A girth for equine sports includes an outside, and an inside intended to rest against a horse's body. A pressure-relieving pad is arranged in the region in which the girth is intended to extend over the sternum of the horse. The pad includes a cushioning material that protrudes further inwards beyond the inside of the girth and a channel of reduced pad thickness. The cushioning material is thicker on either side of the channel, and the channel is intended to extend in front of the sternum while the cushioning material on either side of the sternum is intended to rest against the horse's body.

A girth for equine sports includes an outside, and an inside intended to rest against a horse's body. A pressure-relieving pad is arranged in the region in which the girth is intended to extend over the sternum of the horse. The pad includes a cushioning material that protrudes further inwards beyond the inside of the girth and a channel of reduced pad thickness. The cushioning material is thicker on either side of the channel, and the channel is intended to extend in front of the sternum while the cushioning material on either side of the sternum is intended to rest against the horse's body.

A saddle pad configured to provide a horse with pressure relief along its spine from a saddle and the saddle pad. The saddle pad may include a first side panel, a second side panel, and a central panel. The central panel may include a first end and a second end. The central panel may be wider at the first end than at the second end, and the central panel may be configured to extend into a gullet of the saddle and away from the horse's spine. In some embodiments, the central panel may be configured to stay off of the horse's withers. In some embodiments, the central panel may be configured to stay in the gullet of the saddle and away from the horse's spine for the entire length of the saddle.

A saddle pad configured to provide a horse with pressure relief along its spine from a saddle and the saddle pad. The saddle pad may include a first side panel, a second side panel, and a central panel. The central panel may include a first end and a second end. The central panel may be wider at the first end than at the second end, and the central panel may be configured to extend into a gullet of the saddle and away from the horse's spine. In some embodiments, the central panel may be configured to stay off of the horse's withers. In some embodiments, the central panel may be configured to stay in the gullet of the saddle and away from the horse's spine for the entire length of the saddle.

Under-saddle (1) comprising a flexible base (2) which defines a pair of base surfaces (4, 4) separated through the relative thickness (6), and a plurality of separation elements (8, 8, 10, 10) which extend from at least one (4, 4) of said surfaces to distance the flexible base (2) from an opposite abutment surface (12, 12) in contact with said elements. The separation elements 8, 8, 10, 10 are reciprocally distributed in such a way that at least a pair of them delimits with the base surface (4; 4) and with the abutment surface (12, 12) an aeration chamber or duct (14) open on at least one side. The present invention further relates to a manufacturing method of an under-saddle.

Under-saddle (1) comprising a flexible base (2) which defines a pair of base surfaces (4, 4) separated through the relative thickness (6), and a plurality of separation elements (8, 8, 10, 10) which extend from at least one (4, 4) of said surfaces to distance the flexible base (2) from an opposite abutment surface (12, 12) in contact with said elements. The separation elements 8, 8, 10, 10 are reciprocally distributed in such a way that at least a pair of them delimits with the base surface (4; 4) and with the abutment surface (12, 12) an aeration chamber or duct (14) open on at least one side. The present invention further relates to a manufacturing method of an under-saddle.

The present invention relates especially to saddles for horses. We describe an insert for a panel (3) of a saddle, the insert comprising: a resilient plate (5) having first and second faces; a foam panel (4) attached to the first face; and a pair of inflatable air bags or bladders (6,7) attached to the second face of the resilient plate. The pair of air bags are arranged in a non-overlapping configuration. Suitably, the resilient plate is formed of a high rigidity polymeric material, such as a polypropylene copolymer. Suitably, the foam is a polyether foam having a density of between 80 and 140 kg/m.sup.2 and a compressive load deflection of 15-25 kPa. Advantageously, the resilient plate has a stiffness equivalent to the stiffness of a 2 mm thick sheet of a material having a tensile or flexural modulus of elasticity in the range of from 900 MPa to 2000 MPa, preferably in the range of 1000 MPa to 1500 MPa, more preferably in the range of 1000 MPa to 1300 MPa.

The present invention relates especially to saddles for horses. We describe an insert for a panel (3) of a saddle, the insert comprising: a resilient plate (5) having first and second faces; a foam panel (4) attached to the first face; and a pair of inflatable air bags or bladders (6,7) attached to the second face of the resilient plate. The pair of air bags are arranged in a non-overlapping configuration. Suitably, the resilient plate is formed of a high rigidity polymeric material, such as a polypropylene copolymer. Suitably, the foam is a polyether foam having a density of between 80 and 140 kg/m.sup.2 and a compressive load deflection of 15-25 kPa. Advantageously, the resilient plate has a stiffness equivalent to the stiffness of a 2 mm thick sheet of a material having a tensile or flexural modulus of elasticity in the range of from 900 MPa to 2000 MPa, preferably in the range of 1000 MPa to 1500 MPa, more preferably in the range of 1000 MPa to 1300 MPa.

A saddle having a pair of rockrail edges along each lateral side of the saddle, where the rockrail edges serve as fulcrums, that bear on multiple, rigid load bearing arms that teeter totter with the horse in motion, instantly morphing to match the horse's back in order to better distribute the weight of a rider. A saddle pad having multiple, rigid load bearing arms that teeter totter about a fulcrum with a conventional saddle, instantly morphing to the horse's back in order to better distribute the weight of a rider and reduce peak loads.

A saddle having a pair of rockrail edges along each lateral side of the saddle, where the rockrail edges serve as fulcrums, that bear on multiple, rigid load bearing arms that teeter totter with the horse in motion, instantly morphing to match the horse's back in order to better distribute the weight of a rider. A saddle pad having multiple, rigid load bearing arms that teeter totter about a fulcrum with a conventional saddle, instantly morphing to the horse's back in order to better distribute the weight of a rider and reduce peak loads.