Patent Publication Number: US-10329138-B2

Title: Riding girth

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is the 35 U.S.C. § 371 national stage application of PCT Application No. PCT/162015/050566, filed Jan. 26, 2015, where the PCT claims priority to and the benefit of, IT Patent Application No. BS2014A000003, filed Jan. 31, 2014, both of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
     The present invention relates to a riding girth. 
     As it is known, the girth is a harness used for riding, which has the purpose of fixing the saddle on the horse. It surrounds the chest of the animal, and connects to the attachments of the saddle. 
     Most of the currently used girths have in the central part a ring, a snap hook or a strap fitted with a buckle for connecting to the loop of the fastening strap to the martingale, harness, or to other fittings. 
     All these coupling systems are dangerous because when jumping the horseshoe may catch it with its rear part, where a steel crampon is usually inserted in the ring, hook, or strap of the girth. Such drawback is very dangerous and in most cases produces a disastrous fall of the horse and rider. 
     Therefore, the object of the present invention is to propose a girth able to overcome such a drawback. 
     A further purpose of the present invention is to provide a girth which is particularly comfortable for the horse. 
    
    
     
       The technical characteristics of the invention according to the aforesaid aims can be seen clearly from the contents of the following claims and the advantages of the same will be more clearly comprehensible from the detailed description below, made with reference to the attached drawings, showing one or more embodiments by way of non-limiting examples, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a view of the outside of the girth according to the invention, in a first embodiment; 
         FIG. 1 a    is an enlarged view of the central portion of the girth in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 2  is a view of the inside of the girth in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a view of the outside of the girth according to the invention, in a second embodiment; 
         FIG. 4  is a view of the inside of the girth in  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     With reference to the appended drawings reference numeral  1 ;  1 ′ globally denotes a girth according to the present invention. 
     The girth  1 ;  1 ′ comprises a central portion  10  from which two lateral bands  12  extend suitable to encircle the chest of the horse up to the connection to the saddle. 
     On the outer side of the central portion  10  a coupling element  14  is made for attaching to the loop of a strap of the martingale, harness or other operating instrument. Said coupling element  14  comprises a base  16  and a plate-shaped spring hook  18  which extends from said base  16  and which permits the insertion/extraction of the loop of the strap into and from the coupling element thanks to the elastic lifting of an end portion thereof relative to the base  16 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, illustrated in detail in  FIG. 1 a   , the plate-shaped spring hook  18  has a proximal portion  20  which rises from the base  16 , an elongated intermediate portion  22 , which extends substantially parallel to the base  16  or slightly inclined towards said base  16 , so as to form with the base a lumen  24  for the passage of the loop of the strap to be coupled, and a distal portion  26  adjacent to the base  16 , so as to laterally close the lumen  24 . 
     The lumen  24  has a width slightly greater than the width of the strap to be coupled and a height from the base slightly greater than the thickness of the strap. The coupling element  14  is thus flattened towards the base  16 . 
     Preferably, the distal portion  26  is shaped so as to act as a guide for the insertion of the loop of the strap into the hook by lifting the plate-shaped spring hook  18  and at the same time to prevent an accidental release of the strap from the coupling element. For example, said distal portion  26  forms a tooth defined by an inclined plane  26 ′ facing outwards and acting as a guide and by an inner stop wall  26 ″. 
     The proximal portion  20  is made in such a way as to give the spring hook  18  sufficient flexibility to permit a lifting of said hook  18  for the insertion and lateral extraction of the loop of the strap and at the same time a stiffness such as to prevent an accidental lifting of the hook. 
     In one embodiment, the coupling element  14  is made in a single body. Preferably, said coupling element is made of plastic material, for example filled Nylon, by injection moulding. 
     In one embodiment, the base  16  is attached to the central portion  10  of the girth  1 , for example by screws or rivets  30 . 
     In one embodiment, a ring  32  is also fixed to the central portion  10  of the girth  1 ;  1 ′, opposite the lumen  24  of the coupling element  14 , suitable to be crossed by the loop of the coupled strap to keep the loop of the strap even more adherent to the girth  1 ;  1 ′. 
     The coupling element described above, thanks to its particularly flat shape, dramatically reduces the risk of accidentally spearing the crampon of the horseshoe. 
     Furthermore, such a coupling element is also advantageous for the user, as it allows the attachment of the harness, martingale and any operating instrument in a much simpler, faster manner and without taking off the saddle. 
     In one embodiment, outer paddings  40  are applied to the outer side of the girth  1 , between the central portion  10  and the side bands  12  for example by over-moulding or stitching, which make the girth  1 ;  1 ′ softer and more flexible where it bends to embrace the side of the chest of the horse. For example, said outer paddings  40  are of an elongated triangular shape. 
       FIG. 2  shows the inside of the girth  1 , in a first embodiment relative to a reduced-width girth. On said inner side inner paddings  50  in thermoplastic gel are over-moulded. Said inner paddings  50  offer considerable comfort for the horse, reduce the risk of pinching the axillary area, and prevent blocking breathing. The combination of the outer paddings  40  and the inner paddings  50  allows the girth  1  to adapt better to the morphology of the horse by reducing the compression of the muscles so as to improve blood supply and oxygenation and thus permit better performance. 
       FIGS. 3 and 4  show respectively the inner and outer side of the girth  1 ′ in a second embodiment relative to a girth of increased width in the central portion  10 . In this case, the central portion  10  comprises a front element  10 ′ from which the side bands  12  extend and a rear extension  10 ″. Said rear extension  10 ″ is made separately from the front  10 ′ and is connected to it, for example by stitching. This way, the same extension can be used for different sizes of the girth  1 . 
     It is to be noted that the rear extension  10 ″ is also provided, on the inner side, with an inner padding  50 ′ in thermoplastic gel. 
     The invention thus conceived thereby achieves the intended objectives. 
     Obviously, its practical embodiments may assume forms and configurations different from those described while remaining within the sphere of protection of the invention. 
     Furthermore, all the parts may be replaced with technically equivalent parts and the dimensions, shapes and materials used may be varied as required.