Horseman-securing device, saddle, and saddle securing device for preventing a horseman from falling off a four-legged animal

Abstract

A horseman-securing device is configured in order to prevent a horseman sitting on the back of a four-legged animal from falling off, or being able to fall off the animal. It comprises securing device by means of which the horseman, in use, is releasably secured to the animal. The securing device is configured to secure the horseman secured to the animal in such a way that the horseman retains the freedom of movement to hinge his knee joints.

Claims

1. A saddle configured in order to inhibit a horseman sitting on a back of a four-legged animal from falling off the animal, the saddle attached to a girth that is securable to the animal, the girth configured to fasten the saddle to the animal, the saddle comprising: a saddle seat; stirrups joined to the saddle seat on both sides; and a securing device configured to releasably secure the horseman to the saddle in such a way that the horseman retains a pivot function of each of his knee joints in such a way that: a) with weight of the horseman transferred to the stirrups, the horseman rises from a first backside position on the saddle seat in which a backside of the horseman is in complete contact with the back of the animal via the saddle and in which thighs of the horseman pivot at the knee joint at a first backside position angle with respect to lower legs of the horseman, to a second backside position in which the horseman has moved his backside upwards and forwards with respect to the first backside position, and in which the backside of the horseman is no longer in complete contact with the back of the animal via the saddle and the thighs are in a straighter position with respect to the lower legs, such that the thighs and lower legs pivot into a straighter line with respect to each other forming a corresponding angle larger than the first backside position angle, in order to move back to the first backside position, and b) the horseman moves his lower legs from a first lower leg position in which his lower legs hang perpendicularly downwards with resect to a horizontal baseline to a second lower leg position in which his legs are directed rearward compared to the first lower leg position, in order to move his lower legs back again to the first lower leg position; and wherein the securing device comprises at least one securing element on each side of the saddle configured with surfaces arranged to contact a leg of the horseman and to at least partly grip around the leg only along a length of the leg proximate the knee joint with the surfaces arranged at only a limited height on an outer side of the knee joint of the horseman in order to retain the pivot function of the knee joint of the horseman.

2. The saddle according to claim 1, wherein the at least one securing element comprises at least one bondable bar-shaped clamping structure.

3. The saddle according to claim 2, wherein the at least one bondable bar-shaped clamping structure comprises at least one deformable bar, which can be fitted around the knee joint of the horseman by being deformable into an open position and a closed position.

4. The saddle according to claim 3, wherein the bar-shaped clamping structure is provided with semi-stiff clamping aids arranged around the at least one deformable bar to function as a clamping structure.

5. The saddle according to claim 2, wherein the at least one bondable bar-shaped clamping structure comprises separate elements which are connected with each other in such a way that they are movable with respect to each other to bend the at least one bendable bar-shaped clamping structure, but in which the separate elements can be fixed with respect to each other in a certain position to grip around the leg of the horseman.

6. The saddle according to claim 5, wherein the separate elements can be fixed with respect to each other by tightening a steel wire which has been passed through these elements and locking it.

7. The saddle according to claim 2, wherein the at least one bondable bar-shaped clamping structure is made of bondable material.

8. The saddle according to claim 7, wherein the bondable bar-shaped clamping structure is made of a material of a group comprising bondable metal alloys, memory metal, and bondable plastics.

9. The saddle according to claim 2, wherein the bondable bar-shaped clamping structure includes a single bar attached to the saddle to fit an outer side of the knee of the horseman.

10. The saddle according to claim 9, wherein the single bar has extensions made of another material than that of the single bar, which extensions cover a larger part of the leg of the horseman than a diameter of the bar.

11. The saddle according to claim 2, wherein the bondable bar-shaped clamping structure includes a plurality of bars to cover the limited height of the outer side of the knee joint of the horseman in order to retain the pivot function of the knee joint of the horseman.

12. The saddle according to claim 2, further comprising clothing for the horseman for use with the saddle, wherein the horseman wears one or more thickenings externally on his clothing and such thickening is provided with at least one of a cavity, groove, recess and a closed ring to be present on the clothing of the horseman into which the bar-shaped clamping structure fits.

13. The saddle according to claim 12, wherein the clothing includes a knee sock which comprises one or more thickenings to be positioned on an outer side of the knee of the horseman, between which the bar-shaped clamping structure fits.

14. The saddle according to claim 2, wherein the bendable bar-shaped clamping structure is configured with deformable bars, tubes, thick wires or pipes configured to be fitted around or on an outer side of a body part of the horseman.

15. The saddle according to claim 1, wherein the surfaces of the at least one securing element comprise a first surface of the securing element that faces to the rear of the saddle and is configured to contact a first portion of the leg that is proximate the knee joint and that is facing forward when the leg of the horseman is in the first lower leg position.

16. The saddle according to claim 15, wherein the surfaces of the at least one securing element comprise a second surface of the securing element that faces an outwardly facing surface of the saddle and is configured to contact a second portion of the leg that is proximate the knee joint and that is facing laterally when the leg of the horseman is in the first lower leg position, such that the leg proximate the knee joint is gripped between the second surface and the outwardly facing surface of the saddle.

17. The saddle according to claim 16, wherein the first surface is connected to the second surface.

18. The saddle according to claim 15, wherein the first surface is configured to contact a portion of the leg that is above a patella of the knee joint.

19. The saddle according to claim 1, wherein the at least one securing element on each side of the saddle is provided permanently on the saddle.

20. The saddle according to claim 1, wherein the at least one securing element on each side of the saddle is provided semi-permanently on the saddle.

21. A saddle configured in order to inhibit a horseman sitting on a back of a four-legged animal from falling off the animal, the saddle attached to a girth that is securable to the animal, the girth configured to fasten the saddle to the animal, the saddle comprising: a saddle seat; stirrups joined to the saddle seat on both sides; and a securing device configured to releasably secure the horseman to the saddle, the securing device comprising at least one securing element on each side of the saddle configured with surfaces arranged to contact a leg of the horseman and to at least partly grip around the leg only along a length of the leg proximate a knee joint with the surfaces arranged at only a limited height on an outer side of the knee joint of the horseman in order to retain a pivot function of the knee joint of the horseman to and from positions of the horseman on the saddle including: a first backside position on the saddle seat in which a backside of the horseman is in complete contact with the back of the animal via the saddle and in which thighs of the horseman pivot at the knee joint at a first backside position angle with respect to lower legs of the horseman; and a second backside position in which the horseman has moved his backside upwards and forwards with respect to the first backside position, and in which the backside of the horseman is no longer in complete contact with the back of the animal via the saddle and the thighs are in a straighter position with respect to the lower legs, such that the thighs and lower legs pivot into a straighter line with respect to each other forming a corresponding angle larger than the first backside position angle.

22. The saddle according to claim 21, wherein the at least one securing element comprises at least one bendable bar-shaped clamping structure.

23. The saddle according to claim 22, wherein the at least one bendable bar-shaped clamping structure comprises at least one deformable bar, which is configured to fit around the knee joint of the horseman in a closed position by being deformable into an open position and the closed position.

24. The saddle according to claim 22, wherein the at least one bendable bar-shaped clamping structure comprises separate movably connected elements configurable to a position to grip around the leg of the horseman.

25. The saddle according to claim 24, wherein a wire extends through each of the separate elements.

26. The saddle according to claim 22, wherein the at least one bendable bar-shaped clamping structure is made of bendable material.

27. The saddle according to claim 26, wherein the bendable bar-shaped clamping structure is made of a material of a group comprising bendable metal alloys, memory metal, and bendable plastics.

28. The saddle according to claim 22, further comprising clothing for the horseman, the clothing having one or more thickenings with at least one of a cavity, groove, recess and a closed ring into which the bar-shaped clamping structure fits.

29. The saddle according to claim 28, wherein the clothing includes a knee sock which comprises the one or more thickenings to be positioned on an outer side of the knee of the horseman, between which the bar-shaped clamping structure fits.

30. The saddle according to claim 22, wherein the bendable bar-shaped clamping structure is configured with deformable bars, tubes, thick wires or pipes configured to be fitted around or on an outer side of a body part of the horseman.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a right-hand side view of a horse or pony carrying a prior art saddle and saddle girth.

(2) FIG. 2 is a right-hand side view corresponding to that of FIG. 1 with a horseman sitting on a saddled horse giving the horse aids.

(3) FIG. 3 is a right-hand side view corresponding to that of FIG. 2 of a horseman sitting on a trotting saddled horse.

(4) FIG. 4 is a right-hand side view corresponding to that of FIG. 2 of a horseman sitting on a saddled horse in racing gallop.

(5) FIG. 5 is a right-hand side view corresponding to that of FIG. 2 of a horseman sitting on a saddled horse in an upward jump over an obstacle.

(6) FIG. 6A is an enlarged partial right-hand side view of a horse carrying a first embodiment of the saddle equipped with a horseman securing device.

(7) FIG. 6B is an enlarged perspective right-hand view of a strip of the horseman-securing device of FIG. 6A.

(8) FIG. 6C is a horizontal cross section view of the horseman's right leg and the securing device of FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B holding it, as seen from above.

(9) FIG. 7A is a horizontal cross section view of the horseman's right leg as seen from above and the securing device of FIG. 6A-C.

(10) FIG. 7B is a horizontal cross section view of the horseman's right leg as seen from above and the securing device of FIG. 6A-C.

(11) FIG. 7C is a horizontal cross section view of the horseman's right leg as seen from above and the securing device of FIG. 6A-C.

(12) FIG. 8A is an enlarged partial right-hand side view of a horse carrying a saddle equipped with another embodiment of a horseman securing device by means of multiple strip-shaped securing elements on the outer and inner side of the knee of the horseman and with the horseman sitting on the saddle and secured by the device.

(13) FIG. 8B-C is a right-hand side view of a knee-strengthening aid and knee-enclosing structure.

(14) FIG. 8D is a right-hand side view of a horse carrying another embodiment of the saddle equipped with a horseman securing device of FIG. 8A in which the knee-strengthening aid is combined with strip-shaped securing means.

(15) FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial right-hand side view of a horse carrying another embodiment of a saddle equipped with a horseman securing device by means of a strip-shaped securing element on the outer side of the knee of the horseman, in which the strip-shaped securing element forms a part of one or more toughened parts which form or forms a single part with the saddle.

(16) FIG. 10 is an enlarged partial right-hand side view of a horse carrying the saddle equipped with another embodiment of a horseman securing device by means of a strip-shaped securing element around the knee of the horseman, in which the strip-shaped securing element only consists of one strip, in which the 2 free ends can be fastened to each other by means of two types of hook and loop fastener.

(17) FIG. 11A is a right-side side perspective view of a saddle equipped with a horseman securing device by means of three strip-shaped securing elements with one type of hook and loop fasteners on one side turned towards the knee of the horseman as depicted in FIG. 11B.

(18) FIG. 11B is an enlarged partial right-hand side view of a saddle with a horseman securing device by means of three strip-shaped securing elements with one type of hook and loop fasteners on one side and a hook and loop fastener of the other type on the outer side of the knee of the horseman.

(19) FIG. 12A is a front view of the legs of a horseman with two thickenings at the lateral side of (the clothing at) his knees.

(20) FIG. 12B is an enlarged partial right-hand side view of a horse carrying a saddle equipped with another embodiment of a horseman securing device by means of an assembly of a strip-shaped element starting from the saddle and positioned between two lateral thickenings and around the knee of the horseman.

(21) FIG. 12C is an enlarged partial right-hand side view of a horse carrying a saddle equipped with the horseman securing device as in FIG. 12B, in which the strip-shaped elements can be fastened by means of a hook and loop fastener of the one type on the inner side of a strip and of the other type on the outer side of the other strip.

(22) FIG. 12D is a right-hand side perspective view of a saddle equipped with the horseman securing device as in FIG. 12C.

(23) FIG. 13A is a horizontal cross section view of the horseman's right leg as seen from above and the securing device of FIG. 12B.

(24) FIG. 13B is a horizontal cross section view of the horseman's right leg as seen from above and the securing device of FIG. 12C.

(25) FIG. 14A is a front view of a horseman provided with thickenings at the lateral side of (the clothing at) his knees.

(26) FIG. 14B is an enlarged partial right-hand side view of a horse carrying a saddle equipped with another embodiment of a horseman securing device by means of an assembly of a strip-shaped element starting from the saddle and positioned on either side of the lateral thickenings at the location of the knee joint of the horseman.

(27) FIG. 14C is a perspective right-hand side view of a detail of the strip-shaped structure of the assembly as shown in FIG. 14B.

(28) FIG. 15A is a perspective right-hand side view of a strip-shaped securing element with a free end, as is for example illustrated in the FIG. 6, in which the strip runs through a semi-stiff clamping aid, which preferably fits on the outer side of the knee of the horseman.

(29) FIG. 15B is a right-hand side view of a strip-shaped securing element with a free end, as is for example illustrated in the FIG. 6, which runs through a plurality of semi-stiff clamping aids.

(30) FIG. 15C is a horizontal cross section through the right knee of a horseman as seen from above with a strip-shaped securing element with a free end, as is illustrated in FIG. 15A.

(31) FIG. 15D is a horizontal cross section through the right knee of a horseman as seen from above with a strip-shaped securing element with a free end, as is illustrated in FIG. 15B.

(32) FIG. 16A is a perspective right-hand side and rear view of a saddle with another embodiment of a horseman securing device with a securing element of the clamping type which can clamp the knee of the horseman, in which case this clamping structure can be opened and closed by pivoting.

(33) FIG. 16B is perspective right-hand side and rear view of an isolated pivotable clamping structure intended for the knee of the horseman, which actually consists of two parts, a pivotable part and a non-pivotable counterpart, as in FIG. 16A.

