SADDLE GIRTH FOR EQUESTRIAN SPORT

Abstract

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

Claims

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

2. The girth according to claim 1, wherein the pad is designed as a separate element and is fastened to the girth.

3. The girth according to claim 2, wherein the pad is detachably fastened to the girth.

4. The girth according to claim 1, wherein, when viewed in a longitudinal direction of girth, the pad protrudes beyond the girth on either side such that a girth width, which is intended to rest against the horse's body, of the girth is larger in the region of the sternum.

5. The girth according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning material on the inside of the pad, which is intended to rest against the horse's body, is covered by a textile surface.

6. The girth according to claim 2, wherein the pad comprises a bearing portion, which is provided with the cushioning material on its inside and which comprises a retaining portion on its outside that is intended for receiving the girth.

7. The girth according to claim 6, wherein the retaining portion is designed as a loop surrounding the girth.

8. The girth according to claim 7, wherein the retaining portion comprises a hook fastener such that a size of the loop is infinitely variable.

9. The girth according to claim 6, wherein a first side of the retaining portion is fastened to the bearing portion and a second side is fastened to the bearing portion by means of releasable fastener such that the retaining portion can either be opened to receive the girth or can be closed in order to secure the girth.

10. The girth according to claim 6, wherein the retaining portion is designed as a non-slip portion on its surface oriented towards the girth.

11. The girth according to claim 6, wherein the retaining portion is elastically extendable.

12. The girth according to claim 1, wherein the pad comprises a fastening element for connecting an additional horse harness element.

13. The girth according to claim 1, wherein the channel freely opens up at either end.

14. The girth according to claim 1, wherein the pad comprises a front end and a rear end, and comprises recesses on either side of its front region so as to provide spaces for the elbow room of the horse.

15. A pressure-relieving pad for equine sport, comprising a cushioning material that can be oriented towards a horse's body, wherein the pad comprises a channel of reduced pad thickness and the cushioning material on either side of the channel protrudes further inwards on the inside thereof, which can be oriented towards the horse's body, than in a region of the channel such that the channel is intended to extend in front of a sternum of the horse and the cushioning material on either side of the sternum is intended to rest against the horse's body, and wherein the pad is designed as a separate element and is intended for fastening to a girth and for providing a girth according to claim 2.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] Embodiments will be explained in more detail in the following on the basis of the representations that are purely schematic, in which:

[0041] FIG. 1 shows the radial internal side of a first embodiment of a pressure-relieving pad designed as a separate element,

[0042] FIG. 2 shows the radial external side of the pad in FIG. 1,

[0043] FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of a second embodiment of a pad,

[0044] FIG. 4 is a view of the pad in FIG. 3 in the same viewing direction, with the retaining portion open, and

[0045] FIG. 5 is a radially external view of a third embodiment of a girth comprising an integrated pad.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] In FIGS. 1 and 2, a girth is indicated by 1, which is provided with a pad 2 in the form of a pressure-relieving pad. In this case, the pad 2 is not formed as an integral component of the girth 1, but rather as a separate element that can either be mounted on the girth 1 or re-removed therefrom. The pad 2 is mounted on the girth 1 at the point where the girth 1 extends transversely over the sternum of a horse.

[0047] It is clear from FIG. 1 that the pad 2 comprises a textile surface 3 on its underside or inside, by means of which it rests against the horse's body, which surface is used to cover the actual cushioning material. The cushioning material forms various pad regions. In this case, a channel 4 is provided in which the cushioning material is thinner or optionally even removed altogether, while the cushioning material has a greater material thickness on either side of the channel 4 where it is intended to rest against the muscles of the horse adjacent to the sternum.

[0048] FIG. 2 shows that the pad 2 forms a type of loop such that the girth 1 extends between a bearing portion 5 and a retaining portion 6 of the pad 2. The retaining portion 6 is rigidly connected, specifically sewn, to the bearing portion 5 by the side shown above the girth 1 in FIG. 2. On an opposite side shown beneath the girth 1 in FIG. 2, the retaining portion 6 is releasably connected to the bearing portion 5, in particular by means of a plurality of snap fasteners 7.

[0049] The drawings do not show that the retaining portion 6 shown is merely a second external retaining portion 6 of the pad 2, which constitutes a type of locking or fastening tab. Beneath the visible retaining portion 6 a first internal retaining portion is arranged, which is designed as a loop having a hook closure that can likewise optionally be opened. The girth 1 is guided through this inner loop, the loop closely surrounding the girth 1 such that the pad 2 maintains its desired position on the girth 1.

