Abstract:
A saddle tree for a horse saddle includes a pair of spaced opposed flexible rubber bars having a fork attached to the front of the saddle tree and a cantle attached to the rear of the saddle tree. The fork and cantle are made from wood or the like and are fastened to the rubber bars by screws or the like. The rubber bars are made of rubber having laminated fabric layers, with alternating layers of woven and straight cord fabric, dispersed throughout the rubber. The rubber bars are flexible and conform to the horse&#39;s back during any type of movement by the horse, more evenly distributing the weight of the rider and saddle and the forces generated by riding that prior art saddles or saddle trees.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is related to a saddle that conforms to the shape of a horse&#39;s back and flexes to conform to the horse&#39;s back as it changes during movement. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a saddle having flexible rubber bars that ride on the horse and support the saddle. 
     2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 C.F.R. Sections 1.97-1.99 
     Conventionally, horse saddles are made of leather pieces that are laid up on a saddle tree. Saddle trees have conventionally been made of wood covered with stitched rawhide and many still are. Some modern saddle trees are made of fiberglass, which tends to be heavier than wood. Other saddle trees are made of wood covered in layers of fiberglass. In any case, the saddle tree consists of a base, which in turn consists of a pair of bar elements that are spaced apart and rest on the horse&#39;s back, with each bar being longer than it is wide and with the longitudinal axis of each bar laid along the horse&#39;s back from the front of the horse toward the back of the horse. A fork element is fixed to the bars at a location toward the front of the bars. A horn, usually a separate element, is fixed to the middle of the fork by screws or bolts. A cantle, which forms the back of the saddle tree and later the saddle itself, serves as a sort of back rest to keep the rider from slipping off the rear of the saddle, is fixed to the bars toward the back end of the bars. The fork and cantle are typically fixed to the bars with nails or the like. The saddle tree, or form, is then covered with leather, including a seat cover, ornamentation, cinch strap, stirrups, and so forth. 
     This type of rigid saddle tree does not actually fit the back of the horse because it is not custom made to the shape and size of any particular horse. Even if it were, the shape of the horse&#39;s back changes as it moves, regardless of speed. The hard rigid saddle tree of the prior art does not evenly distribute the weight of the rider and saddle, but rather places that weight on relatively small portions of the horse&#39;s back. The conventional saddle tree, in fact, forms a bridge across the horse&#39;s back between the withers and scapula toward the front of the horse and the loins, toward the rear of the horse. The effect is basically that the saddle and rider rest primarily on four small points and is not evenly distributed over the horse&#39;s back. As the horse moves, the rider and saddle shift back and forth, changing the pressure points on the horse&#39;s back. Placement of the weight of the rider and saddle on four small points bridged by a rigid saddle tree restricts the horse&#39;s freedom of movement and causes excessive friction at these points as the horse&#39;s skin stretches and shrinks as the shape of his body changes during movement. This causes the horse to sore-up, making him irritable and sometimes unridable. 
     One time-honored attempt to reduce or eliminate this problem is to place a blanket under the saddle, a practice that is still followed today. This modest layer of protection, however, does not always prevent sores on the horse and does nothing to address the problem of uneven pressure on the horse&#39;s back. 
     Another effort to reduce the likelihood of forming sores on a horse&#39;s back from the rubbing of the saddle is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,328, which discloses a saddle having a frame underlying the saddle tree frame, with these two elements connected by four screws that can be adjusted to change the distance between the saddle tree and the underlying frame, which is actually in contact with the horse&#39;s back. This allows the rider to level the saddle on the horse&#39;s back but does not reduce or eliminate high pressure points on the horse&#39;s back and does not evenly distribute the weight of the rider and saddle on the horse&#39;s back since the lower frame is connected to the saddle tree at only four small points. The horse still suffers from the poor weight distribution and excessive friction of the saddle tree. Therefore, the horse is still likely to become sore from excess pressure and friction. In addition, this saddle burdens the horse with more weight. 
     Therefore there is a need for a riding saddle trees for a horse that conforms to the back of the horse; that conforms to the back of the horse as the contours of the horse&#39;s back change during any type of movement, including, for example, walking, cantering, galloping, running and cutting; that is more comfortable for the rider; that allows a rider to be more stable in the saddle during all types of maneuvers; and that provides the horse with more freedom of movement and better weight distribution. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a riding saddle for a horse that conforms to the back of the horse. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a saddle tree that conforms to the back of the horse as the contours of the horse&#39;s back change during movement, including walking, cantering, running and cutting. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a saddle tree that is more comfortable for the rider. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a saddle tree that allows a rider to be more stable in the saddle during all types of maneuvers. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a saddle tree that provides the horse with more freedom of movement and better weight distribution. 