(34) FIG. 16C is a perspective right-hand side and rear view of an isolated pivotable clamping structure intended for the knee of the horseman, similar to the clamping structure shown in FIG. 16B, but now with a closable connection between the two parts of the clamping structure.

(35) FIG. 16D is a perspective right-hand side and rear view of a saddle with a horseman securing device with a securing element of the clamping type which can clamp the knee of the horseman with a pivotable clamping structure, in which a second hinge is provided on the rear side of the knee instead of a single hinge on the front side of the knee.

(36) FIG. 17A is a horizontal cross section through the right knee of a horseman as seen from above with a pivotable clamping structure, which in fact consists of two parts, a pivotable part and a non-pivotable counterpart, as from FIGS. 16A-16C.

(37) FIG. 17B is a horizontal cross section through the right knee of a horseman as seen from above with a pivotable clamping structure on the outer side of the knee, in which a second hinge is situated on the rear side of the knee, as in FIG. 16D.

(38) FIG. 17C is a horizontal cross section through the right knee of a horseman as seen from above with a pivotable clamping structure on the outer side of the knee which consists of two parts, a pivotable part and a non-pivotable counterpart.

(39) FIG. 17D is a horizontal cross section through the right knee of a horseman as seen from above with a pivotable clamping structure on the outer side of the knee with a pivotable clamping structure similar to FIG. 17C, but with the difference that the hinge is now not situated on the medial and rear sides of the knee, but on the lateral and rear sides of the knee.

(40) FIG. 17E is a perspective right-hand side and rear view of the pivotable clamping structure from FIG. 17A.

(41) FIG. 18A is a perspective right-hand side and rear view of a saddle with another embodiment of horseman-securing device by means of an assembly of securing elements of fixed parts with protrusions and recesses fitting inside one another, such as female and male parts, which are situated, on the one hand, at the location of the saddle and are connected, on the other hand, to the horseman or his clothing, in which the female parts are placed on either side on the lateral side of the saddle at the location of the knee of the horseman, as in FIGS. 18B and 18C.

(42) FIG. 18B is a perspective right-hand side and rear view of the lower part of a horseman with the male parts of the assembly associated with FIG. 18A.

(43) FIG. 18C is a perspective right-hand side and rear view of the lower part of a horseman with a detail of the male parts from FIG. 18B.

(44) FIGS. 19A and 19B is a perspective right-hand side and rear view of a saddle of another embodiment of a horseman-securing device by means of an assembly of securing elements of movable protrusions and recesses which fit inside each other, such as female and male parts, which are situated, on the one hand, at the location of the saddle and are connected, on the other hand, to the horseman or his clothing (not depicted).

(45) FIG. 19B is a right-hand side view of a saddle with securing elements as in FIG. 19A.

(46) FIG. 20 is an enlarged partial right-hand side view of a horse carrying the saddle equipped with another embodiment of the horseman securing device with a clamping structure situated in the hollow of the knee and a clamping structure, situated on the front side of the knee of the horseman, in which one of these clamping structures, or both clamping structures, are displaceable.

(47) FIG. 20A is a partial right-hand side view of a horse carrying a saddle equipped with another embodiment of the horseman securing device with an assembly that consists of a clamping structure in the hollow of the knee, a clamping structure on the front and top side of the knee, and a clamping structure on the front and bottom side of the knee, wherein these clamping structures are displaceable.

(48) FIG. 20B is a schematical drawing of clamping structures similar to the clamping structures from FIG. 20A, in which the movement is now a radial movement to and from an imaginary central point at the centre of the knee.

(49) FIG. 20C is a schematical drawing of the clamping structures similar to the clamping structures from FIG. 20A and from FIG. 20B, in which the movement is now a vertical movement from the top downwards.

(50) FIG. 21A is an enlarged partial right-hand side view of a horse carrying the saddle equipped with another embodiment of the horseman securing device in which the securing means consist of bendable tubes or bars which can be bent around the knee of the horseman.

(51) FIG. 21B is a right-hand side view of a horse carrying the saddle equipped a horseman securing device as in FIG. 21A where the same bars are in the open position.

(52) FIG. 22A is a perspective right-hand side and rear view of a saddle equipped with another embodiment of the horseman securing device with a tubular securing element fitted on the right side of the saddle, at least on the flap thereof, intended for clamping the right thigh of the horseman (not depicted).

(53) FIG. 22B is an enlarged partial perspective left-hand side and front view of a horse carrying another embodiment of the saddle equipped with a horseman securing device by means of a similar tubular securing element to that in FIG. 22A, but now around the left thigh of the horseman.

(54) FIG. 23A is a right-hand side view of another embodiment of the horseman securing device with a tubular securing element as in FIGS. 22A and 22B with a strip-shaped element, which may equally well be a continuation of the front or rear end of the tubular securing element, that bridges the gap and is fastened on the outer side of the other end.

(55) FIG. 23B is a front view of the legs of a horseman with a hook and loop fastener of the one type fitted completely or in part around the thigh of the horseman to be fitted within the inner side of the tubular securing element in FIG. 23A.

(56) FIG. 23C is an enlarged partial right-hand side view of a horse carrying of a saddle equipped with a horseman securing device by means of an assembly of the tubular securing element as provided on the saddle as shown on FIG. 23A and the hook and loop fasteners as provided on the horseman as shown in FIG. 23B, and that are fitted with each other.

(57) FIG. 24A is a right-hand side view of a saddle equipped a horseman securing device with a tubular securing element as in FIGS. 22 and 23, in which the tubular securing element has been extended upwards in a fixed manner on the rear side and on the front side.

(58) FIG. 24B is a right-hand side view of a tubular securing element in FIGS. 22, 23 and 24A, in which the tubular securing element is extended by a telescopic extending part with an adjusting button in order to fix the telescopic extending part in the desired position with respect to the rest of the tubular securing element.

(59) FIG. 25A is a perspective right-hand side upper and front view of a saddle equipped with another embodiment of the horseman securing device as in FIGS. 22 to 24, but in which two tubular securing elements are connected to each other at the top by means of a bridge.

(60) FIG. 25B is a perspective right-hand side upper and front view of the two tubular securing elements that are connected to each other at the top by means of a bridge.

(61) FIG. 25C is a perspective right-hand side upper and front view of a telescopic upper part of the tubular securing element.

(62) FIG. 26A is a perspective right-hand side upper and front view of a pivotable body clamp or pair of clampable trousers, in which the entire securing device has a vertical gap-like interruption on both sides in order to enable the horseman to get in and out from the side.

(63) FIG. 26B is a partial rear view of the horseman fitted within the pivotable body clamp or pair of clampable trousers.

(64) FIG. 26C is a perspective right-hand side upper and front view of the pivotable body clamp or pair of clampable trousers, but now with a strip-shaped element in order to connect the front side thereof to the rear side and releasably lock it.

(65) FIG. 26D is a perspective right-hand side upper and front view of the pivotable body clamp or pair of clampable trousers, but now the rear bridge is configured as a more or less separate part, in which case this part is connected to the front bridge only by means of strip-shaped elements, resulting in the rear bridge allowing more freedom to the horseman.

(66) FIG. 26E is a perspective right-hand side upper and front view of the pivotable body clamp or pair of clampable trousers with strip-shaped elements.

(67) FIG. 26F is a right-hand side view of a horse carrying a saddle equipped with a horseman securing device by means of the pivotable body clamp or pair of clampable trousers (hatched) as illustrated in FIGS. 26A-E and worn by a horseman.

(68) FIG. 27A is a perspective right-hand side and rear view of a saddle equipped with another embodiment of horseman securing device by means of a relatively narrow front strip and a relatively narrow rear strip, which strips are each separately attached to the saddle, or at least the flaps thereof.

(69) FIG. 27B is a right-hand side view of a saddle equipped with a horseman securing device as illustrated in FIG. 27A where the strips as shown in FIG. 27A may also form a single part, i.e. a single strip, with a front and a rear end.

(70) FIG. 27C is a perspective right-hand side and rear view of a saddle equipped with a horseman securing device as illustrated in FIG. 27B where the strip runs partly on the medial side of the saddle or the flap.

(71) FIG. 28A is a perspective right-hand side and rear view of a saddle equipped with another embodiment of horseman securing device by means of rotatable connecting element fitted on the saddle, or at least the flap thereof, at the location of the knee of the horseman, with a hook and loop fastener of the hook-and-eyelet type on the side facing the horseman.

(72) FIG. 28B is a rear view of a horseman with a hook and loop fastener of the hook-and-eyelet type at his trousers on the side facing inwards—towards the saddle, but of the other type than that which is present on the connecting element as illustrated in FIG. 28A.

(73) FIG. 28C is a right-hand side view of the hook and loop fastener parts as illustrated in FIGS. 28A and 28B that may also be fitted on the horseman as a temporary securing means by means of strips instead of a stocking, optionally with a hook and loop fastener.

(74) FIG. 28D is a perspective right-hand side and upper rear view of the assembly of a connecting element with a hook and loop fastener of the one type and a hook and loop fastener on the medial side of the knee of the horseman of the other type, with the latter hook and loop fastener forming part of a clamping structure around the knee which is attached to the saddle by means of one or more strip-shaped elements on the outer side of the clamping structure, as shown, inter alia, in FIG. 15.

(75) FIG. 29A is a perspective right-hand side and rear view of an assembly of a saddle equipped with another embodiment of horseman securing device by means of a rotatable connecting element fitted on the saddle, or at least the flap thereof, at the location of the knee of the horseman, with a hook and loop fastener of the hook-and-eyelet type on the side facing the horseman, and a tubular securing element which can be worn separately by the horseman.

(76) FIG. 29B is an enlarged partial right-hand side view of a horse carrying a saddle equipped with a horseman securing device by means of an assembly of the same parts as in FIG. 29A, but in this case after the horseman has mounted the saddle and the tubular element has been temporarily closed, by means of optionally strip-shaped elements.

(77) FIG. 30A is a perspective left-hand side and rear view of a saddle equipped with another embodiment of horseman securing device by means of a magnetic field that is present at the location of the knee of the horseman as part of the saddle or at least the flap thereof.

(78) FIG. 30B is a perspective left-hand side and rear view of a saddle as shown in FIG. 30A, but here other positions for the battery are shown, for example on the sides of the saddle seat or on the rear side thereof.

(79) FIG. 30C is a partial front view of the bottom half of the horseman, in which metal parts, or small metal parts, or magnetic textile is arranged at the location of the medial side of his knees and/or thighs in such a way that a magnetic force is created by the magnetic field at the location of the saddle.

(80) FIG. 31A is a perspective right-hand side and rear view of a so-called “High-Tech” saddle.

(81) FIG. 31B is an upper view of a so-called “High-Tech” saddle.

(82) FIG. 32 and FIG. 33 are perspective right-hand side and front views of a saddle equipped with another embodiment of horseman securing device by means of a tiltable or pivotable saddle, in which the saddle consists of a movable saddle part that is movably connected to a fixed saddle part by means of a single hinge at the front and top side of the saddle, and in which the horseman is or can be secured to the one or more movable saddle parts.

(83) FIG. 34A is a right-hand side view of the saddle as illustrated in FIGS. 32 and 33, wherein some details of the single hinge at the location of the pommel of the saddle is shown.

(84) FIGS. 34B and 35C are schematic details of the rotating movement in hinge of the saddle, as is shown in FIG. 34A, in which the maximum number of degrees is limited to 90 degrees, and this in such a way that the movable saddle part can pivot from a horizontal position (FIG. 35A) to a vertical position at most (illustrated by dashed lines in FIG. 35A).

(85) FIG. 35A is a right-hand side view of a tiltable or pivotable saddle as in FIGS. 32-34, in which a mechanical connecting and/or guide element is situated between the movable saddle part and the fixed saddle part, with both these saddle parts bearing against each other in the closed rest position.

(86) FIG. 35B is a right-hand side view of a tiltable or pivotable saddle, in which a mechanical connecting and/or guide element is situated between the movable saddle part and the fixed saddle part, according to FIG. 35A, in which case both these saddle parts are now a distance apart, in an open active position, in which the length of the element has increased.

(87) FIG. 36A is a perspective right-hand side and front view of a tiltable or pivotable saddle, in which the saddle consists of a movable saddle part which is movably connected to the fixed saddle part by means of double hinges at the location of the saddle, and in which the horseman is or can be secured to the movable saddle part.

(88) FIG. 36B is a right-hand side view of an identical saddle to FIG. 36A.

(89) FIG. 36C are a perspective right-hand side and front view (larger drawing) and upper view (smaller drawing) of a tiltable or pivotable saddle, in which the saddle consists of a movable saddle part which is movably connected to a fixed saddle part by means of a single hinge at the front and top side of the saddle, and in which the horseman is or can be secured to the one or more movable saddle parts.

(90) FIG. 36D are a perspective right-hand side and front view (larger drawing) and upper view (smaller drawing) of a tiltable or pivotable saddle, in which the saddle consists of a movable saddle part which is movably connected to a fixed saddle part by means of a single hinge at the front and top side of the saddle, and in which the horseman is or can be secured to the one or more movable saddle parts.

(91) FIG. 36E is a perspective right-hand side and front view of an identical saddle to that in FIGS. 36A and 36B, comprising double hinges, but here these are now in a lower position on the saddle, with the hinge bridge being longer and higher.

(92) FIG. 36F are right-hand side views of an identical saddle to that in FIGS. 36A and 36B, comprising double hinges, but here these are now in a lower position on the saddle, with the hinge bridge being longer and higher.

(93) FIG. 37A is a perspective right-hand side and front view of a tiltable or pivotable saddle, in which the movable saddle part has been extended downwards on both sides using movable extension parts which can make contact with the inner side of the thighs and knees of the horseman, in rest position.

