SaddlePup

Abstract

The invention is an apparatus to carry small items and animals on the back of a horse or other pack animal by attaching a platform to the back of a rider's saddle which rests on the hindquarters of the animal.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

None

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO A “SEQUENCE LISTING,” A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC AND AN INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF THE MATERIAL ON THE COMPACT DISC.

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

The present invention is an accessory to a horse saddle that allows a dog or small amount of luggage to ride comfortably on the back of a horse until needed.

(2) Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 Cfr 1.97 And 1.98

Cowboys have used saddlebags to carry items while on horseback for hundreds of years. Saddlebags sit in various positions, on the back, side, or front of the saddle. Most attach to the saddle by straps and ties. They can be made from various materials. Although leather was the traditional material, it is heavier and requires more maintenance than many modern versions. Though there are several types of saddle bags, the most traditional is a set of paired saddlebags which lie on the hips of the horse, on either side of the cantle.

Saddle bags function best when they do not interfere with movement of a horse's legs, and have a low center of gravity. They often have a loose connection to a saddle to prevent them from sliding off on one side when a load is unbalanced. As a rider must lift his leg above the back of a horse in order to take position on a saddle, a saddle bag should rise high off of a horse's back as little as possible.

Just as the cowboys of the past used trained dogs to assist them with herd management, modern-day cowboys still use similar techniques. It is common for a cowboy to either ride his horse or drive his truck several miles to a herd's location, and then use trained dogs to control herds of cattle and other animals.

Cowboys often drive trucks to the area of the herd, but trucks cannot always reach the herd, and difficult terrain requires expensive trucks. Use of a horse to reach a herd also has drawbacks, however. If a cowboy uses a horse, then his dog has to follow the horse on foot. When the cowboy reaches the area where the herd must be worked, the dog has already had to run at a substantial distance at a fast pace, and already fatigued.

What is needed is a simple means for a horse rider to carry a dog by horseback, so it is fresh when the cowboy arrives at the herd's location. Such a task cannot be accomplished by mere saddle bags, which do carry small cargo and sit behind a saddle. Nor can a platform just be attached to a horse as though it is a saddle, because the cinch (the belt which goes around the horse's stomach to hold the saddle to the horse) cannot be employed to hold a platform behind the saddle, as it will interfere with the horse's groin and flank movement.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The general object of the invention, known as a Saddle Pup, is to safely carry a dog or other small cargo on a stable platform held behind a saddle.

The invention consists of a walled platform 11 that connects to a horse's saddle, sitting behind the cantle. Saddles have a strap running under a horse to hold them in place (known as the cinch). The invention can have no similar strap, as it would interfere with the horse's flanks, so the Saddle Pup attaches to the saddle using leather straps 15 that tie to the saddle. Though platform 11 usually has a wall 13 around it to assist a dog or cargo to remain on the platform as the rider travels, the wall is not necessary to the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

The attached drawing is provided as a non-limiting example of the invention, specifically:

FIG. 1—Orthogonal view of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, the foregoing and other objects and advantages are attained by a Saddle Pup that sits on the back of a horse and is attached to a saddle. By attaching the platform to the saddle, a stable platform for carrying a dog or other cargo is created. FIG. 1 shows a typical configuration, comprising a platform 11, a wall 13, and a pair of leather straps 15 that connect the invention to the saddle.

The Pup will typically fit against or close to the back of the saddle, and the edge 17 closest to the cantle will have a similar radius to the cantle so it creates more stability for the Pup.

The Pup will attach to the saddle at two points, as shown in FIG. 1. The current approach shown uses saddle strings, leather straps affixed to the left and right side of a saddle, in two slots 15 which tie to the saddle and hold it in place. This is just one approach, as the invention could use any number of other methods to tie the Pup to a saddle, including snaps, Velcro, buttons, or even zippers. The key is to have sufficient points of contact to the saddle to ensure that the platform 11 remains horizontal and sufficiently stable such that a trained dog will be comfortable riding behind the horse's rider.

A wall 13 will typically be part of the Pup's construction, used to keep a dog or cargo from falling off if the horse should break into a faster pace. The wall's height must be limited to allow a rider to mount the horse and lift his leg over it.

SEQUENCE LISTING

Not Applicable

Claims

1) An apparatus for carrying dogs or other cargo on the back of a horse, comprising:

a. a platform shaped to fit behind a saddle cantle, and

b. a means for attaching the platform to a saddle.

2) An apparatus as in claim 1, with a vertical wall around the platform.

3) An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the means for attaching the platform to a saddle is a pair of leather straps which tie to the right and left side of a saddle.