NZ540119A - Equestrian aid - Google Patents

Abstract

An equestrian coaching aid that assists a rider to achieve optimum contact with the horse is disclosed. The aid includes strain gauges mounted in order to measure the pressure applied to each rein of a bridle. Readings from the strain gauges are processed and transmitted to a remote receiver and display unit so that the measurements may be viewed and the rider or their coach may accurately see how much pressure is being applied to each rein under all riding conditions.

Description

New Zealand Patent Appn No. 540119 Filed: 31st October 2005 Patents Form No. 5 Patents Act 1953 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION EQUESTRIAN COACHING AID We, Kingfishers International Limited, of 1710 Main Road, Cust, North Canterbury, New Zealand, a New Zealand company, hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: 1 (to be followed by 1a) Title: Equestrian Coaching Aid Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an equestrian coaching aid, in particular to apparatus 5 for enabling the rider of a horse to achieve optimum contact with the horse. The invention is of particular value in coaching riders, learning dressage, but also is of value in other equestrian applications, e.g. training jockeys in race riding.

Background of the Invention 10 When a horse is ridden, the rider normally guides and controls the horse in part by the pressure which the rider applies to the horse's mouth via the reins and the bit, or via the reins and the noseband, if the horse is ridden in a Parelii halter or in a hackamore bridle. Pressure applied by both reins to the bit/noseband steadies the horse; reducing this pressure is a sign to the horse that it may accelerate, and greater 15 pressure applied to the rein on one side causes the horse to turn towards that side.

Because the pressure of the reins is one of the principal ways in which a rider communicates with the horse (the others being leg pressure and body position), it is very important for clear communication with the horse that the rein pressure is applied 20 as intended by the rider. However, it is common for a rider to tend to be "heavier handed" on one side, and/or to consistently apply more pressure or less pressure than he or she intends to. Extreme cases of these problems will be evident from the horse's behaviour, and thus easily picked up by the rider or the rider's coach, but the less extreme cases may be very difficult to detect but nevertheless will detract from the 25 rider's communication with the horse and result in the horse performing significantly less well than it otherwise would.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an equestrian coaching aid which enables a rider's coach or the rider to see how much pressure is applied by the 30 rider on each rein, rapidly, accurately and under all riding conditions.

The present invention provides an equestrian coaching aid including: a strain gauge which is mountable along the length of each rein of a bridle, such that the pressure applied to that rein applies the same pressure to the corresponding strain gauge; each 35 strain gauge being in communication with a microprocessor and radio-frequency transmitter mountable upon the bridle, such that in use the reading from each strain la gauge is received by the microprocessor, processed, and transmitted by the radio frequency transmitter to a receiver and display unit which is adapted to show each strain gauge reading.

Preferably, each strain gauge is mountable between the end of each rein closest to the horse's head and the bit (in a conventional bridle) or the noseband (in a Parelii halter or hackamore bridle).

Preferably, the microprocessor and radio frequency transmitter are combined in a 10 single unit and mountable on the horse's poll, on the headpiece of a partial bridle worn over a conventional bridle or Parelii halter or hackamore bridle.

By way of example only, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is described in detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 shows a side view of a horse's head fitted with the apparatus of the present invention, in combination with a conventional bitted bridle; and Figure 2 is a flow-chart showing the sequence of events when the apparatus is used.

Referring to Figure 1, the apparatus 2 is worn over a standard bridle 2a and comprises a second partial bridle made up of a first strap 3 which forms two cheek pieces 4 lying over the cheek pieces 4a of the normal bridle and formed integrally with a headpiece 5 which passes over the horse's poll. Each end of the strap 3 is secured to the 25 noseband 6 of the standard bridle, adjacent the bit 7, and the strap 3 is held in its correct place on the horse by a brow band 8 and a throat lash 9, which lie over the brow band 8a and throat lash 9a of the standard bridle.

Each rein 10 of the standard bridle normally would be connected to the corresponding 30 ring 11 of the bit 7 in the usual way. In the present invention, the end of 10a of each rein 10 is connected to one end of a strain gauge 12, the other end of which is connected to the corresponding ring 11. Each strain gauge 12 is connected by a cable 13 (shown in broken lines) to a small microprocessor and radio frequency transmitter 14 which is mounted on the portion 5 of the apparatus, above the horse's poll. Each 35 cable 13 is secured along the corresponding cheek piece 4. 2 The above described arrangement is such that, when in use, a rider pulls on the reins 10, pressure is transmitted from the end of the rein to the bit 7 in usual way, but the pressure is transmitted through the corresponding strain gauge 12, so that the exact amount of pressure exerted by each rein can be independently measured.