(94) FIG. 37B is a right-hand side view of the same saddle as FIG. 37A, in raised position.

(95) FIG. 37C is a perspective right-hand side and front upper view of a tiltable or pivotable saddle, in which the movable saddle part has been extended downwards on both sides using movable extension parts which can make contact with the inner side of the thighs and knees of the horseman, in which the extension parts on the front side of the thighs and knees of the horseman have been widened laterally, like wings, which, in addition to having a supporting function, may serve as passive protection for the horseman.

(96) FIG. 37D is a perspective right-hand side and front upper view of a tiltable or pivotable saddle as shown in FIG. 37C, in which two strip-shaped elements are now also shown which are attached to the moving saddle part and which may be connected to each other, for example by means of a hook and loop fastener.

(97) FIG. 37E is a perspective right-hand side and front upper view of a tiltable or pivotable saddle as shown in FIG. 37C, seen from the side at an angle, in which two strip-shaped elements are now also shown which are attached to the moving saddle part and which may be connected to each other, for example by means of a safety lock, as are used in car safety or aeroplane safety belts.

(98) FIG. 38A is a perspective right-hand side and front upper view of a tiltable or pivotable saddle with double hinges such as that shown in FIGS. 36 and 37.

(99) FIG. 38B is an enlarged partial right-hand side view of a horse carrying a saddle equipped with a horseman securing device by means of a tiltable or pivotable saddle with double hinges at knee level, in which the backrest and the leg supports are shown in a larger size in order to make it clear in which way a horseman may be secured between these supports, in the rest position.

(100) FIG. 38C is an enlarged partial right-hand side view of a horse carrying a saddle equipped with a horseman securing device by means of a tiltable or pivotable saddle with double hinges at knee level, seen from the side, corresponding to FIG. 38B, but here in a raised position.

(101) FIG. 38D is a perspective right-hand side and front upper view of a tiltable or pivotable saddle, in which 1 hinge is used instead of 2 hinges, in raised position.

(102) FIG. 38E is a perspective right-hand side and front upper view of a tiltable or pivotable saddle, in which 1 hinge is used instead of 2 hinges, in raised position, and shows in addition that the movable saddle part may also consist of 2 parts a front part which is connected to hinge, and a rear part with a backrest, in which case the rear part is positioned in the front part, for example by means of one or more (shown here as 2) sliding pins in the front part.

(103) FIG. 38F is an enlarged partial right-hand side view of a horse carrying a saddle equipped with a horseman securing device by means of a tiltable or pivotable saddle, with 1 hinge and backrest, in rest position.

(104) FIG. 38G is a right-hand side view of a tiltable or pivotable saddle, with 1 hinge and backrest, in raised position.

(105) FIG. 39A is an enlarged partial right-hand side view of a horse carrying a saddle equipped with a horseman securing device by means of a tiltable or pivotable saddle with a single hinge, but otherwise as shown in FIGS. 38A and 38B, in which the leg support is limited to only a limited thigh clamp which is also situated more around the lateral side of the thigh, in which this thigh clamp is connected to the moving saddle part and/or the single hinge or the double hinges, in rest position.

(106) FIG. 39B is an enlarged partial right-hand side view of a horse carrying a saddle equipped with a horseman securing device by means of a tiltable or pivotable saddle with a single hinge, such as that shown in FIG. 39A, but now in raised position.

(107) FIG. 40A is a perspective right-hand side and front upper view of only the movable saddle part as the upper saddle seat of a tiltable or pivotable saddle. For the sake of simplicity, the remainder of the saddle has been omitted.

(108) FIG. 40B is a perspective right-hand side and front upper view of a detail of a safety belt from FIG. 40A, in which the safety lock is in the open position. In addition, it shows that, on the rear side of the horseman, the safety belt is a continuous structure or forms part of a continuous structure.

(109) FIG. 40C is a perspective right-hand side and front upper view of a detail of a safety belt from FIG. 40A, in which the safety lock is in the closed position. In addition, it shows that, on the rear side of the horseman, the safety belt is a non-continuous structure or forms part of a non-continuous structure.

(110) FIG. 41A is a perspective right-hand side and front upper view of a tiltable or pivotable saddle with a single hinge, in which the horseman can be secured by means of several strip-shaped elements or safety straps which in this case start from the sides of the movable saddle part, in raised position.

(111) FIG. 41B is a perspective right-hand side and front upper view of a tiltable or pivotable saddle with a single hinge, in which the horseman can be secured by means of lateral clamping widened sections, starting from the sides of the movable saddle part, in raised position.

(112) FIG. 41C is a perspective right-hand side and front upper view of a tiltable or pivotable saddle with a single hinge, in which the horseman can be secured by means of the backrest which has already been shown, starting from the back of the movable saddle part, in raised position.

(113) FIG. 42 is an enlarged partial perspective right-hand side and rear view of a horse carrying a saddle equipped with a horseman securing device by means of a horseman-securing element consisting of one or more strip-shaped elements which, on one side, are connected to the saddle and, on the other side, to the horseman, in this case by means of a belt around his waist.

(114) FIG. 43A is a perspective right-hand side and front upper view of an upper saddle part of a tiltable or pivotable saddle, in which a kind of wing is provided at the front on either side, in which a strip-shaped element is shown on the outer side which can be attached to the same saddle part on the medial side in such a way that the thigh of the horseman is clamped between the wing and the rest of the upper saddle part.

(115) FIG. 43B is a perspective right-hand side and rear view of an upper saddle part of a tiltable or pivotable saddle, in which a kind of wing is provided at the front on either side, in which a strip-shaped element is shown on the inner side which can be attached to the wing on the lateral side, in such a way that the thigh of the horseman is clamped between the wing and the rest of the upper saddle part.

(116) FIG. 44 is an enlarged partial perspective right-hand side and rear view of a horse carrying a saddle equipped with a horseman securing device by means of an upper saddle part of a tiltable or pivotable saddle, with strip-shaped elements over the distal thighs and proximal thighs of the horseman.

(117) FIG. 45A is an perspective enlarged partial left-hand side and front view of a horse carrying a saddle equipped with a horseman securing device by means of an upper saddle part of a tiltable or pivotable saddle, in which strip-shaped elements are present to fix the horseman to the upper saddle part. The lower part of the horseman is depicted, but not the fixed part of the tiltable or pivotable saddle.

(118) FIG. 45B is a perspective left-hand side view of a similar way of fixing the horseman to the upper saddle part (larger drawing) as in FIG. 45A, but here, the temporary lock and release are illustrated in detail (small drawings).

(119) FIG. 46 is a perspective left-hand side and front and upper view of an upper saddle part of a tiltable or pivotable saddle, which make use of strip-shaped elements, which use a hook and loop fastener.

(120) FIG. 47A is a perspective enlarged partial left-hand side and front and upper view of a horse carrying a saddle equipped with a horseman securing device by means of an assembly of an upper saddle part of a tiltable or pivotable saddle, in the form of an assembly between widened strip-shaped elements with a touch and a close fastener of the one type on the inner side and a hook and loop fastener of the other type provided around the thighs of the horseman or his clothing.

(121) FIG. 47B is front view of the lower parts of a horseman with hook and loop fastener fitted with thighs of the horseman or his clothing to be combined with the an upper saddle part of a tiltable or pivotable saddle as shown in FIG. 47A.

(122) FIG. 48A is a perspective right-hand side and front and upper view of a saddle equipped with another embodiment of the horseman securing device by means of a bendable bar which is attached to the rear side of the saddle by means of a hinge, to which the horseman can be connected to the bar by means of a kind of waistcoat.

(123) FIG. 48B is a perspective right-hand side and front and upper view of a saddle as shown in FIG. 48A, but here the horseman can be connected to the bar by means of a pair of trousers.

(124) FIG. 48C is an enlarged partial right-hand side view of a horse carrying a saddle equipped with a horseman securing device by means of a bendable bar which is attached to the rear side of the saddle by means of a hinge, to which the horseman can be connected to the bar by means of a kind of waistcoat-trousers, and does show the forward and backward pivoting or tilting movement of the bar.

(125) FIG. 48D is a perspective right-hand side and front and upper view of a saddle with double bendable bars attached to the rear side of the saddle by means of a hinge, to which the horseman can be connected to the bar.

(126) FIG. 48E is an enlarged partial right-hand side view of a horse carrying a saddle equipped with a horseman securing device by means of a bendable bar which is attached to the rear side of the saddle by means of a hinge, to which the horseman can be connected to the bar, with the forward and backward pivoting or tilting movement of bar, in which the backward position is approximately 45 degrees removed from the forward position in this case.

(127) FIG. 48F is a partial rear view of a horse carrying a saddle equipped with a horseman securing device by means of a bendable bar which is attached to the rear side of the saddle by means of a hinge, to which the horseman can be connected to the bar, and shows the lateral freedom of movement of bar, in this case a freedom of movement towards the right-hand side of horse and horseman.

(128) FIG. 49A-49E show a variant to the single bar, as illustrated in the FIG. 48, consisting of a several bars or backrest. FIG. 49A is a perspective right-hand side and front and upper view, and FIGS. 49B-E are right-hand side views.

(129) FIG. 50A is a right-hand side view of a horse and horseman sitting on a saddle equipped with another embodiment of the horseman securing device by means of a bar which extends from the centre and rear side of the saddle up to the centre and front side of the saddle, to which the horseman can be connected to the bar, forming a continuous ring which may contribute to the passive protection of the horseman, here in rest position.

(130) FIG. 50B is an enlarged partial right-hand side view of a horse carrying a saddle equipped with a horseman securing device as in FIG. 50A, in which the horseman has raised his backside, e.g. in light trot, in which coupling piece (604) is in an elevated position.

(131) FIG. 50C is a perspective right-hand side and front and upper view of a saddle with a bar which consists of a single bar on the rear side and branches in such a way that there are two bars on the front side of the horseman, which are connected to the front side of the saddle.

(132) FIG. 51A, 51B, 52A-C are right-hand side and oblique right-hand side and front views of variations of FIG. 50, in which a kind of cage structure is produced by using several bars, which contributes to the passive safety of the horseman. FIGS. 51A, 52A, and 52B are perspective right-hand side and front and upper views, and FIGS. 51B and 52C are right-hand side views.

(133) FIGS. 53 and 54 are perspective right-hand side and front and upper views of a saddle equipped with another embodiment of horseman securing device by means of a movable saddle part which is movably connected to a fixed saddle part by means of a single hinge at the front and top side of the saddle, and in which the horseman is or can be secured to the one or more movable saddle parts, for example by means of the strip-shaped securing elements, in which one or more resilient connecting elements, preferably of different lengths, are provided between the movable saddle part and the fixed saddle part.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(134) Aspects of the invention has been illustrated in the figures and described above by means of single exemplary embodiments. It will be clear that various variants are possible, which may be obvious to a person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of protection which is defined by the following claims.

(135) Effectively, aspects of the invention can be applied to simpler saddles than the saddle described in the claims. In exceptional cases, a horseman may even ride an animal without a saddle, but will use a girth, or a similar device which may be passed around the belly and/or rib cage of an animal and to which stirrups are attached. All cases which may or may not be exceptional and in which a usually common part of a saddle has been omitted, but in which a horseman can be releasably secured to a saddle or saddle-like element in a manner as described in this document are deemed to fall within the scope of protection of the invention.

(136) FIG. 1 shows an example of a four-legged animal, in this case a stationary horse or pony (001) on a horizontal surface, seen from the right-hand side of the animal. The general anatomical features of a four-legged animal (001) are assumed to be known to those skilled in the art. On the back of the horse (001), a saddle (002) is present which is secured to the animal (001) by means of a saddle girth (003) around the belly and/or rib cage of the animal (001). The upper part of the saddle (002) is formed by the bow, which effectively rests on the back of the animal and of which often only the saddle pad (004) can be seen from the side. On top of the bow and saddle pad (004) is the saddle seat (005) which may be raised at the rear and front side, referred to as cantle (006) and pommel (007), respectively. The pommel (007) is often of raised design to provide space for the withers of the horse, thus forming the gullet (008) of the saddle (002). From the bow, on either side of the animal (001), flaps (009) are present which are situated more laterally on the animal and can often move concomitantly with the lateral movements of the rib cage of the animal (001). The saddle seat (005) smoothly blends into the flaps (009) on either side of the animal (001). At the front side of each flap (009), a thickening may be present to support the knee of the horseman, referred to as knee roll (010). From the bow and/or saddle seat (005), stirrup leathers are present on either side of the animal (and stirrup leather with stirrup, of which only the right-hand stirrup leather (011) and stirrup (012) are shown).

(137) FIG. 2 shows a horseman (015) sitting on a stationary saddled horse (001) on a horizontal surface, seen from the right-hand side of the animal (001) and horseman (015). Characteristic of a horseman (015) sitting on the animal (001) is the fact that, when the animal is stationary, the backside (016) and inner side of the thighs (017) of the horseman (015) make complete contact with the saddle (002), and in particular with the outer side of the saddle (002), and in particular with the saddle seat (005) and flaps (009) thereof, which position of the horseman may be referred to as first backside position. The lower legs (018) of the horseman (015) hang downwards at right angles from the knee (019), with the feet (020) of the horseman (015) being situated in the stirrups (012), which position of the lower leg may be referred to as first lower leg position. At the location of the knee joint (019), on the rear side of the knee, the lower leg (018) makes an angle of approximately 135 degrees with respect to the thigh (017) and, on the front side of the knee (019) of approximately 225 degrees. This rest position is shown here by a solid line (first lower leg position A). If the horseman (015) does want to give the horse (001) any aids, such as “spurring on”, then the horseman (015) will move his lower leg (018) with his foot (020) and stirrup (012) to the rear, indicated here by a dashed line (second lower leg position B). The arrow A-B shows the to-and-fro movement of the lower leg (018) from a first lower leg position (A) to a second lower leg position (B) and back again to the first lower leg position (A).