[0050] The retaining portion 6 visible in the drawings secures this inner loop against accidentally opening. For this purpose, the two opposite sides of the retaining portion 6 are made of leather and interconnected by three elastic bands 8. The snap fasteners 7 constitute strong fastening means, which prevent accidental opening of the visible retaining portion 6. Apart from the fact that, by means of the external retaining portion 6, the inner loop can be reliably held closed, the external retaining portion 6 also rests against the inner loop with a certain amount of pretension due to the elastic bands 8 such that a contact pressure is achieved, by means of which the inner loop rests against the girth 1. When the inner loop is designed as a non-slip loop, it is therefore possible to ensure that the pad 2 is reliable fixed in position on the girth 1.

[0051] An eyelet 9 is shown on the bearing portion 5 purely by way of example in order to illustrate that such eyelets or even other fastening elements can be provided on the pad 2, for example girth loops with pin buckles or the like, which can be used to fasten additional harness elements. For example, a martingale can be connected to such a fastening element, as is known from the field of showjumping.

[0052] FIG. 3 is a similar view to FIG. 2 of a pad 2, which is designed in a similar way to the first embodiment in FIGS. 1 and 2, but is narrower and instead of three elastic bands 8 merely comprises two such bands 8. The retaining portion 6 is closed by the side of the retaining portion 6 that can be optionally opened by means of the snap fasteners 7 also being closed, and the retaining portion 6 is also fastened to the bearing portion 5 on this side.

[0053] FIG. 4 shows the pad 2 in FIG. 3 after the retaining portion 6 has been opened. It is clear here that a first inner retaining portion 6 is arranged between the retaining portion 6 visible in FIG. 3 and the bearing portion 5. Two material strips 10, which can also be designed as a single pleated material strip 10, are provided with the two interacting components of a hook closure and can be shaped to form a loop, the diameter of which is practically infinitely variable, such that the loop closely surrounds a girth 1. When the pad 2 is fastened to a girth 1 in this way, the outer retaining portion 6 can be extended by means of the elastic bands 8 such that the snap fasteners 7 can be closed and the outer retaining portion 6 rests against the inner retaining portion 6 under a pretension such that the loop shaped by the hook closure is reliably held closed.

[0054] It is clear in FIGS. 1 to 3 that the two embodiments of the pad 2 shown each comprise a front end 11, which faces towards the horse's head when the girth 1 is put on the horse, and a rear end 12, which accordingly faces the horse's tail. In the region of the front end 11, the pads 2 shown each comprise recesses 14 on either side. The recesses 14 do not extend in a linear fashion such that the front end of the pad tapers in the shape of a truncated V, but are formed as curved indented portions in the two embodiments. In any case, the recesses 14 always cause the elbow room of the horse to be increased or to be as unimpeded by the pad 2 as possible.

[0055] FIG. 5 shows a girth 1, which integrally comprises a pad 2, in a direction that looks towards the radially external side of the girth 1. The girth 1 is made of leather, which also forms the outer surface of the pad 2, while the inner textile surface 3, which covers the girth 1 and also the pad 2, is merely visible at the edge of the leather in FIG. 5. The end of the channel 4 is visible in this edge region at the rear end 12 of the pad 2.

[0056] In a manner known per se, the girth 1 is provided with buckles 15 at both its ends, which are used to connect the girth 1 to a saddle. Apart from the eyelet 9, the girth 1 comprises additional connecting means 16 in the region of the pad 2, which, as an alternative to the eyelet 9, can be used to fasten additional harness elements such as a martingale to the girth 1 or to the pad 2 thereof. In the embodiment shown, these additional connecting means 16 are formed as carabiner hooks.

[0057] In order to avoid risks of injury and to provide as smooth an outer surface of the girth 1 as possible, the additional connecting means 16 assume an inoperative position, in which they lie in an indentation 17 such that a flush external surface of the girth 1 is provided, beyond which the additional connecting means 16 do not protrude. The indentation 17 is formed such that the leather that forms the outside of the girth 1 is provided with a cut-out portion, beneath which there is a second layer of leather. In this inoperative position or non-use position, the additional connecting means 16 are held by an elastic band 18 that covers the carabiner hook in part.

[0058] When the elastic band 18 deforms and when the restoring forces thereof are overcome, the carabiner hook can be pivoted out of the indentation 17, i.e. out of its inoperative position where it lies flat, into a use position in which it projects at an angle and in which it protrudes beyond the outer surface of the girth 1 such that the additional harness elements can be connected to the additional connecting means 16. If the additional harness elements are re-removed from the additional connecting means 16 later on, the restoring forces of the elastic band 18 cause the additional connecting means 16 to be automatically moved back into their inoperative position where they lie flat.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0059] 1 girth [0060] 2 pad [0061] 3 textile surface [0062] 4 channel [0063] 5 bearing portion [0064] 6 retaining portion [0065] 7 snap fastener [0066] 8 elastic band [0067] 9 eyelet [0068] 10 material strips [0069] 11 front end [0070] 12 rear end [0071] 14 recess [0072] 15 buckles [0073] 16 additional connecting means [0074] 17 indentation [0075] 18 elastic band

[0076] While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.