     These and other objects of the present invention are achieved by providing saddle tree bars that are made of a flexible resilient material. More particularly, the saddle tree of the present invention includes a pair of rubber bars that are composed of alternating layers of fabric and rubber in a pattern designed to provide optimal strength, rigidity and flexibility. Further, the rubber bars are shaped to provide special advantages for both the horse and rider. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, the preferred embodiment of the present invention and the best mode currently known to the inventor for carrying out his invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the components of a saddle tree made according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a left-hand front perspective view of a saddle tree made according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the rubber bars of the saddle tree of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is a left-hand side elevation of a rubber bar of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is a cross section taken along lines  5 — 5  of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the circled portion of FIG. 5 showing the lamination of the rubber bar of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 7 is a cross section taken along lines  7 — 7  of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 8 is a cross section of FIG. 2 taken along lines  8 — 8  of FIG.  2 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As required by the Patent Statutes and the case law, the preferred embodiment of the present invention and the best mode currently known to the inventor for carrying out the invention are disclosed in detail herein. The embodiments disclosed herein, however, are merely illustrative of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely to provide the proper basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains to make and use the apparatus and process disclosed herein as embodied in any appropriately specific and detailed structure. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the horse saddle tree having rubber bars, or rubber bar saddle tree,  10 , comprises a cantle  12  and a fork  14 , both made of wood or other suitable material, such as fiberglass, wood covered with fiberglass, wood covered with rawhide or other material. The fork  14  includes a flattened upper portion  16  on a top surface  18  of the fork  14  for securing a conventional saddle horn  15  (FIG. 2) by bolting or screwing the saddle horn  15  to the fork or other conventional means and an upthrust central arch portion  17 . The fork  14  includes a depending left-hand side arm  20  and a depending right-hand side arm  22 , both of which curve downwardly from the top surface  18  and terminate in a left-hand side fork lower mating surface  24 , which is flat, and a right-hand fork lower mating surface  26 , which is also flat. These fork mating surfaces  24 ,  26  mate with the mating surfaces of the left-hand bar  28  and the right-hand bar  30 , respectively. The fork mating surfaces  24 ,  26  of the fork  14  are cut off at an angle of about 45° to the horizontal, with normal angles in a range of about 35-75°, so that the bars  28 ,  30  also lie at about this same angle and fit onto the sloping sides of the horse. The left-hand bar  28  and the right-hand bar  30  are mirror images of each other and hence are not interchangeable. The left-hand bar  28  and the right-hand bar  30  are opposed spaced elements that are substantially parallel to each other and rest directly on the horse&#39;s back, except for padding. The left-hand fork receiving surface  32  on the left-hand bar  28  and the right-hand fork receiving surface  34  on the right-hand bar  30  are both flat, so that the fork mating surfaces  24 ,  26  respectively contact the entire fork receiving surfaces  32 ,  34 . Bolts  35  (See FIG.  8 ), nails or other mechanical fasteners are used to secure the fork  14  to the bars  28 ,  30 , with the nail heads lying on the lower surfaces of the bars  28 ,  30 . The lower surface of the left-hand bar  28  is designated  36  and the lower surface of the right-hand bar  30  is designated  38 . The fork  14  lies adjacent to the front end  39  of the rubber bar saddle tree  10 . 
     Still referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the cantle  12  includes a central arch portion  40  and a pair of opposing depending arms, including left-hand cantle arm  42  and right-hand cantle arm  44 . A right-hand flat cantle mating surface  46  and a left-hand flat cantle mating surface  48  completely contact the respective flat cantle receiving surfaces  50  (right-hand side),  52  (left-hand side) on the bars, including the right-hand bar  30  and the left-hand bar  28 , respectively. The cantle  12  is located roughly adjacent to the rear  54  of the rubber bar saddle tree  10  or of the bars  28 ,  30  and is attached to the bars  28 ,  30  by bolts, nails or the like, as described in connection with the fork  14  above. 
     Referring now to FIG. 3, the left-hand bar  28  is an elongated member having a longitudinal axis and a middle portion  56  having a substantially straight inner edge  58  (which is disposed toward the centerline of the saddle or of the horse&#39;s back when the rubber bar saddle tree  10  is assembled). A rear portion  60  is wider than the middle portion  56  and defines an asymmetrical paddle shape  62 , which includes the left-hand cantle receiving surface  52 . A front portion  64  is also wider than the middle portion  56  and has a roughly shoe-sole shape  66  having a centerline that is canted toward the outside edge  68  of the rubber bar saddle tree  10  (that is, toward the horse&#39;s sides). The front portion  64  of the left-hand bar  28  includes the left-hand fork receiving surface  32 . 