(138) FIG. 3 shows a horseman (015) sitting on a trotting saddled horse (001) on a horizontal surface, seen from the right-hand side of the animal (001) and horseman (015). Here, the horseman (015) makes a raising movement from the seated first backside position at rest (as illustrated in FIG. 2) in which the horseman (015) is shown by dashed lines, here denoted by A), to a raised position in which the horseman (015) makes no, or at least no complete, contact with his backside (016) and/or thighs (017) and the saddle (002), and in particular with the saddle seat (005) and flaps (009) thereof. This raised position of the horseman may be referred to as second backside position. The raised seat of the horseman (015) is illustrated here by solid lines and denoted by B). After assuming the second raised backside position, the horseman will descend, synchronously with the trotting movements of the horse, and assume his first backside position, in which case his backside again makes complete contact with the saddle. Trotting in this manner, with the horseman moving up and down, is also referred to as “English riding” or “light riding”. During this raised position, the leg of the horseman (015) extends slightly in the knee joint (019), with the lower leg (018) making an angle with respect to the thigh (017) which is greater than 135 degrees on the rear side of the knee (019) and an angle which is smaller than 225 degrees on the front side of the knee (019). The upper arrows without letters and numbers show the to-and-fro movement of the body of the horseman (015) during this “English riding” or “light riding”. The bottom arrows with the letters A and B show the to-and-fro movement of the lower leg (018) from a first lower leg position (A) to a second lower leg position (B) and back again to the first lower leg position (A), as shown in FIG. 2.

(139) FIG. 4 shows a horseman (015) sitting on a saddled horse (001) in racing gallop on a horizontal surface, seen from the right-hand side of the animal (001) and horseman (015). Here, the horseman (015) is constantly in the raised position and second backside position as described for FIG. 3 (B), but now the elevation is greater, so that the backside (016) and the thighs (017) of the horseman (015) no longer make contact with the saddle (002), and in particular with the saddle seat (005) and flaps (009) thereof. The second backside position will in this case often be assumed at the start of the racing gallop, and the return to the first backside position will often take place at the end of the racing gallop. Galloping in this way is also referred to as galloping with a “light seat”. In this case, the legs of the horseman (015) will stretch even further than is the case with English riding or light-riding, so that the thigh (017) almost comes to lie in line with the lower leg (018). The upper arrows without letters and numbers show how the body of the horseman (015) makes a to-and-fro movement and assumes the first and second backside position at the start and end of the racing gallop. The bottom arrows with the letters A and B show the to-and-fro movement of the lower leg (018) from a first lower leg position (A) to a second lower leg position (B) and back again to the first lower leg position (A), as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

(140) FIG. 5 shows a horseman (015) sitting on a saddled horse (001) in an upward jump over an obstacle (020), seen from the right-hand side of the animal (001) and horseman (015). In this case, the horseman (015) is in the raised position during the jump and assumes a second backside position as described for FIG. 3 (B), but now the elevation is greater, so that the backside (016) and the thighs (017) of the horseman (015) make no, or virtually no, contact with the saddle (002), and in particular with the saddle seat (005) and flaps (009) thereof. Depending on the height of the obstacle (020), the elevation of the horseman (015) will be identical to or greater than the elevation shown in FIG. 4. In this case, the legs of the horseman (015) will stretch even further than is the case with English riding or light-riding, so that the thigh (017) almost comes to lie in line with the lower leg (018). The upper arrows without letters and numbers show the to-and-fro movement of the body of the horseman (015) at the start and the end of the jump. The bottom arrows with the letters A and B show the to-and-fro movement of the lower leg (018) from a first lower leg position (A) to a second lower leg position (B) and back again to the first lower leg position (A), as shown in FIGS. 2-4.

(141) It is notable that the lower legs (018) are situated further backwards with respect to the horse (001) and saddle (002) and girth (003) during the upward jump, but that the lower legs (018) still hang perpendicularly downwards, illustrated here as first leg position A. The lower legs (018) assume a similar position when the horseman (015) is on a horse (001) on an upwardly sloping surface. Conversely, in the case of a downward jump or a downwardly sloping surface, the lower legs (018) of the horseman (015) and the first leg position will be situated further to the front with respect to the horse (001), saddle (002) and girth (003), but also in that case still hang down perpendicularly (this first leg position in which the legs are situated further forward is not shown here).

(142) FIG. 6A shows a horseman-securing device by means of a strip-shaped securing element (025) on the outer side of the knee (019) of the horseman (015). In this text, the term outer side of the knee (019) is understood to refer to all sides of the knee (019) except the inner side, that is the side facing the saddle, with the exception of the knee roll (010). Only the right-hand side of the saddle (002) with lower body (026), thigh (017), knee (019) and upper part of the lower leg (027) of the horseman (015) is shown. The strip-shaped securing element (025) is shown in the form of a strip (030), one end (031) of which is attached in a fixed way to the front side of the saddle (002), preferably on the flap (009) and/or roll (010) thereof and the other end (032) of which is attached as a free end (032) in a non-fixed way on the rear side of the saddle, preferably on the flap (009) thereof. In this case, the free end (032) may have been passed through a loop or hook (033), which loop or hook (033) may itself be connected to the saddle (002) in a fixed way. The loop or hook (033) may be open on one side, preferably at the bottom side thereof, in order to facilitate quick disengagement of the strip (030) and/or free end (032).

(143) FIG. 6B shows a detail of the free end (032) or strip (030) and the securing arrangement of loop or hook (033).

(144) FIG. 6C shows a horizontal cross section of the right-hand knee (019) of the horseman (015), as seen from above, with the fixed end (031) of the strip-shaped element (030) at the front side of the saddle (002), and on the rear side the securing arrangement of the free end (032) through a hook or loop (033) on the rear side of the saddle (002). The strip (030), and in particular the free end (032) thereof, may be fixed in different ways, for example by providing a hook and loop fastener on the outer side of strip (030), in which the inwardly directed surface of the free end (032) of the strip which is folded back once is of the type other than the hook and loop fastener which is provided on the outer side of the strip (030) which is situated on the outer side of the knee and which comes into contact with the folded-back part of the free end (032) of the strip (030). If the horseman (015) wants to set himself free, he only needs to release the free end (032) of the strip-shaped element (030) by pulling it outwards and backwards. In order to facilitate release of the strip (030), a preferred embodiment of the invention is such that the free end (032) is passed through a loop or hook (033) which is open on one side, preferably the bottom or top side, so that, when the strip (030) is no longer under tension, it is released from the loop or hook (033) completely by itself or through a small movement of the horseman (015). To ensure the correct functioning of a horseman-securing device by means of a strip-shaped securing element (025) on the outer side of the knee (019) of the horseman (015), a preferred embodiment of the invention is configured in such a way that a hook and loop fastener of the one type is provided on the outer side of the knee (019), at least on the clothing of the horseman (015), and a hook and loop fastener of the other type is provided on the inner side of the strip-shaped element (030). Of course, a simple buckle may also serve as securing arrangement.

(145) FIGS. 7A-7C show a horizontal cross section of a horseman-securing device by means of a strip-shaped securing element (025) on the outer side of the right-hand knee (019) of the horseman (015), seen from above. The top side of the figure corresponds to the front side of the saddle (002), in which the thickened part is the roll (010).

(146) FIG. 7A shows a strip (030) on the outer side of the knee (019), in which one end (031) is fixedly connected at the front side of the knee (019) to the saddle and a free end (032) of the strip (030) which is releasably connected to the saddle (002) at the rear side of the knee (019) by means of a hook or eyelet (033), all this corresponding to FIGS. 6A-C.

(147) FIG. 7B shows a strip (030) which runs in the reverse direction compared to FIGS. 6A-C, in which the strip (030) is situated on the outer side of the knee (019), in which one end (031) is fixedly connected at the rear side of the knee (019) to the saddle and a free end (032) of the strip (030) which is releasably connected at the front side of the knee (019) to the saddle (002) by means of a hook or eyelet (033).

(148) FIG. 7C shows a strip (030) on the outer side of the knee (019), in which both ends (033) are releasably connected to the saddle (002), both at the front and rear side of the knee (019), by means of a hook or eyelet (033). In these embodiments, the free end (032) of the strip (030) can also be attached to the outer side of the strip (030) at the location of the outer side of the knee (019) by means of a hook and loop fastener, such as described for FIGS. 6A-C.

(149) FIGS. 8A-8D show that a plurality of strip-shaped elements or strips (030) is possible instead of the single strip shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. When using several strips (030), the intermediate space between different strips (030) may be filled with textiles, plastic and the like to provide more support, and in a number of cases also passive protection, to the knee (019). Such fillings may be provided not only at the front side, but also in the hollow of the knee as well as on the lateral side of the knee (019). The strips (030) may also start from reinforcements and curvatures of the saddle (002), such as for example the roll (010) at the front side of the knee (019). Such strip-shaped securing elements (030) may be used independently, but also as an assembly of ancillary means which are situated at the location of the knee (019) of the horseman (015) or on his clothing locally.

(150) FIG. 8A shows a horseman-securing device by means of a strip-shaped securing element (025) on the outer and inner side of the knee (019) of the horseman (015). In this embodiment, several strips (030) are used which run in different directions, with a strip (040) which has been provided with extra thickening being arranged in the hollow of the knee and a strip (041) being arranged above the kneecap and a strip (042) being arranged below the kneecap. Here, the strip (043) is shown on the inner side of the knee (019), but it may also be absent.

(151) FIGS. 8B and 8C show a horseman-securing device by means of a strip-shaped securing element (025) on the outer side of the knee (019) of the horseman (015), in which a separate or integrated knee-strengthening aid (050) is shown. This knee-strengthening aid consists of a thickening (040) in the hollow of the knee, which optionally presses against a larger element (044) which fills the hollow of the knee. At the front side of the knee (019), the kneecap is completely covered by a knee-enclosing structure (045). The strips (030) mentioned and shown above may be incorporated in this knee-strengthening aid (046) or may run through or around it. The knee-strengthening aid (050) may also form part of the clothing of the horseman (015) or be worn as a separate item on top of the clothing of the horseman at the location of the knee.

(152) FIG. 8D shows in which way the knee-strengthening aid may be combined with a strip-shaped securing device.

(153) FIG. 9 shows a horseman-securing device by means of a strip-shaped securing element (025) on the outer side of the knee (019) of the horseman (015), in which the strip-shaped securing element forms a part of one or more toughened parts (060) which forms or form a single part with the saddle (002), preferably situated at the front side, forming a single part with the knee roll (010), see FIG. 6A. Such a toughened part may be configured to be integrated with the saddle in leather and filled with the same materials used for making a leather saddle, but may also be made of toughened plastic with a soft filling. In this way, the toughened part contributes to the passive safety of the horseman (015), and in particular of his knees. The medial part of this toughened part (060) may be very thin or be completely absent to ensure a free and good contact of the inner side of the knee (019) of the horseman (015). The strip (030) encloses the knee from the rear side of the knee and is shown here in such a way that the enclosure is ensured by securing a hook and loop fastener, provided on the inner side of the strip (030) and outer side of the toughened part (060), with two different types of hook and loop fastener being used. Of course, other ways of securing the enclosure are also possible, such as for example buckles and the like.

(154) FIG. 10 shows a horseman-securing device by means of a strip-shaped securing element (025) around the knee (019) of the horseman (015), in which the strip-shaped securing element only consists of one or more strips, in which at least 2 free ends can be fastened to each other by means of two types of hook and loop fastener, one type of which is arranged on the side of the strip (030) facing the knee and the other type is arranged on the side of the other strip (030) facing away from the knee. In the illustrated drawing, a single strip with 2 free ends is shown, but the medial part of the strip may also be omitted, as a result of which 2 separate strips are created, in which the knee can rest even closer against the saddle.

(155) FIGS. 11A and 11B show a horseman-securing device which consists of an assembly of strip-shaped securing elements (030) which are arranged on the saddle (002), with one type of hook and loop fastener on one side and a hook and loop fastener of the other type at the location of the knee of the horseman, at least his clothing or a separately worn garment, such as an optionally elastic knee sock (070).

(156) FIG. 11A shows 3 strips (030) which are connected to the outer side of the saddle, optionally in a continuous manner.

(157) FIG. 11B shows that these strips are attached around the knee (019), at least on the front, rear and outer side thereof, by means of a hook and loop fastener of the one type on the side of the strips (030) turned towards the knee and a hook and loop fastener of the other type on the outer side of the knee, at least of the clothing or additional garment of the horseman. In this case, one strip (041) is situated above the kneecap and one strip (042) below the kneecap and 1 strip (040) in the hollow of the knee. Other positions of the strips are also possible. Also, the attachment of the strips (030) at the location of the saddle may be situated further to the front or to the back with respect to the knee.

(158) FIGS. 12A-12D show an assembly of a horseman-securing device by means of a strip-shaped securing element (025) around the knee (019) of the horseman (015), in which the strip-shaped securing element (030) is situated between two thickenings (071) and (072) arranged at the location of the knee (019) of the horseman (015). In this case, one thickening (071) may be situated above the kneecap and one thickening (072) below the kneecap, in which case both thickenings may form a V shape, in which the largest distance may be situated at the front side of the knee (019) of the horseman (015). These thickenings (071 and 072) may be provided directly on the clothing of the horseman (015), such as on the pair of riding breeches of the horseman, but may also be provided on separate optionally elastic knee socks (070).

(159) FIG. 12A shows an example of the way in which the thickenings (071) and (072) may be provided or are worn on the lateral side of the knees (019) of the horseman (015). Preferably, these thickenings are provided around the knee, but not on the inner side (side of the knee (019) of the horseman (002) facing the saddle (002).

