Patent Description:
The withers of a horse are an area which easily develops sores and muscle tension due to pressure from the harness. Besides, the harness saddle transmits the forces originating from the carriage, via the shafts, to the horse, causing soreness of the horse's back.

A harness saddle is a part of a horse harness. Its shape is closest to a broad band passing over the horse's back. If often comprises pads and two rein terrets through which the reins run. Under the chest, the harness saddle is fastened by a so-called tight belly girth. The harness saddle serves for two purposes: in very light driving (such as racing), the shafts can be directly fastened to the harness saddle, the pulling by the horse thus being transmitted through the harness saddle; in heavier driving, the shafts are fastened to collar hames but run through the harness saddle, the harness saddle thus preventing the shafts from moving in a disturbing manner.

The various equipment worn by horses, such as the harness saddle, often causes discomfort and even pain to the horse if it is not properly fitted to the horse. Because each horse is an individual, industrially manufactured harness saddles rarely are a perfect fit for the horse. This causes discomfort and pain to the horse, making the horse sore or incapable of optimum performance in harness racing, for example. If the horse's withers become sore, an equine massage therapist is often called for help, for example. Since this kind of therapy is expensive, a badly fitted harness saddle not only causes pain to the horse but also expenses to the owner.

<FIG> is a top view a prior-art harness saddle <NUM>, seen in the (-) y-direction of a coordinate system <NUM>. The harness saddle has a first side 101a and a second side 101b. When this harness saddle is worn by a horse, the first side and the second side face the horse's head and the horse's tail, respectively. Both the first side and the second side are substantially parallel, and when the harness saddle is worn by a horse, these sides are perpendicular to the sides 102a, 102b as well as the spine of the horse. The harness saddle <NUM> is symmetrical with respect to section lines A-A and B-B.

When the harness saddle shown in <FIG> is worn by a horse, the first side of the harness saddle may exert pressure on the horse's withers. This often causes soreness of the withers. The best solution to this problem is to make a harness saddle that is good fit for the horse and does not cause pain at its withers but, nevertheless, transmits, via the harness, all of the horse's pulling force to the carriage or cart.

A number of attempts have been made to solve this problem, such as by manufacturing harness saddles designed to leave air space between the horse's spine and the harness saddle. Another way of solving this problem is to attach, on both sides of the horse's withers, parts made of leather or wood, and to support the harness saddle against these parts.

<CIT> discloses a harness saddle which is more perfectly adjustable to the backs of horses of various sizes and shapes. The harness saddle of <CIT> will prevent the horse's back from being made sore by friction and undue pressure upon any one part.

The above-mentioned solutions may have partly solved the problem of sore horse withers. However, these solutions have not fully overcome the problem, i.e. how not to cause pain or discomfort to a horse's withers and to, at the same time, maximally transmit the horse's pulling force, by means of the shafts and straps, to the cart pulled by the horse.

Therefore, there still exists a need to design improved harness saddles fitted for horses.

To solve the above-mentioned problems, a novel harness saddle for horses has been developed for more effective pulling of carts and carriages as well as for preventing the horse's withers from becoming sore or for not causing unnecessary muscle tension in the horse.

A harness saddle for horse for pulling a cart according to the invention is defined in claim <NUM> Advantageous embodiments of the harness saddle according to the invention are defined in dependent claims <NUM>-<NUM>.

The invention also relates to a method of reducing the pressure on a horse's withers in harness racing, the method comprising harnessing the horse to a cart by means of a harness saddle according to the invention.

<FIG> has been explained in the prior-art chapter of this document.

<FIG> shows a harness saddle according to a non-limiting exemplary embodiment of the invention. The figure shows a situation where the harness saddle according to the invention is worn by a horse. In the figure, the harness saddle <NUM> is seen from above, i.e., in the (-) y-direction of a coordinate system <NUM>. The horse's sides are referred to by 202a and 202b.