     Still referring to FIG. 3, the right-hand bar  30  is an elongated member having a longitudinal axis and a middle portion  70  having a substantially straight inner edge  72  (which is disposed toward the centerline of the saddle or of the horse&#39;s back when the rubber bar saddle tree  10  is assembled). A rear portion  74  is wider than the middle portion  70  and defines an asymmetrical paddle shape  76 , which includes the left-hand cantle receiving surface  50 . A front portion  80  is also wider than the middle portion  70  and has a roughly shoe-sole shape  82  having a centerline that is canted toward the outside edge  84  of the rubber bar saddle tree  10  (that is, toward the horse&#39;s sides). The front portion  64  of the right-hand bar  30  includes the right-hand fork receiving surface  34 . 
     Referring now to FIGS. 4,  5 , which represents a side elevation of both bars  28 ,  20 , the rear end, or portion,  86  is upwardly sloped relative to the middle section  88  and includes an land portion  90  that is higher than the middle section  88 . The thickened portion  90  is required to provide a stable platform for the cantle  12 . The absence of reinforcing fabric in this are allows greater flexing, while the presence of reinforcing fabric throughout the middle portion  88  reduces flexing and supports weight distribution throughout the entire length of the bars  28 ,  30 . The resulting middle portion  88  is wide enough to distribute weight well, stiff enough to distribute weight almost uniformly throughout the perimeter of the saddle tree  10  and not bend over with the rider, and yet flexible enough to move with and conform to the shape of the horse&#39;s back during all types of movement. At the forward end, or portion,  92  of the middle section, or portion,  88  a notch  94  is formed in the lower surface  96  of the middle section  88 , which is for receiving stirrup leathers. A front notch  98  is formed in the forward upper surface  100  of the bar  28  or  30  to form the fork receiving surface  50 ,  52 . Forward of the middle section  88  is a thickened area  102 , which is necessary for providing additional strength and weight distribution and increased flexing at the forward tips of the bars  28 ,  30 , thereby providing a stable platform for the fork  14 . The increased flexing in the thickened area  102  is due to the absence of reinforcing fibers in this area. The reinforcing fibers in the middle portion  88 , provide the benefits set out above. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 5,  6 , and  7 , in the preferred embodiment, the bars  28 ,  30  are made from multi-layered fabric-rubber composite. The bars  28 ,  30  may be made of any material that is flexible, resilient, that conforms to the contours of the horse&#39;s back while the horse is stationary or during any type of movement. Further, the bars must be durable, and resistant to various chemicals, and to moderately extreme changes in temperature. The material must not be susceptible to shrinkage or warping from moisture or water and must be resistant to salt. It has been found that a good material for this purpose is rubber, but even vulcanized rubber is too flexible and weak to withstand the torsion forces placed on a saddle during riding. It has been further found that rubber reinforced with fabric is a suitable material for the bars  28 ,  30 . The flexibility of rubber reinforced fabric is determined by the number of layers of fabric within the rubber body, their thickness, and the spacing between the layers of fabric. In general, the closer the fabric layers are together, the more rigid the final product. It has been found that a composition of rubber with ten equally spaced layers of fabric embedded therein produces bars  28 ,  30  that exhibit all the desirable characteristics and make the best bars known to the inventor. Preferably, the fabric layers are alternating layers of woven fabric  108  and straight-cord fabric  110  (which has no cross wave cords), as shown best in FIG. 6, which has strength in one direction only (that is, along the cords). The fabric can be cotton, rayon, polyester, nylon, or the like, with the preferred fabric being polyester and it reduces the flexibility of the rubber while reinforcing it. The preferred rubber  106  is a blend of styrene budadine rubber and ethylene propylene monomer (SBR/EPDM Blend). The bars  28 ,  30  are made by molding. 
     No conventional test exists to determine the desired flexibility of the bars  28 ,  30  and none has been devised. The flexibility of they bars  28 ,  30  changes as they are formed into a rubber bar saddle tree  10  and again as they are built into a saddle. Further, during use a saddle is subjected to at least rotational torque, straight downward torque, inward torque, and numerous straight line forces that make testing regimens very difficult and expensive to devise and carry out. Empirical evidence and testing of models has led to the present preferred embodiment. 
     The fabric layers run throughout the length of the bar  28 ,  30 , except that the fabric does not extend into the solid rubber front portion  112  or into the solid rubber rear portion  114  of the bar  28 ,  30 , as shown in FIG.  5 . This provides for desirable increased flexibility in both the front and rear ends or tips of the bars  28 ,  30 . It is crucial that the rubber bars  28 ,  30  not be covered with any material that reduces the flexibility of the bars  28 ,  30 , in contrast to conventional saddle tree bars, which are covered in rawhide, fiberglass, or the like that is pulled tight. Such coverings would make the bars  28 ,  30  too rigid and would eliminate the advantages of the present invention. The bars  28 ,  30 , however, are covered with conventional sheep skins and leather skirts or the like, to pad the bars  28 ,  30  against the horse&#39;s back. A conventional saddle blanket can also be used in connection with a saddle made from the saddle tree  10 . 
     While the present invention has been described in accordance with the preferred embodiments thereof, the description is for illustration only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.