(160) FIG. 12B shows an assembly of a strip-shaped element (030) starting from the saddle (002) and positioned between the two lateral thickenings (071) and (072) around the knee (019) of the horseman (015). The strip-shaped structure is shown as a strip (030) such as that shown in FIGS. 6 and 7A, but may also be one or more of the other strip-shaped elements described and/or shown in this application.

(161) FIGS. 12 C and D show two strip-shaped elements (030) which are attached to the saddle (002) and which are situated between the two thickenings (071 and 072) which can be fastened by means of a hook and loop fastener of the one type on the inner side of a strip (030) and of the other type on the outer side of the other strip (030).

(162) FIGS. 13A and 13B show a horizontal cross section of a horseman-securing device by means of a strip-shaped securing element (025) around the right-hand knee (019) of the horseman (015), seen from above, in which the strip-shaped securing element (030) is situated between two thickenings (071) and (072) provided at the location of the knee (019) of the horseman (015).

(163) FIG. 13A shows a cross section of FIG. 12B, while FIG. 13B shows a cross section of FIG. 12C.

(164) FIGS. 14A-14C show an assembly of a horseman-securing device by means of a strip-shaped securing element (025) around the knee (019) of the horseman (015), in which the strip-shaped securing element (030) has an opening which is situated on either side of a thickening (073) provided at the location of the knee (019) of the horseman (015).

(165) FIG. 14A shows an example of the way in which the thickenings (073) may be provided or worn on the lateral side of the knees (019) of the horseman (015). Preferably, these thickenings are arranged around the knee, but not on the inner side (side of the knee (019) of the horseman (002) facing the saddle (002). Preferably, the thickening will be situated at the location of the knee joint (019) of the horseman (015).

(166) FIG. 14B shows an assembly of a strip-shaped element (030) starting from the saddle (002) and positioned on either side of the lateral thickenings (073) at the location of the knee joint (019) of the horseman (015). The strip-shaped structure is shown as a strip (030) such as that shown in FIGS. 6 and 7A, but may also be one or more of the other strip-shaped elements described and/or shown in this application, and furthermore has an opening which fits exactly around the thickening (073). In a preferred embodiment, the height of the thickening (073) is slightly greater at the front side than at the rear side, in which case the thickening may also have a triangular shape, and the strip-shaped element (030) has a corresponding opening (074), so that the thickening (073) fits exactly into the opening (074).

(167) FIG. 14C shows only the strip-shaped structure of the assembly as shown in FIG. 14B. The strip-shaped structure is shown as a strip (030) and has an opening (074) which fits exactly around the thickening (073) and in which the strip also has a free end which can be passed through an open hook, for example on the rear side of the knee, with this free end also having an opening which fits exactly around the thickening (073). The first part of the strip-shaped structure can then readily be attached to the free part of the strip and easily released therefrom by means of a hook and loop fastener.

(168) FIGS. 15A-15D show a horseman-securing device by means of an assembly of strip-shaped securing elements (030) and semi-stiff clamping aids which may be arranged on the outer side of the knee (019) of the horseman (015).

(169) FIG. 15A shows a strip-shaped securing element (030) with a free end (032), as is for example illustrated in the FIG. 6, in which the strip (030) runs through a semi-stiff clamping aid (080), which preferably fits on the outer side of the knee (019) of the horseman (015). In this case, the material has to be strong, at least on the outer side, so that the aid contributes to the passive protection of the knee (019), but flexible on the inner side, so that it rests comfortably on the outer side of the knee (019).

(170) FIG. 15B shows a strip-shaped securing element (030) with a free end (032), as is for example illustrated in the FIG. 6, in which the strip (030) runs through several semi-stiff clamping aids (080), which preferably fits on the outer side of the knee (019) of the horseman (015). For the remainder, FIG. 15B corresponds to FIG. 15A. The plurality of aids (080) can adapt to the different shapes of knees (019) of horsemen (015) more easily.

(171) FIG. 15C shows a horizontal cross section of a strip-shaped securing element (030) with a free end (032), as is illustrated in FIG. 15A in which the strip (030) runs through a semi-stiff clamping aid (080), which preferably fits on the outer side of the knee (019) of the horseman (015). Only a horizontal cross section of the right-hand knee is represented, as seen from above.

(172) FIG. 15D shows a horizontal cross section of a strip-shaped securing element (030) with a free end (032), as is illustrated in FIG. 15B, in which the strip (030) runs through several semi-stiff clamping aids (080), which preferably fits on the outer side of the knee (019) of the horseman (015). Only a horizontal cross section of right-hand knee is represented, as seen from above.

(173) FIGS. 16A-16D show a horseman-securing device by means of securing elements of the clamping type (090) which can clamp a knee (019) of the horseman (015), in which case these clamping structures can be opened and closed by pivoting. Preferably, the outer side of the securing element is made of toughened or hard material, in order to contribute to the passive protection, and of soft material on the inner side. The pivotability may be achieved by means of one or more hinges (091) with a more or less vertical axle. The hinge (091) may in this case be fastened temporarily and released again by means of a mechanism which acts on the hinge (091) itself or by means of strips, including a hook and loop fastener, as described and shown elsewhere in this application, or other opening and closing mechanisms.

(174) In this case, use can also be made of, for example, a hook and loop fastener. The pivotable clamping structure (090) is similar to a binding such as those which are used in skis.

(175) FIG. 16A shows a securing element of the clamping type (090) which can clamp the right-hand knee (019) of the horseman (015), in which case this clamping structure can be opened and closed by pivoting, in which case the hinge (091) is situated at the front side near the knee roll (010) or is incorporated therein, in which case the axle of such a hinge will generally extend in the vertical direction. The clamping structure (090) itself is shown here as consisting of four parts, namely a part which is situated on the front side of the knee (092), on the lateral side (093), on the rear side (094) and, if desired, also on the medial side (095) of the knee (019). In this case, the front side (092) and lateral (093) side parts are shown as being movable. The pivotable clamping structure (090) may consist of more or fewer optionally pivotable parts, provided at least one part is pivotable. The medial and/or rear part of the securing element may also be completely omitted.

(176) Thus, FIG. 16B shows a pivotable clamping structure (090) intended for the right-hand knee (019) of the horseman (015), which actually consists of two parts, a pivotable part (096) which combines the parts (092) and (093) from FIG. 16A, and a non-pivotable counterpart (095) which combines the parts (094) and (095) from FIG. 16A. The saddle (002) has been omitted here for the sake of simplicity. As an example of a temporary closure of the pivotable part (096), a hook and loop fastener (030) is shown, in which the closure is effected by using two types of hook and loop fastener.

(177) FIG. 16C shows the pivotable clamping structure (090) for the right-hand knee, similar to the clamping structure (090) shown in FIG. 16B, but now with a closable connection (097) between the two parts (096) and (095) of the clamping structure (090).

(178) FIG. 16D shows a pivotable clamping structure (090) for the right-hand knee, in which a second hinge (098) is provided on the rear side of the knee instead of a single hinge (091) on the front side of the knee (019). The other numbers are identical to those in FIGS. 16A-C. The dashed lines indicate the pivotable clamping structures in the open position.

(179) FIGS. 17A-17E show horizontal cross sections of horseman-securing devices by means of securing elements of the clamping type (090), which can clamp a knee (019) of the horseman (015), in which case these clamping structures can be opened and closed by pivoting. The drawings show such horseman-securing devices for the right-hand knee (019) of the horseman (015), seen from above, in which only the saddle parts at the location of the horseman-securing device are illustrated. For the sake of simplicity, the rest of the saddle has in this case been omitted.

(180) FIG. 17A shows a horizontal cross section of a pivotable clamping structure (090) intended for the right-hand knee (019) of the horseman (015), which in fact consists of two parts, a pivotable part (096) and a non-pivotable counterpart (095), as from FIGS. 16A-16C. The figure shown in a broken line represent the pivotable part (096A) in the open position, while the figure shown by a solid line represents the pivotable part (096B) in a closed position around the knee (019).

(181) FIG. 17B shows a horizontal cross section of a pivotable clamping structure (096) on the outer side of the knee, in which a second hinge (098) is situated on the rear side of the knee instead of a single hinge (091) on the front and lateral side of the knee (019), for the purpose of a pivotable clamping structure (094) on the rear side of the knee, similar to FIG. 16D.

(182) FIG. 17C shows a horizontal cross section of a pivotable clamping structure (090) intended for the right-hand knee (019) of the horseman (015), which in fact consists of two parts, a pivotable part (094) and a non-pivotable counterpart (097). In this case, the pivotable part (094) is located on the rear side of the knee (019) and the hinge (091) is also situated on the rear side of the knee (019) on the saddle. In this case, the non-pivotable part (097) is situated on the medial, front and lateral sides of the knee. The figure shown by a broken line represents the pivotable part (094A) in the open position, while the figure shown by a solid line represents the pivotable part (094B) in the closed position around the knee (019).

(183) FIG. 17D shows a horizontal cross section of a pivotable clamping structure (090) intended for the right-hand knee (019) of the horseman (015), similar to FIG. 17C, but with the difference that the hinge (091) is now not situated on the medial and rear sides of the knee, but on the lateral and rear sides of the knee (019). Furthermore, the numbering is identical to that of FIG. 17C.

(184) FIG. 17E shows the pivotable clamping structure from FIG. 17A, seen from behind and from the side.

(185) FIGS. 18A-18C show a horseman-securing device comprising an assembly (100) of securing elements of fixed with protrusions and recesses fitting inside one another, such as female (101) and male (102) parts, which are situated, on the one hand, at the location of the saddle (002) and are connected, on the other hand, to the horseman or his clothing (015).

(186) FIG. 18A shows a horseman-securing device comprising an assembly (100) of securing elements of fixed with protrusions and recesses fitting inside one another, such as female (101) and male (102) parts, which are situated, on the one hand, at the location of the saddle (002) and are connected, on the other hand, to the horseman or his clothing (015), in which the female parts (101) are placed on either side on the lateral side of the saddle (002) at the location of the knee (019). The female parts (101) in this case consist of two thickenings (103 and 104), a front (103) and a rear (104) thickening with mutually facing indentations (105). The front thickening (103) may equally well be part of the knee roll (010), so that the front female part is then essentially formed by only an indentation (105) in the knee roll (010).

(187) FIG. 18B shows the male parts (102) of the assembly (100) associated with FIG. 18A, a front male part (106) and a rear male part (107), both of which fit in the indentations (105) of the front female part (103) and the rear female part (104), respectively, which are arranged at knee level on the saddle (002). Once he is seated in the saddle, the horseman (015) only has to move his knees from a lateral to a medial position in order to slide the male parts (102) at the location of his knees (019) into the female parts (101). In these FIGS. 18A and 18B, the male parts (102) which are at the location of the right-hand knee (019) of the horseman (015) slide into the female parts (101) which are situated on the right-hand side of the saddle (002), which movement is indicated here in the drawing by means of straight parallel dashed lines. Conversely, in order to dismount from his horse (001), the horseman (015) only has to move his knees (019) laterally in order to slide the male parts (102) out of the female parts (101). The advantage of this embodiment of the invention is that, strictly speaking, no additional measures are required to further fix the knees (019) by means of strips and the like. This is due to the fact that, if the female (101) and male parts (102) are securely connected to each other, the two knees (019) will never become detached simultaneously in case of an unexpected movement of the horse (001) in whichever direction. This does not alter the fact that even with this embodiment, it is possible to use additional securing measures, such as e.g. strips (030) (hook and loop fasteners) to close off the space between the front (103) and rear (104) female parts via the outer side of the knee (019). The front (106) and rear (107) male parts, which are situated on the front and rear side of the knee (019) of the horseman (015), may still be connected to each other, both by a connection (108) on the outer side of the knee and by a connection (109) on the inner side of the knee, in which case the latter connection is then preferably of a thin design in order to ensure that free unimpeded movement on the inner side of the knee remains possible.

(188) FIG. 18C shows a detail of the male parts from FIG. 18B.

(189) In the illustrated FIGS. 18A-C, in all cases, the female parts are shown on the side of the saddle and the male parts on the side of the horseman, but this may equally well be turned around. Also, these figures always show pairs of female and male parts, but these parts may equally well be configured in odd or other even numbers.

(190) FIGS. 19A and 19B show a horseman-securing device comprising an assembly (100) of securing elements of movable protrusions and recesses which fit inside each other, such as female (101) and male (102) parts, which are situated, on the one hand, at the location of the saddle (002) and are connected, on the other hand, to the horseman or his clothing (015). The mobility consists of the possibility to displace the female parts (101), and in particular the front and rear female parts shown here, in an adjustable manner, so that it is still possible to have an assembly with the male parts with the same set of female parts, even if the front and rear male parts are a different distance apart or if the length of the leg and size of the knee will differ for different horsemen. This adjustability may involve e.g. the height and or width position of one or more individual female parts, for example by using guide rails in or on the saddle and/or the medial side of the female parts.

(191) FIGS. 20 and 20A-20C show a horseman-securing comprising securing elements of the clamping type which, in use, clamp around a limb and/or lower body of the horseman, which are preferably configured as an assembly (110) of one fixed and one or more displaceable clamping structures or of only displaceable clamping structures.

(192) FIG. 20 shows a clamping structure (111) situated in the hollow of the knee and a clamping structure (120), situated on the front side of the knee, in which one of these clamping structures or both clamping structures are displaceable, for example in a horizontal direction, but other directions or composite directions are also possible.

