Arrangement for setting back the seat of an equestrian saddle and a damping device adapted to be fitted to said arrangement

An equestrian saddle which is constructed such that, when fixedly positioned on the back of a horse, the weight of a rider sitting therein will be over the 13th and 14th dorsal vertebrae of the backbone of the horse, said equestrian saddle comprising

• a saddle frame which has a forward end, a rearward end and opposite left and right sides,
• a seat mounted on said saddle frame of supporting a rider,
• a plurality of fastening means attached to the respective left and right sides of said saddle frame,
• left and right side panels located beneath said saddle frame and said plurality of fastening means, said left and right side panels defining front edges,
• an extension element attached to said saddle frame to extend forwardly thereof, said extension element comprising a pommel extension and left and right side panels, each of said left and right side panels having a forwardly-projecting end that can extend into an associated hollow of a horse's shoulder, said pommel extension including a fastening means on opposite sides thereof, and
• a girth which can extend around the underside of a horse, said girth having first and second end portions, each of said first and second end portions including (1) a plurality of rear fastening means for connection with said fastening means attached to the respective left and right sides of said saddle frame, and (2) a front fastening means for connection with the fastening means on the associated left and right sides of said pommel extension.

An equestrian saddle which is constructed such that, when fixedly positioned on the back of the horse, the weight of the rider sitting therein will be over the 13.sup.th and 14.sup.th dorsal vertebrae of the backbone of the horse, said equestrian saddle comprising:

• a saddle frame which has a forward end, a rearward end and opposite left and right sides;
• a seat mounted on said saddle frame for supporting the rider;
• a plurality of fastening means attached to the respective left and right sides of said saddle frame;
• left and right side panels located beneath said saddle frame and said plurality of fastening means, said left and right side panels defining front edges;
• an elongated saddle cloth located beneath said left and right side panels, said saddle cloth providing a left portion located beneath said left side panel and a right portion located beneath said right side panel, said left and right side portions of said saddle cloth having outer and inner surfaces and defining front edges which are positionable forwardly of the front edges of said left and right side panels;
• a girth which can pass over a girth line of the horse, said girth having first and second end portions, each of said first and second end portions including a plurality of fastening means for connection with said fastening means attached to the respective left and right sides of said saddle frame;
• a pad attached to the inner surface of each of the left and right portions of said saddle cloth for extending into an associated hollow of a horse's shoulder, and
• an abutment element attached to the outer surface of each of the left and right portions of said saddle cloth, against a rearward edge of which the front edge of the associated left or right side panel abuts.