RIDING SADDLE

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a horse riding saddle.

[0002] In the sector of animal harness, the use is known of horse riding saddles which are adapted to be positioned on the back of a horse in order to make it more comfortable for the rider to sit during use.

[0003] Typically, horse riding saddles are constituted by a supporting frame or core, which defines a seat for the user, and a pair of lateral elements, commonly known as flaps, which are connected to the frame on opposite sides with respect to the seat.

[0004] The flaps define a resting region for the legs of the user, preventing direct contact between the legs and the flanks of the horse.

[0005] Both single-flap saddles and double-flap saddles, which have two overlaid lateral elements on each side, are provided with supporting knee rolls, which are padded front portions which are currently provided by way of molding from polyurethane material.

[0006] Knee rolls typically have a flat surface for coupling with the flap (or with the underflap), and a lateral surface of different size and shape which is adapted to define a contact for the leg of the user.

[0007] The conventional solutions, although widely used, are not however devoid of drawbacks.

[0008] In fact, at the end of the process of making saddles, it is found that the flaps and the pads do not follow the morphological structure of the horse.

[0009] As a consequence, before the saddle can adapt to the anatomy of the horse and can therefore function well, intense use of the materials and repeated pressure exerted by the leg of the rider are necessary.

[0010] Furthermore, supporting knee rolls are usually rigid, and therefore rather uncomfortable and not very adaptable to the leg of the rider.

[0011] DE 199 24 383 A1 discloses a horse riding saddle according to the preamble of independent claim 1.

[0012] The aim of the present invention is to provide a horse riding saddle which is capable of improving the known art in one or more of the above mentioned aspects.

[0013] Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a horse riding saddle that is capable of adapting to the morphological structure of the horse.

[0014] Another object of the invention is to provide a horse riding saddle that is highly reliable.

[0015] This aim and these and other objects which will become better apparent hereinafter are achieved by a horse riding saddle according to claim 1, optionally provided with one or more of the characteristics of the dependent claims.

[0016] Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the detailed description that follows of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of a horse riding saddle according to the invention, which is illustrated for the purposes of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a horse riding saddle according to the invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the saddle along the plane of arrangement identified by the line II-II of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the horse riding saddle.

[0017] With reference to the figures, the horse riding saddle according to the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, comprises a supporting frame 2, which defines a seat 3 which extends along a longitudinal axis 100 of the saddle 1, and at least one first flap and second flap 4, 5, which are associated with the supporting frame 2 and are arranged on opposite sides with respect to the longitudinal axis 100.

[0018] The first and second flaps 4, 5 are stably associated, at a respective front resting portion 11, 12, with a knee roll 21, 22 which defines a respective contact body 31, 32 for a portion of the leg of the user.

[0019] According to the present invention, the knee rolls 21, 22 define a coupling surface 21a, 22a which is designed to be arranged so as to face toward a respective front resting portion 11, 12 of the respective flap 4, 5.

[0020] According to the claimed invention, the coupling surfaces 21a, 22a comprise at least one portion which has a concave surface which extends about an axis which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis 100 of the saddle 1.

[0021] According to the claimed invention, the knee rolls 21, 22 originally have the respective coupling surface 21a, 22a that comprises at least one portion which has a concave surface which extends about an axis which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis 100 of the saddle 1.

[0022] The term "originally" is used to mean that such knee rolls 21, 22 already have the shape described above when they are associated with the respective flaps 4, 5, during the production of the saddle 1.

[0023] According to a first possible embodiment, the horse riding saddle 1 is constituted by a single-flap horse riding saddle.

[0024] In this case, the first flap and the second flap 4, 5 are constituted by the respective single flap.

[0025] Obviously, there is no reason why the horse riding saddle 1 cannot be constituted by a double-flap saddle.

[0026] In this case, the first flap and second flap 4, 5 which define the front resting portion 11, 12 with which to associate the knee rolls 21, 22 can be constituted indifferently by the underflap that is directed toward the back of the horse 200 or by the upper flap.

[0027] Preferably, the concave surface is contoured in a manner that substantially corresponds to the morphological structure of the back of the horse 200.

[0028] Conveniently, the knee rolls 21, 22 are made of polyurethane-based expanded material.

[0029] According to a preferred embodiment, the coupling surfaces 21a, 22a of the knee rolls 21, 22 have a reinforcement layer 23.

[0030] Advantageously, the reinforcement layer 23 is made of pressure-molded cellulose material.

[0031] Use of the horse riding saddle 1 according to the invention is evident from the foregoing description.

[0032] In practice it has been found that the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects by providing a horse riding saddle 1 that originally has a coupling surface 21a, 22a which is concave in shape, so as to be immediately and optimally adapted to the body of the horse 200, without requiring a repeated pressure by the leg of the rider.

[0033] Furthermore, by virtue of the low density of the material used, the knee roll 21, 22 is extremely soft, and this appreciably increases the comfort and determines a greater capacity to adapt to the leg of the rider.

[0034] Finally, the optional presence of the reinforcement layer 23, for example in cellulose material, gives the support 11, 12 the rigidity necessary to maintain the concave shape.

[0035] The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims. Moreover, all the details may be substituted by other, technically equivalent elements.

[0036] In practice the materials employed, provided they are compatible with the specific use, and the contingent dimensions and shapes, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.

[0037] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. A horse riding saddle (1) comprising a supporting frame (2), which defines a seat (3) which extends along a longitudinal axis (100) of the saddle (1), and at least one first flap and second flap (4, 5), which are associated with said supporting frame (2) and are arranged on opposite sides with respect to said longitudinal axis (100), said first and second flaps (4, 5) being stably associated, at a respective front resting portion (11, 12), with a knee roll (21, 22) which defines a respective contact body (31, 32) for a portion of the leg of the user, wherein said knee rolls (21, 22) have a coupling surface (21a, 22a) which is designed to be arranged so as to face a respective front resting portion (11, 12) of said flap (4, 5) and which comprises at least one portion which defines a concave surface which extends around an axis which is substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis (100) of said saddle (1) characterized in that said knee rolls (21, 22) have, already at the time when they are associated with the respective flaps (4, 5), said respective coupling surface (21a, 22a) comprising the at least one portion with said concave surface.

2. The horse riding saddle (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a single-flap horse riding saddle, said first and second flaps (4, 5) comprising a respective flap.

3. The horse riding saddle (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a double-flap horse riding saddle, said first and second flaps (4, 5) comprising the underflap that is directed toward the back of the horse, or the upper flap.

4. The horse riding saddle (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said concave surface is shaped in a manner that substantially corresponds to the morphological structure of a back of a horse.

5. The horse riding saddle (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said knee rolls (21, 22) are made of polyurethane-based expanded material.

6. The horse riding saddle (1) according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said coupling surfaces (21a, 22a) of said knee rolls (21, 22) have a reinforcement layer (23).

7. The horse riding saddle (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that said reinforcement layer (23) is made of pressure-molded cellulose material.