(193) FIG. 20A shows such an assembly (110) attached to the saddle (002) or at least the flap (009) thereof. The assembly (110) in this case consists of a clamping structure (111) in the hollow of the knee, a clamping structure (112) on the front and top side of the knee, and a clamping structure (113) on the front and bottom side of the knee. The arrows indicate possible directions of movement of the clamping structures. The clamping structure in the hollow of the knee will generally be displaceable in the horizontal direction. The clamping structures on the front side of the knee may, as shown here, follow a movement starting from an imaginary triangle formed by the three clamping structures.

(194) FIG. 20B shows clamping structures 114 to 116 similar to the clamping structures 111 to 113 from FIG. 20A, in which the movement is now a radial movement to and from an imaginary central point at the centre of the knee.

(195) FIG. 20C shows clamping structures 117 to 119 similar to the clamping structures 111 to 113 from FIG. 20A and the clamping structures 114 to 116 from FIG. 20B, in which the movement is now a vertical movement from the top downwards.

(196) Said movements are only intended to clamp the knee of the horseman once and to compensate for the difference in build between various different horsemen and, optionally, to facilitate getting into and out of the horseman-securing device.

(197) Such movements are possible, for example, by accommodating the clamping structures in radial, horizontal and/or vertical guide rails, as a result of which the clamping structures are able to carry out the abovementioned movements and in which case the clamping structures can temporarily be fixed in the desired position. If, for each clamping structure, double guide rails are used which engage with one another and are rotatable and displaceable with respect to each other, then the clamping structures have a freedom of movement which is such that they can adapt to virtually any body shape.

(198) These FIG. 20 always show 3 clamping structures around the knee, but this number may also be smaller, e.g. 2, or greater, such as e.g. 4, and the clamping structures may also be situated around other body parts, such as for example on either side of the thigh, provided the mobility of the thigh is guaranteed by means of other embodiments of the invention mentioned in this application.

(199) The clothing of the horseman may be provided with thickenings which fit exactly between said clamping structures, if desired with the additional use of a hook and loop fastener.

(200) FIGS. 21A, B show a horseman-securing device having bendable tubes or bars which can be bent around the knee (019) of the horseman (015).

(201) FIG. 21A, by way of example, shows a bar in the hollow of the knee of the horseman (901A), a bar on the top and front side of the knee (902A) and a bar on the bottom and front side of the knee (903A), in which these bars are shown as being bent around the knee.

(202) FIG. 21B shows the same bars in the open position.

(203) FIGS. 22A and 22B show a horseman-securing device comprising one or more annular or tubular securing elements which completely or partly enclose a limb of the horseman.

(204) FIG. 22A shows a tubular securing element (200) fitted on the right-hand side of the saddle (002), at least on the flap (009) thereof, intended for clamping the right-hand thigh of the horseman. The tubular securing element (200) has a gap or opening (201), shown here on the lateral side of the tubular securing element (200). The tubular securing element (200) extends from the medial side, facing the saddle, to the front side and rear side and ends with a rearward end (202) and a forward end (203), respectively, on either side of an interrupted circumference (201) of the tubular securing element (200), which is shown here as a slot-shaped opening (201). The tubular securing element (200) may be made from a deformable material, in which the two ends (202 and 203) can be opened when the horseman gets in and out and can be closed when the horseman is in the seated position, in which case the two ends (202 and 203) may also be laid on over one another in the closed position (not shown here). The tubular securing element (200) may equally well be configured to be openable by pivoting, zipping, swinging, tilting or folding or may be opened or closed in another way.

(205) In order to retain the required movements for the horseman, the tubular securing element (200) is connected to the saddle (002), or at least the flap (009) thereof, by means of a hinge (204). By means of this hinge (204), which in this case is fitted to the saddle at knee level of the horseman, the tubular securing element (200) can perform a swinging movement in the forward and backward direction (see arrows).

(206) FIG. 22B shows a similar tubular securing element (200) to that in FIG. 22A, but now seen from the left-hand side of the saddle, around the left thigh of the horseman.

(207) FIGS. 23A-23C show in which additional ways the contact of the tubular securing element (200) with the thigh of the horseman may be strengthened.

(208) FIG. 23A shows how a strip-shaped element (030), which may equally well be a continuation of the front (203) or rear end (202) of the tubular securing element (200), bridges the gap (201) and is fastened on the outer side of the other end. It is also possible to use a hook and loop fastener in this case, in which e.g. one type of hook and loop fastener is provided on the outer side of the end of the tubular securing element and a hook and loop fastener of the other type on the inner side of the strip-shaped element (030).

(209) FIG. 23B shows that a hook and loop fastener of the one type (210) is fitted completely or in part around the thigh of the horseman, as a result of which, when a hook and loop fastener of the other type is fitted on the inner side of the tubular securing element (200), the thigh is secured in the tubular securing element (200) in a very secure way. The hook and loop fastener attached to the horseman (210) may be fitted in a fixed way on his clothing, but may also be provided in the form of a replaceable, optionally elastic, stocking around the thigh.

(210) FIG. 23C shows the result, in which the hook and loop fastener on the inner side of the tubular securing element (200) cannot be shown, but is present. It is also shown here that the two ends (202 and 203) of the tubular securing element do not have to be of equal size. Here, it is shown, for example, that the rear end (202) has a smaller height than the front end (203). Such an extended front end may for example contribute to the passive protection of the thigh of the horseman on the front side.

(211) FIGS. 24A and 24B show that the tubular securing element (200), such as shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, may also be extended upwards, in the direction of the lower body of the horseman, in which case nothing has changed with regard to the further properties of the tubular securing element (200), and in particular not with regard to the freedom of movement thereof (see arrows).

(212) FIG. 24A shows an example of a tubular securing element (200) which has been extended upwards in a fixed manner on the rear side (205) and on the front side (206) in order to provide even more support to the proximal part of the thigh and lower body of the horseman.

(213) FIG. 24B shows a telescopic extending part (207) of the tubular securing element (200) with an adjusting button (208) in order to fix the telescopic extending part (207) in the desired position with respect to the rest of the tubular securing element (200). The telescopic extending part (207) may be situated, e.g. in the wall of the tubular securing element (200), provided that this is of a hollow design, and moves, for example, via one or more guide rails. In this way, the tubular securing element (200) can be used for the different lengths of leg of different horsemen.

(214) FIGS. 25A-25C show a horseman-securing device (200) as shown in FIGS. 22 to 24, but illustrated from both sides, in which the two tubular securing elements (200) are connected to each other at the top by means of a bridge (225). This bridge is configured in such a way that it can move freely over the withers of the horse and the pommel (007) of the saddle. Both tubular securing elements (200) now pivot simultaneously with the hinges (204) positioned on either side of the saddle by means of the bridge (225).

(215) FIG. 25C shows a telescopic upper part of the tubular securing element.

(216) FIGS. 26A-26F show tubular securing elements (200) which are connected to each other on the front side and rear side of the horseman by means of a front bridge (225) and a rear bridge (226), as a result of which a body clamp or a pair of clamping trousers (230) is created. Preferably, the abdomen and genitals of the horseman (227) and buttocks of the horseman (228) are left free, so that these parts are not subjected to pressure and in particular the backside of the horseman can act on the back of the horse and the saddle without any impediment.

(217) All FIG. 26 show a hinge (204) at the location of the knee of the horseman, so that the required pivoting movement of the thigh of the horseman remains possible, similar to FIGS. 22 to 25.

(218) FIG. 26A shows the pivotable body clamp or pair of clampable trousers (230) seen from the front at an angle, in which the entire securing device has a vertical gap-like interruption on both sides in order to enable the horseman to get in and out from the side.

(219) FIG. 26B shows the pivotable body clamp or pair of clampable trousers (230), seen from behind.

(220) FIG. 26C shows the pivotable body clamp or pair of clampable trousers (230), seen from the front at an angle, but now with a strip-shaped element (231) in order to connect the front side thereof to the rear side and releasably lock it.

(221) FIG. 26D shows the pivotable body clamp or pair of clampable trousers (230) seen from the front at an angle, but now the rear bridge (226) is configured as a more or less separate part, in which case this part is connected to the front bridge (225) only by means of strip-shaped elements (231), resulting in the rear bridge (226) allowing more freedom to the horseman. Obviously, the invention may also be configured the other way around, in which case the front bridge (225) is of a looser design and is connected to the rear bridge (226).

(222) FIG. 26E shows the pivotable body clamp or pair of clampable trousers (230), seen from the front at an angle.

(223) FIG. 26F shows the pivotable body clamp or pair of clampable trousers (230) as illustrated in FIGS. 26A-E, worn by a horseman and seen from the side.

(224) FIGS. 27A-27C show how a hook and loop fastener of the hook-and-eyelet type in combination with strip-shaped elements (030) can be used as horseman-securing device at the location of the knee, at least if these strip-shaped elements are configured in such a way that they do not impede the pivoting movement of the knee, but continue to make it possible.

(225) FIG. 27A shows a relatively narrow front strip (240) and a relatively narrow rear strip (241), for example having a width of only a few centimetres, which strips are each separately attached to the saddle, or at least the flaps thereof. On the outer side of one of the strips a hook and loop fastener of the one type (242A) is provided, while a hook and loop fastener of the other type (242B) is provided on the other strip, on the inner side.

(226) FIG. 27B shows that the strips as shown in FIG. 27A may also form a single part, i.e. a single strip, with a front (243) and a rear (244) end. Such a strip may then be arranged approximately in the centre thereof on the outer side of the saddle or at least the flap thereof, but the strip may also be passed through various vertical passages in the saddle or the flap thereof (FIG. 27C), so that the strip runs partly on the medial side of the saddle or the flap (illustrated with dashed lines).

(227) FIGS. 28A-28D show a horseman-securing device which is an assembly comprising a hook and loop fastener of the hook-and-eyelet type, in which a rotatable (arrows) connecting element (250) is provided between a touch-and-close-fastener-side on the saddle and a touch-and-close-fastener-side on the horseman, allowing a mutual movement between the saddle and the horseman at the respective securing location.

(228) FIG. 28A shows the rotatable (arrows) connecting element (250) fitted on the saddle or at least the flap thereof at the location of the knee of the horseman, with a hook and loop fastener of the hook-and-eyelet type on the side facing the horseman.

(229) FIG. 28B shows the horseman with a hook and loop fastener of the hook-and-eyelet type (251) on the side facing inwards—towards the saddle, but of the other type than that which is present on the connecting element (250). This hook and loop fastener may be provided on the clothing of the horseman, preferably his pair of riding breeches, but the hook and loop fastener may also be worn as a stocking around the knee.

(230) FIG. 28C shows that the hook and loop fastener may also be fitted on the horseman as a temporary securing device by means of strips instead of a stocking, optionally with a hook and loop fastener (250).

(231) FIG. 28D shows the assembly of a connecting element with a hook and loop fastener of the one type (250) and a hook and loop fastener on the medial side of the knee of the horseman of the other type (251), with the latter hook and loop fastener forming part of a clamping structure (080) around the knee which is attached to the saddle by means of one or more strip-shaped elements (030) on the outer side of the clamping structure, as shown, inter alia, in FIG. 15, with the difference that the clamping structure in this case is not only situated on the outer side of the knee, but completely around the knee, i.e. also on the medial side of the knee. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the freedom of movement of the knee of the horseman can be improved by making the vertical guides (255) of the clamping structure (080), through which the strip-shaped elements (030) are passed, longer than the width of the strip-shaped elements (030), so that these strip-shaped elements (030) can move up and down within these vertical guides (255) while the knee of the horseman and the clamping structure (080) rotates as a result of the hook and loop fastener connection with the rotatable connecting element with hook and loop fastener (250).

(232) FIGS. 29A, B show a horseman-securing device which is an assembly comprising a hook and loop fastener of the hook-and-eyelet type, in which a rotatable (arrows) connecting element (250) is provided between a touch-and-close-fastener-side on the saddle and a touch-and-close-fastener-side on the horseman, allowing a mutual movement between the saddle and the horseman at the respective securing location, corresponding to that shown in FIG. 28, but with the difference that here the hook and loop fastener is not provided directly on or around the clothing of the horseman, nor by means of a clamping structure with strip-shaped elements, but that the hook and loop fastener is provided on the medial side of a tubular securing element, as is shown, inter alia, FIGS. 22 to 25, with the difference that the tubular securing element here is not connected directly to the saddle by means of a hinge, but by means of the rotatable connecting element (250).

(233) FIG. 29A shows the rotatable (double arrows) connecting element (250) fitted on the saddle or at least the flap thereof at the location of the knee of the horseman, with a hook and loop fastener of the hook-and-eyelet type on the side facing the horseman and a tubular securing element (200) which can be worn separately by the horseman. On the medial side, preferably at the location of the knee, the tubular securing element (200) has a hook and loop fastener of the hook-and-eyelet type (251) on the side facing the saddle, but of the other type than is provided on the connecting element (250). If desired, the vertical opening in the tubular securing element may be closed in a releasable manner using one or more strip-shaped elements (030).

(234) FIG. 29B shows the same parts as in FIG. 29A, but in this case after the horseman has mounted the saddle and the tubular element (200) has been temporarily closed, by means of optionally strip-shaped elements (030).

(235) FIGS. 30A-30C show a horseman-securing device in which the securing device contains magnetic securing elements which, in use, form a magnetic connection between the horseman and the saddle.

(236) FIG. 30A shows a saddle, seen from rear left-hand side, in which a magnetic field (260) is present at the location of the knee of the horseman as part of the saddle or at least the flap thereof. This magnetic field is generated by an electrical power source, such as a battery (261), illustrated here at the location of the pommel (007) of the saddle (002). Such a battery may, for example, be a rechargeable lithium/cadmium battery which is of a thin and small design. Such batteries may be arranged in a fixed position in or on the saddle with a charging point for charging the battery, but may also be removable, so that the battery can be charged at another location, away from the saddle.

