lines in Fig. 2. Therefore, it's always the fins 34 to rest on the shoulders of the horse (e.g. via a padding), regardless of the shape of the fins 16, while it is always the vault 32 that in use surmounts more closely the horse's withers.

[0043] Even the fin 14 may have various sizes and forms.

[0044] The arch 30 comprises in the front part a lip 40 curved backwards (towards the rear of the vault 18 or, which is the same, towards the seat 10). The lip 40, which e.g. is an extension of the front edge of the vault 32, forms an open arched channel with approximately U- or C-shaped cross-section, which runs along the central edge of the vault 32 and delimits a cavity or arched recess 42 (see fig. 6) the opening of which is directed toward the back of the arch 30 (or, what is the same, towards the seat 10).

[0045] Since the curved surfaces of the vaults or cups 18, 32 may be overlapping and mating, by geometry it results that
the lip 40 copies the profile of the front rim 22 of the vault 18 and
the recess 42 has shape and size such as to accommodate the rim 22 (see. Fig. 3 and 6) when the arch is mounted on the seat 10 (Fig. 1 and 3).

[0046] To mount the saddle, one can follow these steps (see Fig. 7-9):

1. a saddle-tree MC is taken with seat 10 and arch 30 separated (Fig. 2),

2. coupling brackets 70 are applied on the fins 16, at the base of the vault 18 (Fig. 7);

3. a padding U is mounted on the seat 10 (comprising the padding indicated before by I and padding that covers part of the fin 14 and the seating plan for the rider). Such padding is then covered with leather, which leather is folded and fixed on the lower surface of the seat 10. Then on the sides 20 the saddle-flaps Q are mounted (Fig. 8);

4. the bow 30 is applied (fig. 1, 3 and 9), e.g. by screws and threaded rivets 80, below the seat 10 (i) by bringing the vault 32 under the vault 18 (inserting it into the concavity of the vault 18), and (ii) by inserting in the recess 42 the rim 22, an edge of the padding I and the beads of the saddle-flaps

[0047] Note that the lower surface of the vault 32 remains visible under the saddle, at the center Q of the saddle-flaps and at the mouth of the lower gullet of the saddle.

[0048] With this construction the saddle-flaps Q no longer have to be joined, as in the known art, by a bead, but the saddle-flaps Q are detached and independent from each other. The lip 40 is intended to frontally cover the stitching of the padding I and of the saddle-flaps Q, and the part of the known bead that usually ran over the vault 18 and made extremely laborious the maintenance of the saddle, can be removed.

[0049] The seat 10 is covered with leather in a known manner, and under the fins 34 there are applied padded cushions that extend at the sides of the withers and under all the seat 10 defining in the saddle a bottom recess (the so-called gullet).

[0050] Preferably, the arch 30 comprises on the fins 34, particularly at the base of the fins 34, islands or protrusions 36 (Fig. 1 and 2) that in plan-view project from the overlying fins 16 when the arch 30 is applied under the seat 10. The islands 36 are advantageously surfaces to which fixing means (e.g. screws or rivets) can be anchored to secure the saddle-flaps Q and/or the coating leather of the seat cover and/or the padding of the lower cushions, facilitating the assembly and especially disassembly of the saddle.

[0051] Among the many variants of the saddle MC, one can change e.g. the orientation of the axes V, B with respect to the rest of the saddle.

Claims

1. Saddle (MC) for equine animal comprising a saddle tree (10), or rigid frame, the saddle tree or frame comprising:

(i) an arched seat (10) destined to support a sitting rider, the seat comprising a front arched vault (18) destined to bridge the withers of the animal,

(ii) a front arched piece (30) applied under the front arched vault; wherein the front arched piece is mounted visible in sight on the saddle, as component mounted on the outside of the seat.

2. Saddle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arched front piece comprises at its ends two spaced-apart tabs (16) destined to lean on the shoulders of the animal for bridging the withers thereof, the leaning being direct or taking place by means of cushions or padding.

3. Saddle as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the arched piece and the seat are parts joinable by means of shape-coupling.

4. Saddle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the arched piece and the seat each comprise a central arched cap (18, 32), the central arched caps being substantially mutually complementary, in particular with a radius of slightly different curvature, so that the cap of the arched piece can be arranged in contact with the cap of the seat fitting with it.

5. Saddle according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said caps are constituted by a cylindrical surface portion, or substantially have the shape of a barrel vault.

6. Saddle according to a preceding claim, wherein the arched piece and the seat are parts able to be joined together or overlapped in correspondence of the edge or of the front vault of the seat.

7. Saddle according to a preceding claim, wherein a central part or arched vault (32) of the arched piece comprises a recess (42) in which an arched front edge of the seat can be housed.

8. Saddle according to claim 7, wherein in the arched piece the recess is formed in the central part or arched vault of the arched piece, and such central part or vault comprises a protruding lip (40) curved backwards which delimits an arched recess or groove in which a front arched edge of the seat and the coating of the seat are housed.

9. Saddle according to claim 7 or 8, wherein a cap or arched central vault of the arched piece comprises a front edge (40) that is curved to extend toward the rear of the cap and delimit with an end of the cap the arched recess or groove.

10. Method for assembling a saddle (MC) for equine animal comprising a saddle tree (10), or rigid frame, the saddle tree or frame comprising:

(i) an arched seat (10) destined to support a sitting rider,
the seat comprising an arched front vault destined to bridge the withers of the animal,

(ii) a front arched piece (30) applied under the arched front vault;
the method comprising the step of
mounting the arched front piece visible in sight on the saddle, i.e.

mounting the arched front piece on the outer surface of the saddle.

Drawing