Patent Grant
7395647
The present invention relates generally to the field of equine tack. More specifically the present invention relates to a saddle pad display system and an associated method of manufacture with which a user may display an exhibitor number in a horse show or other competition or display equine jewelry, such as, but not limited to, a breed logo; a horse, stable, or owner name; or a monogram.
Several circumstances exist under which a horse owner or horse rider may wish to display an item on the tack of his or her horse. For example, displays may be needed or desired for competition in horse shows or exhibitions. Additionally, there is an increasing trend among horse owners and riders to display equine jewelry, representing perhaps a breed logo or a horse or owner name, a monogram, or any decorative design.
An exhibitor or contestant at a horse show receives an exhibitor number tag upon entry into the competition or show. For example, throughout this disclosure and associated drawing figures, the entry number 341 is used on an exhibitor number tag. Such a number identifies both horse and rider in a competition. All scoring by judges is based not on a rider name or a horse name, but rather is based on and recorded by the number printed on the exhibition number tag and displayed on either the horse or the back of the rider. These exhibitor number tags are typically comprised of a number printed on a heavy paper or a cardstock. Some exhibitor number tags are available with pin holes and/or a metal clip located on the back. Depending on the saddle class in which the rider is competing, the exhibitor number tag may be displayed on each side of the horse by pinning it to the saddle pad, saddle blanket, or bridle.
Several concerns exist with the methods currently available for displaying exhibitor number tags. For those placed on the bridle of a horse, the horse may experience discomfort, limited vision, or annoyance at the presence of the exhibitor number tag. For those placed on a saddle pad or saddle blanket, via a means of pinning or otherwise, the exhibitor number tag may flap and cause disturbances for the rider and/or the horse. Additionally, a judge may find it difficult to clearly observe and read a number on the exhibitor number tag if it is freely moving about on the surface to which it is pinned or attached.
A display need exists not only for horse shows and competitions, but also a display need or desire exists to show equine jewelry.
An increasing trend is developing in which horse owners and/or riders wish to display equine jewelry on a horse. Such equine jewelry may include a breed logo; a horse, owner, or stable name; a monogram; or any decorative design. For example, in regard to breed logos, the owner of a Dutch Warmblood may wish to display equine jewelry on the horse tack that is in the shape and form of a standing and roaring lion placed upon a roughly pentagon-shaped shield. Or perhaps the owner of a Swedish Warmblood may wish to display a block-letter “S” with a crown placed upon the top of the “S”. Breed logos are well known in the equine field. Jewelers are incorporating these breed logos into various jewelry pieces that can be displayed on the tack of a horse or elsewhere.
In the prior art, some devices have been disclosed for displaying a number used by a competitor in a horse show. Many such devices still require that the exhibitor number tag be attached via a means of pinning the tag to a saddle pad or clipping it to the bridle worn by the horse, for example. Such devices may be uncomfortable or distracting to the rider or to the horse. In fact, a horse or rider might actually be stuck by a pin while the pinning process is taking place. Furthermore, such devices may not enable a judge to easily and clearly view the number associated with a particular horse and rider.
However, while such devices may be suitable for their particular purposes, they are not suitable for the purposes of the present invention. Therefore, a need exists for a saddle pad display system as is disclosed in the present invention.
These and other problems exist. Previous attempts to solve these and other problems include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,273, issued to Schneider on May 23, 2000, discloses a contour English saddle pad having a rear area that is sufficient in size to accommodate an exhibitor number on each side of the pad. Preferably, the rear area of each side of the pad comprises a transparent or translucent, preferably non-glare plastic pocket, into which a card printed with the exhibitor number may be easily inserted and removed. The saddle pad of the invention allows display of the exhibitor number on each side of the horse without detracting from the presentation of the horse and is especially useful in English classes in which conformation is a judging criterion. A major benefit of the saddle pad of the invention, especially in English classes in which multiple horses are exhibited simultaneously, is that the exhibitor's number is continuously displayed within the same field of vision in which the judge evaluates the movement and conformation of the horse, thereby eliminating viewing problems associated with the traditional wearing of the exhibitor number on the rider's back. This disclosed invention, however, may result in the plastic discoloring or cracking over time.
U.S. Design Patent No. Des. 376,226, issued to Podolny on Dec. 3, 1996, discloses the ornamental design for a horse saddle pad with speakers and pockets for carrying a portable cassette or disc player. This disclosed invention, however, is not allowable in competition.
