Abstract: Animal harness, including blankets and straps, provides low pressure internal pneumatic elements to aid in padding harness effect on an animal and in ventilating animal body portions thereunder. A blanket provides an air pervious felt element folded upon itself and sewn to form a plurality of adjacent open-ended pockets, each carrying an inflatable bicycle tire inner tube deformed to fit in a pocket with two side-by-side courses. The felt element is covered by an air pervious fabric cover. A harness strap provides two similar mesh side elements joined about adjacent peripheral edges by banding to define a medial channel. A strap having connectors at each end and a medial cross strap is joined to the outer surface of one mesh side element for strength and to allow fastening to other harness structure. The medial channel defined by the strap carries an inflatable bicycle tire inner tube deformed to an elongate shape.

Abstract: This is a device to assist a person to quickly and easily fasten and tighten the girth strap of a saddle. When a horse is being saddled, some horses have a tendency to inflate their girth making it difficult to attach the girth buckle to the billet strap. The present device hooks into an upper hole on the billet strap and then loops through the girth buckle so that a person can apply a leveraged upper force to the girth buckle making it easier to securely fasten the girth buckle to the billet strap and thereby securely fasten a saddle to a horse.

Abstract: A saddle cinch or girth is a strong wide fibrous or leather band used to secure a saddle on a horse. A problem with cinches or girths is that they often wear a horse's skin raw. A non-rub cover for saddle cinches or girths is disclosed which comprises a tubular rubber sleeve which is soft and elastic and of sufficient thickness to prevent abrasive contact. The sleeve has openings on opposite sides at the middle to allow the girth rings to protrude. The sleeve is easily slid over cinch or girth and optionally the end buckles to protect against abrasion. The girth rings protruding through the openings permit the saddle straps to be fastened thereto. Another embodiment of the invention uses a protective sleeve of the same material and shape but slit longitudinally and having longitudinally extending velcro fasteners extending along the slit edges to permit the sleeve to be formed at the place of use.

Abstract: A Western horse cinch having reinforcing webbing along an exterior surface and a removable fleece liner along an interior surface is disclosed. The cinch is approximately four and one-half inches wide and 32 and one-half inches long. A strip of four inch wide Velcro.TM. fabric lines the inner surface of the entire length of a four inch span of webbing which forms the body of the cinch. A standard piece of padded fleece fabric has a strip of complementary Velcro.TM. running its entire length. Thus, the fleece fabric is easily removable from the strip of webbing for washing. A second piece of webbed fabric is stitched the length of the cinch and is looped to retain a four inch D-ring at each end. It also has a narrow strip of webbing placed at the center (midsection) which holds two opposing one-inch D-rings in place. These smaller D-rings are used for attachment of a breast collar or breast plate and a flank strap.

Abstract: The present invention provides an adjustable cinch belt for a saddle. The belt uses two straps designed to slide relative to one another to adjust the length of the belt. A three pronged locking plate secures the straps together to prevent unintentional movement of the straps to stop accidental loosening of the belt. The belt is designed for use as a girth cinch belt as well as a flank cinch belt in another embodiment.

Abstract: The invention provides a strap component for equipment such as equestrian harness or saddlery equipment. The strap component comprises a plurality of elongate tubular portions each containing an elongate cord. The tubular portions and the elongate cords are woven integrally from continuous filament crimped polyester and crimped polypropylene respectively. A binding piece at each of the strap covers the end and provides attachment for buckles or short straps.

Abstract: A saddle girth includes an elongated member having a length sufficient to completely encircle about the midsection of an animal. An inner surface of the elongated member faces the animal during use. Gripping members extend from the inner surface of the elongated member to the animal to increase rotatable friction forces and to decrease the likelihood that the elongated member will rotatably slip when secured into place. First interlocking hook and loop type fasteners are affixed onto portions of the elongated member at locations adapted for adjusting and securing the circumferential extent of the girth about the animal. Second interlocking hook and loop type fasteners are affixed at a saddle receiving portion of the girth. Reinforcement material is included on the elongated member at the portion where the saddle is received.

