A riding saddle having a saddle tree, a seat surface arranged thereon, and on each side of the saddle a stirrup holder fixed to the saddle, and which riding saddle is characterized in that a damping device is attached between the saddle and each stirrup holder. During the landing of a horse at the end of a jump, the damping device distributes the load by the mass of the rider applied to the stirrup holders over a period of time.

A horse riding saddle includes a saddle tree disposed in a cover, the saddle tree including an arch that forms a pommel. The saddle includes at least one sensor positioned in the saddle, close to the pommel, and connected to the saddle tree by a thorough connection under the arch of the saddle-tree, in a longitudinal and vertical plane (PMV) of the saddle-tree.

A locking headplate of the configuration of the saddle tree of a riding saddle comprises two rigid headplate arms, each suitable for being fixed to a respective lateral front portion of the saddle tree. The two headplate arms have mutual connection end portions which form a headplate hinge for a rotation of one headplate arm with respect to the other about an axis of rotation. The end portions are further fitted with facing blocking surfaces shaped in a complementary manner so as to block, when placed in mutual contact, the rotation of the headplate arms. The headplate is further provided with arm translation means operable to translate one arm with respect to the other along the axis of rotation so as to cause the engagement and disengagement of said blocking surfaces, said arm translation means being accessible through a front access opening coaxial to the axis of rotation.

Equestrian saddle tree comprising a frame forming a pommel and a cantle that are connected by lateral strips. This saddle tree consists of a single piece of composite material, the reinforcement of which has a plurality of superposed layers of sheet material and the matrix of which consists of at least one resin. The frame has: —a first ply having at least one layer of sheet material, this first ply constituting a framework that has an internal contour delimiting a central opening; —a second ply that is superposed on the first ply and has at least one layer of sheet material, the second ply furthermore extending over the central opening and forming a rider's seat.

Saddle with passively morphing interface panels and method of use, wherein passively morphing interface panels morphs in surface profile to be reshaped upon contact with a supporting surface of a horse's dynamic back and of horses of varying sizes and shapes, so that a direct load path is created from the riders concentrated downward weight on a chassis through a pair of symmetrically opposed line of contact edges, aligned with tilted sagittal plane sections through the horse's back surface, and making contact with the midline area of opposed pair of elements made of rigid materials that are caused to tip out of plane until moment forces are balanced, which occurs when the element's entire length makes contact with the supporting horse's back causing the elements interface's surface profile to be reshaped, without directed input, to momentarily match the varying supporting surface profiles of a horse's dynamic back.

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 and use of said saddle are provided for seating a rider on an animal, in particular on a horse. The saddle includes a frame for mounting a girth and/or stirrups. The frame includes a front member that defines a pommel side of the saddle, a rear member that defines a cantle side of the saddle and a central member interconnecting the front member and the rear member. The central member is arranged to extend in a longitudinal direction above the spine of the animal. The saddle further comprises cushion members arranged for resting directly on the back of the animal on opposite sides of the central member. The saddle is provided with a connecting element crossing the central member and interconnecting the cushion members, and the connecting element is freely movable or loose with respect to the central member.

Specialized saddles and components for specialized saddles. In some embodiments, the saddles may include one or more saddle horns that may be placed nearer one side of the saddle than the other. In certain embodiments, the saddle horn may be detachable, allowing different saddle horns to be used with a single saddle assembly or for multiple positions on a single saddle assembly where the saddle horn may be located for use.

Multiple flex units are used to provide predetermined focused areas of flex in a substrate, such as an equine saddle tree, Apertures are placed on the underside and filled with either a combination of stopple and slurry or slurry alone, each forming a flex unit. The placement, dimensions and fill of the flex unit enable a predetermined focused area of flex to be established within the specific area. The slurry is a mixture of carbon fibers and epoxy and the stopples are a mixture of substrate and epoxy to form hard stopples, a mixture of composite and flexible epoxy to form more flexible stopples; or a combination hard and flexible mixture in a stopples. The shape, periphery, diameter and depth each of the apertures and hardness, size and category of the stopples as well as location of placement determines the area, degree and direction of the flex.

Embodiments include a composite saddle tree that is lighter than traditional saddle trees due to its substantially synthetic construction, but retains the functionality of a traditional saddle tree due to its inclusion of at least one accessory engagement member in at least one location where support and/or fastening mechanisms (e.g., screws, pegs, pins, adhesive, and the like) are normally secured. The composite saddle tree is made up of a saddle tree core having at least one depression in which the at least one accessory engagement member is disposed. A reinforcing material covers an outer surface of the saddle tree core.