Additionally, there are several products in the marketplace that seek to provide a saddle pad with a competition exhibit entry number. For example, Chick's Discount Saddlery retails a competition fleece pin-on saddle pad, available online at http://www.chicksaddlery.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Product_Code=22P35&Screen=PROD. Yet another example from Texas Equine Saddlery is the English saddle pad with a translucent display number pocket attached on each side of the saddle pad with Velcro® fasteners. This English saddle pad product with display number pockets is available online at http://www.horseselectsales.com/halters.htm.
While these patents and other previous devices and methods have attempted to solve the above mentioned problems, none have provided for a saddle pad display system in the same manner as the present invention. Therefore, a need exists for such a device and method of manufacture.
In various embodiments, the present invention provides a new and useful saddle pad display system. A saddle pad display system is used in order to display an exhibitor number in a horse show or other competition or to display equine jewelry, such as, but not limited to, a breed logo, a horse or stable name, a monogram, or any decorative design.
In one exemplary embodiment, the present invention discloses a saddle pad display system by which a horse and rider may display an exhibitor number tag, equine jewelry, or the like on a saddle pad display system comprised of: a saddle pad, the saddle pad having a left side and a right side and further having an outer pad surface and an inner pad surface; a plurality of display holes cut and sewn into the saddle pad, the depth of the display holes continuing throughout the entire thickness of the saddle pad; a retaining sleeve attached to the inner pad surface and located centrally between a pair of display holes located on each side of the saddle pad; and a display item, the display item having a clip by which the display item may be securely attached to the saddle pad.
In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the saddle pad display system is manufactured such that there is only one display hole located on each side of the saddle pad.
A primary advantage of the present invention is that the saddle pad display system may be used to allow a competitor to enter a horse show and easily display the exhibitor number tag so that the judges may clearly see the number and such that neither the rider nor the horse is disturbed or harmed by the exhibitor number tag.
Another advantage of the present invention is that the saddle pad display system places the exhibit number tag on the saddle pad in such a manner that the exhibit number tag does not flap with horse movement and therefore prevent a judge from easily reading the competitor's number.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is the ease of use which a rider may place an exhibitor number tag or piece of equine jewelry into the saddle pad display system through the display holes. The clip located on the back of the exhibitor number tag or piece of equine jewelry can be easily slipped into place through the display holes and retaining sleeve without the bother and delay of working with pins.
The present invention is illustrated and described herein with reference to preferred embodiments and examples thereof, in which like reference numbers denote like parts or components, and in which:
Before explaining the disclosed embodiments of the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the particular arrangement shown since the invention is capable of other embodiments. Also, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.
Referring now to
The saddle pad 20, inner pad surface 30, and outer pad surface 28 may be manufactured from various materials or fabrics such as cotton or fleece. The display holes 22 may be located in varying places on the saddle pad 20; however, such placement must allow for clear visibility of the exhibitor number tag 40 by a judge. Although the present invention is shown with a pair of display holes 22 located on each side of the saddle pad 20, the saddle pad display system 10 may be manufactured such that only one display hole 22 exists on each side of the saddle pad 20. A pair of display holes 22 on either side of the saddle pad 20 may be located in varying distances apart from one another, so long as a display item may securely be placed into both of the displays holes, such that both display holes 22 are used simultaneously to hold one exhibitor number tag 40. In the present invention, the display holes 22 on one side are shown a distance of approximately one and one half inches apart from one another.
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring now to
Referring now to
Although the present invention has been illustrated and described with reference to preferred embodiments and examples thereof, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other embodiments and examples may perform similar functions and/or achieve similar results. For example: there are varying distances by which the display holes 22 may be placed apart; there exists a plethora of display items that might be displayed using the saddle pad display system 10; the display holes 22 might be placed in varying locations on the saddle pad 20; the display holes 22 may be cut at varying lengths to accommodate varying widths of metal clips 42 associated with each display item; and there exist various means by which a metal clip 42 might be attached to the back of an exhibitor number tag 40 or piece of equine jewelry 50 or 52, or the like. All such equivalent embodiments and examples are within the spirit and scope of the invention and are intended to be covered by the following claims.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 314821 | Fonteine | Mar 1885 | A |
| 497255 | Schroeder | May 1893 | A |
| 721653 | Amos | Mar 1903 | A |
| 2072188 | Tauber | Mar 1937 | A |
| 4604856 | Schneider et al. | Aug 1986 | A |
| 5575139 | Green | Nov 1996 | A |
| D376226 | Podolny | Dec 1996 | S |
| 5926920 | Denison | Jul 1999 | A |
| 6065273 | Schneider | May 2000 | A |
| 6125616 | Brown | Oct 2000 | A |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20070125047 A1 | Jun 2007 | US |
