The present invention relates to a saddle for horse riding.

Saddles for horse riding are normally constituted by a core or supporting frame made of composite material, wood or tempered steel, the purpose of which is to hold the rider on a support, generally constituted by a robust skin, which extends from a pommel to a cantle.

The frame and the parts associated with it are covered by a covering, which is modeled so as to constitute the seat.

Typically, in addition to the seat, saddles are provided with cushions and with knee rolls, which are often provided with a padding the purpose of which is to support the knee of the rider.

A fairly common problem with many saddles is caused by an excessive rigidity of the frame along its direction of longitudinal extension.

This problem is particularly felt in certain situations in which there is, during use, a movement of the back of the horse that leads to a rotation of the rear part of the saddle.

In such situations, the rigidity, in the longitudinal direction, of the frame can cause a discomfort for the horse, which may be considerable.

The aim of the present invention is to provide a saddle for horse riding which is capable of improving the known art in one or more of the abovementioned aspects.

Within this aim, an object of the invention is to provide a saddle for horse riding that is capable of appreciably improving the comfort of use, for the rider but especially for the horse.

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

This aim and these and other objects which will become more apparent hereinafter are achieved by a saddle for horse riding according to claim 1, optionally provided with one or more of the characteristics of the dependent claims. Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description that follows of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment of the saddle for horse riding according to the invention, which is illustrated for the purposes of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a portion of the supporting frame for a saddle for horse riding according to the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlargement of a region of the portion of the supporting frame of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the supporting frame for a saddle for horse riding according to the invention wherein the connecting region is shown transparently;

Figure 4 is an enlargement of a region of the supporting frame of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the supporting frame;

Figure 6 is a view from above of the supporting frame showing, in dotted lines, the positions of the front part of the supporting frame as a consequence of the rotation about the pivoting axis;

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the supporting frame taken along the plane of arrangement identified by the line VII- VII of Figure 6;

Figure 8 shows, in the same cross-sectional view of Figure 7, a variation of embodiment;

Figure 9 shows a frame associated with a flap;

Figure 10 is a schematic view from above of a variation of embodiment of the supporting frame;

Figures 11 to 13 are perspective views, from below, of respective variations of embodiment of the supporting frame.

With reference to the figures, the saddle for horse riding according to the invention comprises a supporting frame, generally designated by the reference numeral 1, associated with at least one covering body, not shown in the figures, which is designed to define a seat for the user.

According to the present invention, the supporting frame 1 comprises a front region 2, which defines the pommel, and a rear region 3, which defines the cantle.

According to the present invention, the supporting frame 1 is provided with connecting means 4 for connection between the front region 2 and the rear region 3 that are adapted to allow a rotation about an oscillation axis 100, which in use is substantially vertical, of the rear region 3 with respect to the front region 2.

In particular, the connecting means 4 are provided with at least one element 5 with elastic behavior.

The element 5 with elastic behavior is stably connected to the front region 2 and to the rear region 3.

In particular, the element 5 with elastic behavior is provided with a first engagement portion 5a and a second engagement portion 5b.

The first engagement portion 5a is connected to a first connecting portion 2a defined at the front region 2, while the second engagement portion 5b is connected to a second connecting portion 3a defined at the rear region 3.

Preferably, the first engagement portion 5a is stably connected to the first connecting portion 2a and the second engagement portion 5b is stably connected to the second connecting portion 3 a.

With reference to the practical embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 9, the connecting means 4 comprise a flexible elongated body, which during use extends parallel to the direction of longitudinal extension 200 of the supporting structure 1.

The flexible elongated body has, conveniently, a flattened transverse cross-section.

Preferably, the flexible elongated body is associated, in use, with the front region 2 and with the rear region 3 so that its plane of arrangement lies on a plane that is substantially vertical and parallel to the direction of longitudinal extension 200 of the supporting structure 1.

In this manner, the flexible elongated body allows the controlled oscillation of the front part 2 with respect to the rear part 3 about the oscillation axis 100.

In general, the element 5 with elastic behavior comprises at least one device with predominantly elastic deformation (for example a spring) which yields if the front part 2 or the rear part 3 are subjected to a force that has a direction of application substantially perpendicular to the oscillation axis 100 and to the direction of longitudinal extension 200 of the supporting frame 1.

In practice, the supporting frame 1 extends longitudinally along a direction of longitudinal extension 200 (X axis) which in use corresponds to the back of the horse, transversely along a direction 300 (Y axis) which is substantially parallel to the shoulders of a horse, and along the Z axis which corresponds to the oscillation axis 100 and to the gravity vector.

The element with elastic behavior is configured to allow the rotation about an oscillation axis 100.

Preferably, the oscillation axis 100 is arranged, along the direction of longitudinal extension 200, at approximately 1/3 of the way along the supporting frame 1, starting from the front part 2.

It is possible for the movement of the front part 2 with respect to the rear part 3 to also have a rotation component about the direction of longitudinal extension 200 (X axis) which is in any case of lesser extent, when compared with the possibility for rotation with respect to the oscillation axis 100.

Conveniently, the movement of the frame is allowed by a joint that extends substantially on the XY plane and allows the rotation about the oscillation axis 100 (Z axis).

The element 5 with elastic behavior can therefore have different shapes and configurations: for the purposes of example, the element with elastic behavior can likewise be constituted by a torsion spring, positioned substantially coaxially with respect to the oscillation axis 100.

