Improvements in or relating to saddles

Abstract

The present invention relates especially to saddles for horses. We describe an insert for a panel (3) of a saddle, the insert comprising: a resilient plate (5) having first and second faces; a foam panel (4) attached to the first face; and a pair of inflatable air bags or bladders (6,7) attached to the second face of the resilient plate. The pair of air bags are arranged in a non-overlapping configuration. Suitably, the resilient plate is formed of a high rigidity polymeric material, such as a polypropylene copolymer. Suitably, the foam is a polyether foam having a density of between 80 and 140 kg/m2 and a compressive load deflection of 15-25 kPa. Advantageously, the resilient plate has a stiffness equivalent to the stiffness of a 2 mm thick sheet of a material having a tensile or flexural modulus of elasticity in the range of from 900 MPa to 2000 MPa, preferably in the range of 1000 MPa to 1500 MPa, more preferably in the range of 1000 MPa to 1300 MPa.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.