The measurement from each strain gauge is continuously passed through the cable 13 to the microprocessor/transmitter 14 where the strain gauge reading is digitized, and processed by the microprocessor and then transmitted by the transmitter to a receiver and display unit. On the display unit, the reading from each strain gauge is shown 10 separately, and may be displayed as a pressure reading, or as a display which varies visually, depending upon the level of pressure, e.g. the display may vary through a colour range, or consist of a column which varies in length depending upon the level of pressure. It therefore is possible to see from the display unit not only the pressure exerted upon the horse's bit by each of the reins, but also a comparison between the 15 two pressures.

The display unit may be of any suitable type, e.g. a handheld unit which is battery or solar-power operated so as to be completely portable, or could be a larger display permanently mounted at some point on the paddock so as to be visible to the rider as 20 well as to the coach. The larger display may be connected to a lap-top computer, to provide a print-out of the display. A permanently mounted display unit can be battery-, mains-, or solar-powered.

The above described apparatus is used as follows:- as shown in Figure 2: the 25 pressures exerted by the rider on the left and right reins are transmitted to the left and right strain gauges respectively, and hence to the bit, so that the horse is controlled in the usual manner. The reading from each strain gauge is passed to the microprocessor/transmitter 14 by the cable 13 which processes each signal and transmits a separate signal to the display unit 15, so that the rider and/or rider's coach 30 can see at a glance the pressure being exerted by each of the reins.

Another possible variant is to build a microprocessor and transmitter unit into the housing of each strain gauge, i.e. to replace the single microprocessor/transmitter 14 with a separate microprocessor/transmitter for each of the strain gauges 12. It will be 35 appreciated that this variant requires the use of a very small microprocessor/transmitter, since the strain gauge housing must not be too large or 3 heavy.

Another modification is to replace the cable 13 between each strain gauge 12 and the microprocessor/transmitter 14 with a wireless connection.

The above described apparatus provides a valuable instructional tool, because not only can the coach tell whether a rider is using too much or too little rein pressure overall, but also whether an even pressure is being used on both reins or, if an uneven pressure is in fact required, whether the pressure differential is correct.

The information from the apparatus may be used for a wide variety of coaching, and is useful for everything from basic training through to dressage, jumping, and racing practice.

The display on the display unit may be to any desired degree of accuracy and in any of a variety of forms, as suited to the particular application.

The apparatus has been described with especial reference to a standard bitted bridle, since this is very much in the commonest form of bridle, but it will be appreciated that 20 the apparatus of the present invention could be fitted to a Parelii halter or a hackamore bridle instead, in which case the strain gauges would register the pressure applied by each rein to the noseband.

The apparatus of the present invention also could be permanently built into a bridle or 25 Parelii halter or hackamore bridle if desired, but in general it is believed that it will be preferred to produce the apparatus as an over-bridle as described above.

Claims (11)

1. An equestrian coaching aid including: a strain gauge which is mountable along the length of each rein of a bridle, such that the pressure applied to that rein applies the same pressure to the corresponding strain gauge; each strain gauge being in communication with a microprocessor and radio-frequency transmitter mountable upon the bridle, such that in use the reading from each strain gauge is received by the microprocessor, processed, and transmitted by the radio frequency transmitter to a receiver and display unit which is adapted to show each strain gauge reading.
2. The equestrian coaching aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein each strain gauge is mountable between the end of each rein closest to the horse's head and the bit of a conventional bridle.
3. The equestrian coaching aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein each strain gauge is mountable between the end of each rein closest to the horse's head and the noseband of a Parelii halter or hackamore bridle.
4. The equestrian coaching aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the microprocessor and radio-frequency transmitter are combined in a single unit.
5. The equestrian coaching aid as claimed in claim 4, wherein the combined microprocessor and radio-frequency transmitter are mounted on the head piece of a partial bridle worn over a conventional bridle or Parelii halter or hackamore bridle.
6. The equestrian coaching aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each strain gauge is connected to the microprocessor by means of a wire connection.
7. The equestrian coaching aid as claimed in any one of claims 1 - 5, wherein each strain gauge is connected to the microprocessor by means of a wireless connection. 5 Intellectual Property (,jffTV Ot 'Ai 7. 16 FEB 2007 RECEIVED 5 10
8. 8. The equestrian coaching aid as claimed in claim 4, which includes a first combined microprocessor and radio-frequency transmitter mounted adjacent one of the strain gauges, and a second combined microprocessor and radio-frequency transmitter mounted adjacent to the other of the strain gauges.
9. 9. The equestrian coaching aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the receiver and display unit is a handheld unit.
10. 10. The equestrian coaching aid as claimed in any one of claims 1-8, wherein the receiver and display unit is a fixed unit.
11. 11. The equestrian coaching aid substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings. END OF CLAIMS 6