With reference to the embodiment shown in Figure 10, between the front region 2 and the rear region 3 there can be a hinging body 20 which is configured to allow the mutual rotation between the front region 2 and the rear region 3 about the oscillation axis 100, and an elongated connecting body 21 which is U-shaped and coupled, at its free ends 21a, to the front region 2.

The elongated connecting body 21 is associated, on opposite sides with respect to the hinging body 20, with respective springs that define respective elements 5 with elastic behavior.

The relative rotation of the front region 2 with respect to the rear region 3 about the oscillation axis 100 causes the lengthening of one of the two springs and the compression of the other, so that the springs themselves, once the stress has ended, tend to act in contrast to the rotation in order to return the front region 2 and the rear region 3 into alignment with respect to the direction of longitudinal extension.

With reference to the variation of embodiment shown in Figure 11, the portion of the hinging body 20 that is integral with the rear region 3 is associated with an appendage 22 that defines a coupling surface 22a with a curvilinear extension which can be engaged by an engagement head 23 which is pressed against the coupling surface 22a by virtue of the action exerted by a spring 24 which is carried by the first zone 2 and defines the element 5 with elastic behavior.

Preferably, the supporting frame 1 is provided with lateral bodies for connection between the front region 2 and the rear region 3, which are adapted to control the relative rotation about the oscillation axis 100 and to exert an elastic return force in order to facilitate the realignment of the front region 2 with the rear region 3 along the longitudinal direction 200. Conveniently, the supporting frame has at least one elastic connecting membrane 6 between the front region 2 and the rear region 3 which defines the lateral bodies for connection.

In particular, the elastic connecting membrane 6 is designed to define, in cooperation with the front region 2 and with the rear region 3, the upper resting surface of the supporting frame 1.

According to a possible practical embodiment, for example illustrated in Figures 1 to 6, the elastic connecting membrane 6 is arranged around the connecting means 4.

It is also possible for the element 5 with elastic behavior to be supported by respective plates connected to the front region 2 and to the rear region 3.

It is also possible for the connecting means 4, and in particular the element 5 with elastic behavior, to be removably connected to the first connecting portion 2a and to the second connecting portion 3a.

In such case, it is advisable that the elastic connecting membrane 6 is not molded at and proximate to the element 5 with elastic behavior.

For the purposes of example, it is possible for the removable connection between the element 5 with elastic behavior and the first and the second connecting portion 2a, 3a to be carried out using threaded elements 9, such as for example screws and bolts, self-threading screws, breakstem rivets, clinches, designed to pass through respective through openings defined at the elastic connecting element 5 and at the first and, correspondingly, the second engagement portion 2a, 3 a.

The elastic connecting membrane 6 is provided by molding and, as shown in Figure 7, can embed the connecting means 4, and in particular the element 5 with elastic behavior.

Advantageously, the elastic membrane 6 is made of SEBS thermoplastic rubber.

According to a preferred practical embodiment, the front region 2 and the rear region 3 are made of fiberglass-charged nylon.

It is possible for the element 5 with elastic behavior to be made of:

- harmonic steel;

- POM (Acetron, Delrin, Fulton, Latan, Lupital, Plaslube, Tenac, Thermocomp, Ultraform);

- Epoxy resin (Araldite, Epikote, Epolite, Fiberite, Lytex, Stycast);

- ABS (Comalloy, Cycolac, Lastilac, Lupos, Lustran ABS, Magnum, Multibase, Novodur, Polyfabs, Polylac, Porene, Ronfalin, Sinkral, Terluran, Toyolac, Tufrex, Ultrastyr);

- Polycarbonate;

- PEEK;

- PET;

- PMMA;

- Polystyrene;

- Thermoplastic polyurethane (tpPUR);

- Thermoplastic PVC (tpPVC).

With reference to the embodiments shown in Figures 12 and 13, the lateral bodies for connection can comprise alternatively, or in some cases in addition, to the elastic membrane 6, lateral bodies for return 30, 40 which are designed to balance the structure and to return the front region 2 and the rear region 3 into alignment along the direction of longitudinal extension 200.

The lateral bodies for return can comprise traction springs or compression springs supported by respective plates connected to the front region 2 and to the rear region 3, or mutually opposite flat springs 40, also connected a respective plates.

With reference to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 9, the element 5 with elastic behavior has through openings for stably locking the first and the second connecting portion 2a, 3a in place.

With reference to the embodiment shown in Figure 9, it is possible for the supporting frame 1 to be associated, at each side, with a respective flap 10.

The flap 10 has, at a region that is designed, in use, to overlap at least partially the element 5 with elastic behavior, and in particular the elastic membrane 6, a deformable portion 11.

Conveniently, the deformable portion 11 is configured to support the rotation about the oscillation axis 100 of the rear region 3 with respect to the front region 2 of the supporting frame 1.

Preferably, the deformable portion 11 comprises at least one element with an accordion-like shape structure.

Use of the saddle for horse riding, according to the invention, is evident from the foregoing description.

In particular, it has been found that the frame 1 according to the invention, by virtue of the presence of the connecting means 4 which comprise at least one element 5 with elastic behavior acting between the front region 2 and the rear region 3, makes it possible to support the rotation of the region of the back of the horse, in so doing achieving a perceptible improvement in the freedom of movement of the animal.

In practice it has been found that the invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects by providing a saddle for horse riding that allows a controlled rotation of the axis corresponding to the gravity vector (oscillation axis 100) of the rear region with respect to the front region.

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.

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.

The disclosures in Italian Patent Applications No. 102020000006154 and No. 102020000019090 from which this application clai priority are incorporated herein by reference.

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.