(237) The magnetic field (260) may also be located at other locations on or in the saddle, such as e.g. opposite the inner side of the thighs of the horseman or opposite his backside.

(238) The magnetic field is connected to the battery (261) by means of electric wires (265).

(239) By means of a regulator button (266), arranged, for example, at the front in the centre of the saddle, the horseman can regulate and switch the magnetic force on and off.

(240) FIG. 30B shows the same as FIG. 30A, but here other positions for the battery (261) are shown, for example on the sides (262) of the saddle seat or on the rear side thereof (263). It is also possible for there to be more than one battery.

(241) FIG. 30C shows the bottom half of the horseman from the front, in which metal parts or small metal parts or magnetic textile is arranged at the location of the medial side of his knees and/or thighs in such a way that a magnetic force is created by the magnetic field (260) at the location of the saddle. The magnetic field on the side of the horseman may be a fixed part of his clothing, such as e.g. his pair of riding breeches, but may also be fitted to his body or clothing temporarily, for example in combination with an optionally elastic stocking.

(242) FIGS. 31A and 31B show a so-called “High-Tech” saddle, FIG. 31A from the rear right-hand side and FIG. 31B from above.

(243) It will be clear that if a saddle is provided with electric power by means of one or more batteries (820), other power-consuming applications are also possible as a result of which a “high-tech” saddle (800) is produced with features such as, for example, lighting (801), heating or cooling (802) for a saddle and/or horseman or food or drinks, telephone (803), radio (804), TV (805), GPS (806), computer (807), internet (808), data reader and carrier (809), DVD player (810), CD player (811), gyrometer (812), weather station (813), monitor (814), transmitter (815), loudspeaker (816), alarm (817), pressure pump (818), air blower (819), etc.

(244) It would be advantageous with such a “high-tech” saddle if the saddle were preferably be provided with a small display (814), preferably comprising a touchscreen suitable for outdoor use, which is preferably connected to the saddle by means of a movable and flexible arm (821) which preferably does not hinder the limbs, including the hands of the horseman.

(245) FIG. 32 shows a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), in which the saddle consists of a movable saddle part (301) that is movably connected to a fixed saddle part (302) by means of a single hinge (305) at the front and top side of the saddle, and in which the horseman is or can be secured to the one or more movable saddle parts (301).

(246) The movable saddle part may also be connected to the fixed saddle part by means of one or more springs or resilient elements instead of by means of such a hinge (not shown).

(247) The securing devices themselves, which connect the horseman to the one or more movable saddle parts (301), may be of many different kinds. In this figure, the securing devices are shown as strip-shaped securing devices which may be connected to each other by means of a hook and loop fastener. In this example, the flaps (009) with stirrups (012) and stirrup leathers (011) form part of the one or more fixed saddle parts (302).

(248) FIG. 33 shows a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), in which the saddle consists of a movable saddle part (301) that is movably connected to the one or more fixed saddle parts (302) by means of a single hinge (305) on the front and top side of the saddle, and in which the horseman is or can be secured to the one or more movable saddle parts (301). The securing devices themselves, which connect the horseman to the one or more movable saddle parts (301), may be of many different kinds. In this figure, the securing devices are shown as strip-shaped securing devices which may be connected to each other by means of a quick-action connection. In this example, the flaps (009) form part of the one or more movable saddle parts (301), while the stirrups (012) and stirrup leathers (011) form part of the one or more fixed saddle parts (302).

(249) FIGS. 34A-34C show some details of the single hinge (305) at the location of the pommel (007) of the saddle (002). By means of this hinge (305), the moving saddle part (301) is able to pivot with respect to the fixed saddle part (302). In this case, the moving saddle part (301) consists of a movable upper saddle seat and the fixed saddle part (302) of a fixed, immovable, lower saddle seat.

(250) FIGS. 34B and 34C show a detail of the rotating movement in hinge (305) of the saddle, as is shown in FIG. 34A, in which the maximum number of degrees is limited to 90 degrees, and this in such a way that the movable saddle part can pivot from a horizontal position (FIG. 35A) to a vertical position at most (illustrated by dashed lines in FIG. 35A). Limiting the movable saddle part to a vertical position at most, prevents the horseman from coming forward further than a body position in which his thighs are vertical. This maximum vertical position is only required when jumping over an obstacle. It may thus be advantageous if the maximum number of pivotable degrees for horsemen who do not jump over obstacles is limited still further, e.g. to 45 or even 30 degrees, in order to secure the horseman even more stably to the horse and saddle. It is advantageous in this case if the maximum number of degrees of rotation is adjustable, for example by means of an adjusting button or screw.

(251) For the sake of simplicity, further securing devices of the horseman on the movable saddle part (301) have been omitted in FIG. 34.

(252) FIGS. 35A, B show a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), as shown in FIGS. 32 to 34, in which a mechanical connecting and/or guide element (310) is situated between the movable saddle part (301) and the fixed saddle part (302).

(253) FIG. 35A shows a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), in which a mechanical connecting and/or guide element (310) is situated between the movable saddle part (301) and the fixed saddle part (302), with both these saddle parts bearing against each other in the closed rest position. By means of hinges (308) and (309) at the location of both its ends, the connecting and/or guide element (310A) is connected to both saddle parts, preferably, seen from above, in the centre between both saddle parts, and illustrated here by means of dashed lines. Such an element (310A) may be of hydraulic and/or sprung telescopic design, and is shown here in a starting position with shortened length. This may also be several connecting and/or guide elements.

(254) FIG. 35B shows a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), in which a mechanical connecting and/or guide element (310B) is situated between the movable saddle part (301) and the fixed saddle part (302), according to FIG. 35A, in which case both these saddle parts are now a distance apart, in an open active position, in which the length of the element (310B) has increased.

(255) For the sake of simplicity, further securing devices of the horseman on the movable saddle part (301) have been omitted in FIG. 35.

(256) FIGS. 36A, 36B, 36E, and 36F show a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), in which the saddle consists of a movable saddle part (301) which is movably connected to the fixed saddle part (302) by means of a double hinge (306) and (307) at the location of the saddle, and in which the horseman is or can be secured to the movable saddle part (301).

(257) FIG. 36A shows a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), seen from the front right-hand side at an angle, in which the saddle consists of a movable saddle part (301) which is movably connected to the fixed saddle part (302) by means of a double hinge (306) and (307) at the location of the saddle, and in which the horseman is or can be secured to the movable saddle part (301). The double hinges (306) and (307) are situated at the top and at the front and on either side of the saddle, and are connected to each other by means of a hinge bridge (309).

(258) FIG. 36B shows an identical saddle to FIG. 36A, but here seen from the right-hand side.

(259) FIG. 36C shows a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), in which the saddle consists of a movable saddle part (301) which is movably connected to a fixed saddle part (302) by means of a single hinge (305) at the front and top side of the saddle, and in which the horseman is or can be secured to the one or more movable saddle parts (301). This figure shows that the hinge (305) as such may be relatively narrow and may be concealed on or in the fixed saddle part (302). The movable saddle part (301) may be situated on top of the fixed saddle part (302) or may be recessed into the fixed saddle part (302) or surround it. The movable saddle part (301) may be virtually as large as the fixed saddle part (302), but may also be relatively small.

(260) FIG. 36D shows a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), in which the saddle consists of a movable saddle part (301) which is movably connected to a fixed saddle part (302) by means of a single hinge (305) at the front and top side of the saddle, and in which the horseman is or can be secured to the one or more movable saddle parts (301). The hinge (305) is relatively wide, compared to FIG. 36C.

(261) FIGS. 36E and 36F show an identical saddle to that in FIGS. 36A and 36B, comprising double hinges (306) and (307), but here these are now in a lower position on the saddle, with the hinge bridge (309) being longer and higher.

(262) For the sake of simplicity, further securing devices of the horseman on the movable saddle part (301) have been omitted in FIG. 36.

(263) FIGS. 37A-37E all show a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), in which the saddle consists of a movable saddle part (301) which is movably connected to the fixed saddle part (302) by means of double hinges (306 and 307) at the location of the saddle, and in which the horseman is or can be secured to the movable saddle part (301), wherein the movable saddle part (301) has been extended downwards on either side using movable extension parts (311) which can make contact with the inner side of the thighs and optionally the knees of the horseman.

(264) For the sake of simplicity, further securing devices of the horseman on the movable saddle part (301) have been omitted in FIGS. 37A to 37C.

(265) FIG. 37A shows a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300) seen from the front at an angle, in which the movable saddle part (301) has been extended downwards on both sides using movable extension parts (311) which can make contact with the inner side of the thighs and knees of the horseman. In this case, the double hinges (306) and (307) are at the location of the knees of the horseman, but it could equally well have been a tiltable saddle with only one hinge, as illustrated in FIGS. 33 to 35.

(266) FIG. 37B shows the same saddle as FIG. 37A, but now seen from the right-hand side. The hinge bow (309) corresponds to the hinge bow (309) as shown in FIG. 37A, but the movable extension parts (311) and the hinges (306 and 307) have been extended and moved further downwards, respectively.

(267) FIG. 37C shows a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), seen from the front at an angle, in which the movable saddle part (301) has been extended downwards on both sides using movable extension parts (311) which can make contact with the inner side of the thighs and knees of the horseman, in which the extension parts (311) on the front side of the thighs and knees of the horseman have been widened laterally, like wings (312), which, in addition to having a supporting function, may serve as passive protection for the horseman.

(268) FIG. 37D shows a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300) as shown in FIG. 37C, seen from the side at an angle, in which two strip-shaped elements (030) are now also shown which are attached to the moving saddle part (301) and which may be connected to each other, for example by means of a hook and loop fastener. The belt is shown in a(n) (temporarily) open position.

(269) FIG. 37E shows a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300) as shown in FIG. 37C, seen from the side at an angle, in which two strip-shaped elements (030) are now also shown which are attached to the moving saddle part (301) and which may be connected to each other, for example by means of a safety lock, as are used in car safety or aeroplane safety belts. Here, the belt is shown in a(n) (temporarily) open position. In addition, the wings (312) are now only provided at the location of the front side of the thighs of the horseman. This embodiment has been widened further and the purpose of the wings is more to mechanically detain the thighs (and the horseman), to prevent the horseman from moving too far in the forward direction.

(270) FIG. 38A shows a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300) with double hinges (306) such as that shown in FIGS. 36 and 37, seen from the front at an angle. The wings or retaining or protecting parts (313) on both sides at the location of the front side of the thighs and/or knees of the horseman are now both connected to the hinges (306), so that these can move concomitantly with the movement of the horseman and of the movable saddle part (301). In addition, the rear part of the movable saddle part (301) has been extended upwards, as a result of which a low backrest (314) is created around his buttocks and/or lower back, which obviously also moves concomitantly with the movements of the movable saddle part (301). In this way, the horseman is clamped, as it were, between the low backrest (314) at his rear side and the leg supports (313) at his front side. These leg supports (313) at the front side of the horseman may be long, in which case they cover the knees and thighs up to the lower body of the horseman on the front side, or short, in which case they, for example, only cover the knees and possibly a short section of the distal thigh of the horseman. Also, telescopic leg supports (313) consisting of several parts, also including different materials or compositions, are possible.

(271) FIG. 38B shows a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300) with double hinges (306) at knee level, seen from the side, in which the backrest (314) and the leg supports (313) are shown in a larger size in order to make it clear in which way a horseman may be secured between these supports, in the rest position.

(272) FIG. 38C shows a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300) with double hinges (306) at knee level, seen from the side, corresponding to FIG. 38B, but here in a raised position.

(273) FIGS. 38D-38G show a corresponding tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), in which 1 hinge (305) is used instead of 2 hinges.

(274) FIGS. 38D and 38E show a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), with 1 hinge (305) in a raised position, in which the backrest (314) and the wings (313) tilt or pivot simultaneously with the movable saddle part (301).

(275) FIG. 38E shows in addition that the movable saddle part (301) may also consist of 2 parts: a front part (301) which is connected to hinge (305), and a rear part with a backrest (314), in which case the rear part (314) is positioned in the front part, for example by means of one or more (shown here as 2) sliding pins in the front part (301). In this case, the position of the two parts with respect to each other may be temporarily ensured by means of, for example, 2 adjusting turning knobs, for example on either side of the movable saddle part (301). In this way, the back part (314) of the movable saddle part (301) may be adjusted to the size and build of the horseman.

(276) FIG. 38F shows a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), with 1 hinge (305) in rest position, seen from the side.

(277) FIG. 38G shows a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), with 1 hinge (305) in raised position, seen from the side.

(278) For the sake of simplicity, further securing techniques of the horseman on the movable saddle part (301) have been omitted in FIG. 38.

(279) FIG. 39A shows a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300) with a single hinge (305), but otherwise as shown in FIGS. 38A and B, seen from the side, in which the leg support (313) is limited to only a limited thigh clamp (315) which is also situated more around the lateral side of the thigh, in which this thigh clamp (315) is connected to the moving saddle part (301) and/or the single hinge (305) or the double hinges (206 and 207, respectively). The tiltable or pivotable saddle (300) is shown here in the rest position, in which the movable saddle part lies on top of the fixed saddle part. If such a thigh clamp is made of clamping and bendable material, the clamping action between the backrest (314) and thigh clamp (315) may be such that no additional securing techniques, such as e.g. strip-shaped elements, are required to releasably secure the horseman to the moving saddle part (301) in a reliable manner. But obviously, combinations with other securing techniques are also possible (not shown here).

(280) FIG. 39B shows a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300) with a single hinge (305), such as that shown in FIG. 39A. The tiltable or pivotable saddle (300) is shown here in the active open position, in which the movable saddle part (301) is situated above the fixed saddle part (302). It can clearly be seen that the thigh clamp (315) moves simultaneously with the movable saddle part (301).