The harness saddle comprises a first side 201a, a second side 201b, a first area 203a, a second area 203b, and a third area <NUM> therebetween, i.e., a rear bypass area. The first side and the second side face the horse's head and the horse's tail, respectively and the third area <NUM> arches from the center part of the harness saddle towards both sides of the horse and towards horse's tail, i.e. in (-) z-direction of the coordinate system <NUM> so that the harness saddle bypasses the horse's withers <NUM> from back thereof. Correspondingly, the first area 203a and the second area 203b arch along the horse's sides downwards i.e. in (-) y-direction of the coordinate system <NUM>.

Typically, a center hole <NUM> is provided in the center of the harness saddle, and preferably, holes 206a and 206b are also provided for fastening means, such as screws. The harness saddle is typically symmetric with respect to section line A-A crossing the center hole and asymmetric in respect to section line B-B crossing the holes 206a and 206b.

The third area <NUM>, i.e. the rear bypass area arches towards horse's tail. The arch D1 in the (-)-z direction of the coordinate system <NUM> is preferably <NUM>-<NUM> when measured at the center line of the harness saddle, i.e. at the position where the section line A-A-crosses the center hole. The length D2 of the rear bypass area is for example the same as the distance between the holes 206a and 206b. According to the invention, the width D3 of the harness saddle is <NUM>-<NUM>. The width of the harness saddle at the position of the center hole is typically <NUM>. Thus, the harness saddle according to the invention is asymmetrical in respect to the section line B-B so as to conform to the natural shape of the withers of a horse. The harness saddle is designed to be curved, in an arched manner, backwards from the center area of the harness saddle, towards the horse's tail, thus bypassing the wither area <NUM> extending upwards from the horse's back, towards the neck and up to the mane, in the front area of the spine. This leaves more space for the horse's withers and prevents the horse's withers from becoming sore, while providing, at the same time, optimum support for fastening the harness to the harness saddle and for transmitting the pulling force of the horse to the cart or carriage.

According to an embodiment the rear bypass area, seen from above and compared to the prior art, is in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>, from the center line of the harness saddle. The rear bypass area extends in both directions, from the center of the harness saddle to the screw holes positioned at an identical distance, which is <NUM>, for example, from the center hole. Therefore, in this example, the total length of the bypass area, which is arched backwards, is approximately <NUM>. Now that this area of a horse's withers which develops sores can be bypassed further back, there is practically no pressure on the withers.

Some of the previously known products have directly passed over the withers, causing back problems. The difference from the past is most visible in a top view of the harness saddle because the previously known designs have always been straight and symmetrical when seen from above, but the harness saddle according to the invention is asymmetrical, being curved backwards from the center thereof. An offset of just a few centimeters backwards may contribute to relieving the pressure on the spine because, on the back of a horse, the ridged mane of the withers is followed, right behind the withers, by an evenly round shape. Therefore, this novel harness saddle reduces the pain or discomfort experienced by the horse but still provides maximum pulling of the cart.

<FIG> shows a front view, i.e. as seen in the x-direction of a coordinate system <NUM> a harness saddle according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The figure shows the areas 303a and 303b descending downwards along horse's sides. The harness saddle shown in this figure is designed to leave air space between the area <NUM>, i.e., the area of the harness saddle which is towards horse's back, and the horse's spine <NUM>. The portion of the lower face of the harness saddle which enables this is a lower bypass area <NUM>. The lower bypass area of the harness saddle according to the invention can best be seen in <FIG> and <FIG>.

The material of the harness saddle which comes into contact with the horse may consist of a synthetic material, such as nylon, or a non-synthetic material, such as leather, providing a soft contact against the horse's skin. Typically, a skeleton is provided inside the harness saddle, to provide shape and necessary rigidity to the harness saddle. Typically, the skeleton is made of steel but, instead of steel, it can be made of some other material, such as carbon fibers.

The harness saddle may vary in size, depending on the body structure of the horse. According to the claimed invention, the width of the harness saddle is <NUM> to <NUM>. The width of the harness saddles at the center hole are typically <NUM>. The length of the harness saddle is approximately <NUM>, bending over the horse's back, along both two sides of the horse. Further, shorter harness saddles with the same proportions are manufactured for smaller horse breeds and ponies.