Abstract: A "quick cinch" is provided to replace the latigo normally used on a saddle for tightening the cinch around the stomach of a horse. There is a first or upper U-shaped member which has two parallel arms and a top or cross member to complete the U configuration. The top cross member extends beyond the parallel arms for using as a stop when connected to the D-ring that is secured to the saddle. These stops hook with the D-ring. A second U-shaped member having two arms is provided. The ends of the arms of the first and second U-shaped member are pivotally connected. A strap bar is provided between the two arms of the second U-shaped member intermediate the ends thereof. A piece of leather extends over the strap bar and is buckled to the ring on the cinch and the top of the other U-shaped member is hooked to the ring which is secured to the saddle. Then movement of the second U-shaped member with respect to the first will tighten the cinch.

Abstract: A girth strap which has a main body part having a tubular webbing sheath closed at opposite ends. The strap has a central nylon reinforcing band and a pair of short end straps carrying buckles. Readily releasable, elasticated end straps are attached to the main body part by tongueless retaining buckles.

Abstract: A cinch for use with a western saddle of the type employing a front cinch and a flank cinch. A western saddle typically has a cinch strap located on the near-side (left side) of the saddle disposed forwardly from the saddle's center, and an off strap located on the off-side (right side) of the saddle in a position opposing the cinch strap. The cinch strap and off strap are used for attaching the front cinch. A flank cinch billet also extends from either side of the saddle near its rear for attaching to the flank cinch. The cinch disclosed includes a flexible front cinch member for attaching to and extending between the cinch strap and the off strap of the saddle and having a midsection for extending under the rib cage of the horse. The cinch of the present invention further includes flexible near-side and off-side flank cinch members which connect to the midsection of the front cinch member and extend outwardly and rearwardly to the flank cinch billets of the saddle.

Abstract: A cinch strap is provided which is generally of two-part construction. The first part comprises a tensile load-carrying band and buckles are secured to opposite ends thereof so that the strap can be fastened to a saddle. The second part comprises a resiliently compressible, cushioning band secured in face to face relationship with the first part. A closed loop is formed at the center of the strap by respective lengths of the bands and the respective length of the first band lies in a slack bight in an unstressed condition. When the strap is subjected to increasing longitudinal tensile load, for example, by the body of a horse the respective length of the second band stretches until the slack is taken up and any further increase in load is shared between both lengths.

Abstract: A harness for a horse and sulky comprising a saddle and an elastic girth and a method for attaching the harness to the shafts of a sulky. The saddle includes a bearing strap extending down the sides of the saddle and attaches to each end of the girth. The bearing strap is secured to the top of and at two locations on each side of the saddle. A sulky shaft loop is attached to the bearing strap between the saddle attachment points. A tie down strap attached to the top of the saddle and extending down therefrom is wrapped around the sulky shaft passing through each shaft loop and is tightly secured to the top of the saddle, pulling and securing the shafts and the shaft loops in an upward direction. The shaft loops are adjustably positioned on the bearing straps. A safety strap is loosely fitted to the elastic girth and wrapped around the sulky shafts with slack therebetween.

Abstract: A saddle girth is described that includes a central belt portion that is constructed entirely of an elastomeric substance, particularly a plasticized polyvinyl chloride. The girth includes a fastening means at opposite ends for attachment to the saddle billets of a typical riding saddle. The portion of the girth that comes into contact with the horse is a smooth expansible surface of the belt portion. This girth will expand and contract in response to breathing and movements of the horse and will not chafe the adjacent skin tissues nor become soaked with sweat and grime.

Abstract: The specification discloses a saddle girth in which a webbing member is formed into a loop by joining the ends together. A pair of girth buckles are attached to the loop along with buckle overlap and padding members to form a high strength saddle girth.

Abstract: A body strap component of equestrian harness or saddlery equipment, such as a girth, surcingle or roller, is disclosed which comprises an elongate tubular webbing sheath formed of woven yarn composed of staple fibers of a polyester synthetic polymer material. The webbing sheath is filled by an insert filling composed of a strip of porous foam expanded plastics material. The ends of the sheath are sealed and are provided with relatively short end straps carrying buckle fastening fittings. Adjacent the end straps, a longitudinally-extending reinforcing band is secured to the sheath and has an elasticity less than the elasticity of the sheath material.

Abstract: A device for facilitating the saddling of a horse by making easier and more flexible the fastening of the strap between the rigging ring on the saddle and the cinch strap under the belly of the horse, is further improved by the addition of a novel wrench device. The rotary winch or roller which effects the tightening of the strap takes the form of a hollow cylinder and includes in its interior a novel cylindrical ratchet with an engaging pawl and a retractable, telescoping handle permanently positioned therein to provide ready and convenient access for operation, freedom from interference, and avoidance of loss or misplacement of the handle.