(281) The following figures show examples of horseman-securing devices which secure the horseman to the horse or the saddle, mainly intended in combination with the tiltable or pivotable saddle shown and described above, and thus satisfies the starting points of the invention with regard to enabling the required equestrian movements to be made despite the temporary horseman-securing arrangement. This is due to the fact that, if these securing devices were to be applied separately from the tiltable or pivotable saddle, then the required equestrian movements, in which the horseman raises himself up and returns to the starting position, would no longer be possible, as the horseman would then be fixed to the (non-movable) saddle seat.

(282) FIG. 40A shows only the movable saddle part (301) as the upper saddle seat of a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), seen from the front at an angle. For the sake of simplicity, the remainder of the saddle has been omitted. The movable part (301) may in this case have one (305) or several (306) and (307) hinges in common with the fixed saddle part (302, not shown here). A strip-shaped securing element, in this case illustrated as a safety belt (320) with a safety lock (321), which can readily be opened by the push of a button, similar to the lock on a car safety or aeroplane safety belt, is connected to this movable saddle part (301). Here, this safety belt (320) is shown as being in contact with the rear part of the movable saddle part (301), but this safety belt (320) may also engage with the movable saddle part (301) at other locations, such as for example on the sides thereof, on the front thereof, or of the flaps (007), at least if those form part of the movable saddle part (301), or it may be several safety straps (320) or combinations of said securing options. Ways of temporarily connecting strip-shaped elements to each other and opening them again in other ways than by means of a safety lock (321) are also possible.

(283) FIG. 40B shows a detail of a safety belt (320) from FIG. 40A, in which the safety lock (321) is in the open position. In addition, it shows that, on the rear side of the horseman, the safety belt is a continuous structure or forms part of a continuous structure (322).

(284) FIG. 40C shows a detail of a safety belt (320) from FIG. 40A, in which the safety lock (321) is in the open position. In addition, it shows that, on the rear side of the horseman, the safety belt is a non-continuous structure or forms part of a non-continuous structure (323 and 324).

(285) FIGS. 41A-41C all show a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), in which the saddle consists of a movable saddle part (301) which is movably connected to a fixed saddle part (302) by means of a single hinge (305) at the front and top side of the saddle, and in which the horseman is or can be secured to the movable saddle part (301) in such a way that he can be released in different ways.

(286) FIG. 41A shows a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300) with a single hinge (305), in which the horseman can be secured by means of several strip-shaped elements (030) or safety straps which in this case start from the sides of the movable saddle part (301).

(287) FIG. 41B shows a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300) with a single hinge (305), in which the horseman can be secured by means of lateral clamping widened sections (325), starting from the sides of the movable saddle part (301). Such widened sections (325) may be made, for example, of bendable clamping material which clamp the thighs of the horseman laterally after having been bent inwards.

(288) FIG. 41C shows a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300) with a single hinge (305), in which the horseman can be secured by means of the backrest (314) which has already been shown, starting from the back of the movable saddle part (301).

(289) FIGS. 42-47 show various horseman-securing elements (400) which are intended to be used in combination with a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), as shown, inter alia, in FIGS. 32 to 41. This is due to the fact that, if these horseman-securing elements were to be used with a non-tiltable or a non-pivotable saddle, the horseman would be secured in a satisfactory manner to such a saddle, but the aim of the invention, which is that the horseman also has to be free to perform the equestrian movements he needs to make and which involve him raising himself from and returning to the saddle, has not been achieved.

(290) For the sake of simplicity, the tiltable or pivotable saddle (300) is not shown as such in FIGS. 42 to 47. Where the upper saddle part (301) is illustrated, it has been shown without the hinge (305). For the sake of simplicity, the fixed saddle part (302) has been omitted in these drawings.

(291) FIG. 42 shows a horseman-securing element (400) consisting of one or more strip-shaped elements (401-404) which, on one side, are connected to the saddle (002) and, on the other side, to the horseman (015), in this case by means of a belt (405) around his waist. In this example, a strip (401) is shown on the rear side of the horseman, a strip (402) on the front side of the horseman, a strip (403) on the left-hand side of the horseman and a strip (404) on the right-hand side of the horseman. These strips may be used separately or in combination and may be temporarily closed and opened by means of a lock, such as for example a safety lock, separately for each strip, or collectively, for example if this lock is situated on the belt, for example on the front side thereof. Of course, these strips may be used without a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300) if they are elastic and preferably resilient, but the freedom of movement may then be so great that it is no longer possible to be sure the horseman will return to his starting position, as is possible in combination with the tiltable or pivotable saddle (300) according to the invention.

(292) FIGS. 43A and 43B show the upper saddle part of a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), in which a kind of wing (312) is formed at the front, on either side, corresponding to, e.g., the wings (312) from FIGS. 37C to 37E.

(293) FIG. 43A shows an upper saddle part (301) of a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), seen from the front and above at an angle, in which a kind of wing (312) is provided at the front on either side, in which a strip-shaped element (030) is shown on the outer side which can be attached to the same saddle part on the medial side in such a way that the thigh of the horseman (015) is clamped between the wing (312) and the rest of the upper saddle part (301).

(294) FIG. 43B shows an upper saddle part (301) of a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), seen from the side and behind at an angle, in which a kind of wing (312) is provided at the front on either side, in which a strip-shaped element (030) is shown on the inner side which can be attached to the wing on the lateral side, in such a way that the thigh of the horseman (015) is clamped between the wing (312) and the rest of the upper saddle part (301).

(295) Some openings (350) are shown on the front side of wing (312) which serve to aerate the space surrounded by the wing (312).

(296) FIG. 44 shows an upper saddle part (301) of a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), seen from the side, with strip-shaped elements over the distal thighs (410) and proximal thighs (411) of the horseman. In this case, these strip-shaped elements are attached on one side to the rear side of the saddle and rear side of the flap, and on the other side to the front and top side of the saddle, where they may be opened and closed, e.g. by means of a single pushbutton or safety button.

(297) FIG. 45A shows an upper saddle part (301) of a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), in which strip-shaped elements are present to fix the horseman to the upper saddle part (301). A strip or strips (412) are arranged around the thighs and/or abdomen of the horseman and are attached to the rear side of the saddle and can temporarily be attached to the front and top side of the saddle.

(298) FIG. 45B shows a similar way of fixing the horseman to the upper saddle part (301) as in FIG. 45A, but here, the temporary lock and release (410) are illustrated in detail. Pin 410 can be passed through holes in both strips (412) and be inserted into a cylindrical hole at the top of the front side of the saddle. This pin may be in a closed position (410A) or open position (410B). Obviously, other ways of effecting a temporary securing arrangement are possible, such as for example a double press slot, such as that of a safety belt used in a car or aeroplane.

(299) FIG. 46 shows an example of the use of strip-shaped elements, which use a hook and loop fastener. This may be a single strip which is passed through an eyelet and is turned back, or 2 different strips (e.g. 416 and 417) comprising different types of hook and loop fastener on the sides facing each other.

(300) FIGS. 47A and 47B show how a hook and loop fastener may also be used to fix the horseman (015) to an upper saddle part (301) of a tiltable or pivotable saddle (300), in the form of an assembly between widened strip-shaped elements with a touch and a close fastener of the one type on the inner side (420) and a hook and loop fastener of the other type (421) provided around the thighs of the horseman or his clothing. Of course, the hook and loop fastener may also be fitted more extensively or less extensively. Again, in FIGS. 42-47, the fixed saddle part (302) has been omitted for the sake of simplicity.

(301) FIGS. 48A-48F show a horseman-securing device comprising one (or more) optionally flexible, bent or bendable bar (500), extending from the rear side of the saddle (002) in which case the horseman (015) is connected in a movable and releasable way to bar (500) by means of one or more ancillary means (501), in such a way that the horseman attached to the animal can move in the longitudinal direction of the bar (see arrows) over a limited distance in order to raise himself between a position in which the backside of the horseman is completely in contact with the back of the animal, or indirectly via the saddle, to a position in which the backside of the horseman is not, or not completely, in contact with the back of the animal, or indirectly via the saddle, and back again to the starting position, in which the horseman retains the freedom to pivot his knees and move his lower legs.

(302) FIG. 48A shows the bendable bar (500) which is attached to the rear side of the saddle by means of a hinge (502). By means of the hinge (502), bar (500) can pivot in the forward and backward direction, but if the connection is provided, in addition to or instead of the hinge (502), with a spherical and hollow socket (503), bar (500) can move in all directions, as a result of which the horseman (015) can also move in all directions.

(303) The horseman (015) is connected to bar (500) by means of an aid (501), namely in such a manner that the aid can move along bar (500, vertical arrow). In FIG. 48A, the aid is shown as a kind of waistcoat (504), in FIG. 48B as a pair of trousers, but it may preferably also be waistcoat-trousers (505), as illustrated in FIG. 48C. The advantage of waistcoat-trousers (505) is that a waistcoat (504) can move in an upward direction, while waistcoat-trousers (505) cannot move in an upward or downward direction. Also, the combination of a waistcoat and a pair of trousers reduces the rotation possibilities of these garments. These garments may be incorporated in standard horseman's outfit, such as a pair of riding breeches, but may equally well be worn over the standard horseman's outfit as separate clothing.

(304) If a separate clothing passage or coupling pieces (506) or otherwise is or are added on the back side of the waistcoat part, such as illustrated, inter alia, in FIG. 48F, then the horseman does not have to feel bar (500) directly.

(305) If bar (500) is provided with an optionally adjustable stopper (510) is provided which is fitted e.g. 20 cm above the top edge of the waistcoat or waistcoat part of the garment, the upward or, when bending forwards or swinging of the bar (500), forward movement of the horseman (015) is limited, while the horseman retains the freedom to raise his body by in this case at most 20 cm.

(306) Bar (500) may end upwards at a certain distance, e.g. 20 cm, above the top edge of the coupling piece (504). But according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is advantageous if the upper part of bar (500) extends over the head of the horseman (015), for example at 25-30 cm over his head and one or more bends are formed according to the contour of neck and head of the horseman, in such a way that the horseman is able to raise his body, but also in such a way that the bend of bar (500) bends forward over the head of the horseman in such a way that bar (500) protects the head of the horseman passively (507).

(307) FIGS. 48C and E shows the forward and backward pivoting or tilting movement of bar (500), in which the backward position (511) is approximately 45 degrees removed from the forward position (512) in this case. Depending on the desired use by the horseman, the number of degrees may in this case be chosen to be smaller or larger by means of an adjusting knob (513) at the location of hinge (502).

(308) FIG. 48F shows the lateral freedom of movement of bar (500), in this case a freedom of movement towards the right-hand side of horse and horseman. As stated, such a freedom of movement is possible if the bar is configured to be bendable or has a certain flexibility or by configuring the connection as a sphere in a hollow socket (503) at the location of the pivoting point (502).

(309) FIGS. 49A-49E show a variant to the single bar, as illustrated in the other FIG. 48, consisting of a several bars or backrest (510).

(310) FIGS. 50A-50C show a bar (600) which extends from the centre and rear side of the saddle (002) up to the centre and front side of the saddle (002), thus forming a continuous ring which may contribute to the passive protection of the horseman. It is advantageous in this case if the ring is formed in such a way that the horseman retains his freedom to perform the raising movement which is necessary in horse riding, as well as the forward movement which is necessary when jumping with the horse. This means that the ring does not have to have the same curvature and shape everywhere. Incidentally, the connection between the horseman (015) and the bar (600) or bars (601) is identical to the connection shown in FIG. 48. FIGS. 49, 50 and 51 show a basic construction (600) which consists of several tubes rather than a bar. With several tubes, the lateral freedom of movement of the bars will be limited.

(311) FIG. 50A shows the situation in rest or during walking, in which the backside of the horseman is completely in contact with the back of the horse, or indirectly via the saddle. The coupling piece (604) is in a bottom position.

(312) FIG. 50B shows the situation in which the horseman has raised his backside, e.g. in light trot, in which coupling piece (604) is in an elevated position.

(313) FIG. 50C shows a bar (600) which consists of a single bar on the rear side and branches in such a way that there are two bars (601) on the front side of the horseman, which are connected to the front side of the saddle. It is advantageous if there is not a single bar (600) in the centre in front of the horseman, so that the view and the movements of the horseman are not impeded. Alternatively, the two bars on the front side may be joined again at some distance from the saddle in order to be attached to the saddle by means of a single securing point at the front and top side of the saddle. This has the advantage that the horseman's view is clear, while the hands of the horseman and the reins can move freely past the single securing point at the top centre on the front of the saddle. Conversely, the horseman-securing device may be configured in such a way that only one bar is present on the front side of the horseman and several bars on the rear side of the horseman, or a single bar on the front side which has a window frame at eye level.

(314) FIGS. 51A, B and FIGS. 52A-C show variations of FIG. 50, in which a kind of cage structure (700) is produced by using several bars, which contributes to the passive safety of the horseman (015). In this case, it may be advantageous if the bars are configured to be slightly movable at the location of the securing points with the saddle, e.g. by means of hinges with limited freedom of movement.

(315) FIGS. 53 and 54 show a saddle which consists of a movable saddle part (801,901) which is movably connected to a fixed saddle part (802, 902) by means of a single hinge (805, 905) at the front and top side of the saddle, and in which the horseman is or can be secured to the one or more movable saddle parts (801, 901), for example by means of the strip-shaped securing elements (030), in which one or more resilient connecting elements (810, 910), preferably of different lengths, are provided between the movable saddle part (801, 901) and the fixed saddle part (802, 902). It is also possible to design this variant without any hinges. In this case, the one or more resilient connecting elements (810 and 910) then act as a kind of free hinge between the one or more fixed (802 and 902) and one or more movable saddle parts (801 and 901).