On the back of a horse, the harness saddle serves to attach a cart pulled by the horse, at cart shafts, to the horse, when driving the horse. The harness saddle sits on the back of the horse by means of specific fastening straps. There are two principal ways of attaching the cart to the harness saddle. One of them is the shaft loop harness, having two subdivisions - a so-called standard shaft loop harness / conventional model and loop through model with a binding strap, instead of a loop, tied around the shaft.

The other way of attaching the cart to the harness saddle is the Quick Hitch harness, with integrated shaft fittings fastened to the harness or the harness saddle, or to harness saddle locking devices, in a spring-loaded manner.

All of the above-described methods of attachment represent internationally known standards, and the novel harness saddle presented herein can be fastened to a carriage pulled by a horse by employing any of the above-described methods of attachment.

<FIG> and <FIG> are a front, lateral and top view of the harness saddles according to the invention.

<FIG> is a top view of the harness saddle <NUM> according to invention. The rear bypass area <NUM> of the harness saddle, seen from above and compared to the prior art, is approximately <NUM> to <NUM> from the center line of the harness saddle. The rear bypass area extends, on both sides, from the center of the harness saddle, in both directions, to the screw holes 406a, 406b, positioned at an identical distance, which is <NUM>, for example, from the center hole <NUM>. Therefore, the total length of the bypass area, which is arched backwards, is approximately <NUM>, thus leaving the horse's withers practically pressure-free.

<FIG> is a front view of the harness saddle <NUM>. The figure shows the lower bypass area <NUM> of the harness saddle where the harness saddle is designed to leave air space between the horse's spine and the harness saddle. The lower bypass area is located at the center hole <NUM> of the harness saddle.

<FIG> is a lateral view of the harness saddle <NUM>. The figure shows the rear bypass area <NUM>.

<FIG> show a harness saddle according to another embodiment. In <FIG> the harness saddle is show from above, i.e. in (-) y-direction of the coordinate system 599A. The harness saddle comprises a first side 501a, a second side 501b, areas 503a and 503b descending along sides of the horse, and an area <NUM> therebetween, i.e. the rear bypass area. The first side of the harness saddle and the second side of the harness saddle is towards horse's head and the second side is towards horse's tail, respectively, when the harness saddle is worn by the horse. There is a hole <NUM> in the center part of the harness saddle and in the same distance from the hole <NUM> there are holes 506a and 506b for fastening means such as screws. The harness saddle <NUM> is symmetrical in respect to the section line A-A in z-direction of the coordinate system <NUM> crossing the central hole.

<FIG> is the front view of the harness saddle <NUM>, i.e. seen in z-direction of the coordinate system 599B. The figure shows the portions 503a and 503b descending downwards the sides of the horse. The harness saddle has been designed so that there is airspace between the portion <NUM> i.e. the portion facing horse's back and the horse's spine. The lower surface of the harness saddle which enables this is a lower bypass area <NUM>.

<FIG> is the lateral view of the harness saddle <NUM>, i.e. seen in z-direction of the coordinate system 599C. The figure shows the first area 503a descending downwards the horse's side, the sides of the harness saddle 501a and 501b, the area <NUM>, i.e. the rear bypass area and the first hole 506a for the fastening means.

The invention also relates to a method of reducing the pressure on the withers of a horse in harness racing. In this method, the horse is harnessed to a cart by means of a harness saddle according to the invention.

Claim 1:
A harness saddle (<NUM>) for horse for pulling a cart, the harness saddle comprising a first side (201a) and a second side (201b) wherein both the first side and the second side are outer sides of the harness saddle, and wherein the first side and the second side are adapted to face horse's head and tail, respectively, a first area (203a) adapted to arch along a first side (202a) of the horse and a second area (203b) adapted to arch along a second side (202b) of the horse, and a third area (<NUM>) therebetween characterized in that a width (D3) of the harness saddle is <NUM>-<NUM> and that the first side and the second side are adapted to arch at the third area (<NUM>) from a center part of the harness saddle towards both sides of the horse and towards the horse's tail, so that the harness saddle bypasses the horse's withers (<NUM>) at the back thereof, when the harness saddle is worn by a horse.