Harness for working animal – Breaking and training devices
Reexamination Certificate
2003-03-08
2004-08-03
Swiatek, Robert P. (Department: 3643)
Harness for working animal
Breaking and training devices
C054S001000, C119S859000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06769235
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an animal training system, and more particularly, to an adjustable quadruped training harness adapted to be fitted on a quadruped for providing increased control over the quadruped by a trainer during training sessions and for instilling confidence in the quadruped. The harness includes a shoulder strap having a first adjustable retaining strap associated therewith for positioning the shoulder strap across the shoulders of the quadruped and a buttock strap having a second adjustable retaining strap associated therewith for positioning the buttock strap across the buttocks of the quadruped, the shoulder strap and the buttock strap being adjustably connected and arranged to extend completely around the quadruped in a close-fitting fashion in order to exert pressure against the shoulders and the buttocks of the quadruped. A fastening ring is centrally located on the shoulder strap to provide a point of attachment of the harness to a lead rope to enable a trainer to exhibit control over the quadruped. To provide further control over the quadruped, the harness includes a number of sites for attaching shocking devices that when activated apply an electrical shock to the quadruped and thereby elicit a desired behavior from the quadruped. While the invention is described for use in relation to a horse, it is necessarily understood that the invention may be utilized with other animals, such as cattle, dogs and the like. The horse is utilized for ease of description and since horses generally provide for the majority of use of a system as described.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Horses are trained for various functions or performances. Among such are: loading into a trailer, reigning, leading, driving and breeding. Various horse harnesses are known in the art for facilitating these activities. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,405 to Westlund describes a harness including a characteristic and essential adjustable two part top strap, a tail strap connected to the top strap, inverted U shaped rear and front cross straps of affixed to the top strap, an adjustable strap hanger suspended from each end of each of the cross straps, a breast strap adjustably connected to the front strap hanger and a body strap supported by the strap hangers having two side parts of an elastic material, a U shaped hind part and a U shaped front part. From a practical standpoint, the obvious shortcoming of Westlund is its complexity. No less than nine buckles and fourteen straps, including the characteristic and essential two part top strap, are required to accomplish the objects of Westlund. Thus, the Westlund harness is not practical for use in situations where a trainer needs to quickly and easily fit a harness onto a horse in order to bring the horse under control. Furthermore, the Westlund harness includes hooks and rings that protrude outward from the harness that can catch on objects and other horses thereby injuring or entangling the horse. As such, the Westlund harness is not arranged to be left on an unattended horse. Lastly, the Westlund harness fails to include attachment points for connecting remotely activated shocking devices or means of maintaining straps in a close-fitting, strategic position for maximizing the effects of the shocking devices. Accordingly, the Westlund harness does not enable a trainer to influence a horse's behavior from afar.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,161,005 to Ackerson describes an electrical animal training device for training a horse to stop, back-up and turn right and left. The device includes a harness having a pair of spaced apart parallel electric leads each provided with a series of spaced contact points and a portable electric current generator for supplying electric current to the contact points. The contact points are arranged to be positioned at an area adjacent the horse's neck where they make contact with the horse's skin. The device can also be incorporated into a breast collar that is attached to a saddle by an extension of the breast collar. The breast collar is used to train the horse to back-up or stop by transmitting an electric shock to its chest from contact points in the breast collar. The device is controlled by a rider who can energize the harness by touching a button control. Like Westlund, the Ackerson harness does not allow a trainer to remotely apply an electrical shock to a horse. Furthermore, although Ackerson utilizes electrical shocking devices to influence a horse, Ackerson does not provide any way of influencing a horse to move forward, in particular, a buttock portion supporting an electrical shocking device.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a simple to use and inexpensive harness having a minimal number of parts that is capable of providing a trainer a multitude of options and training methods for quickly and efficiently training a horse.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of the invention is to provide a humane training harness that instills in a horse on which it is fitted confidence in a trainer.
A further primary object of the invention is to provide a training harness that can be left on an unattended horse for an extended amount of time, for example, between training sessions and that does not substantially hinder the movement of the horse about an area.
A further primary object of the invention is to provide an animal training harness that can be placed on small and large animals alike.
A further primary object of the invention is to provide a training harness that simultaneously exerts pressure across the shoulders and buttocks of a horse when the horse is at rest.
A further primary object of the invention is to provide a training harness that allows a trainer to create pressure on the buttocks of the horse, in addition to pressure exerted by the harness on a horse when the horse is at rest.
A further primary object of the invention is to provide a training harness that allows pressure exerted against the buttocks of the horse when the harness is being led by a trainer using a lead rope attached to the harness to be transferred to the front of the shoulders of the horse when the trainer stops pulling on the lead strap.
Another object of the invention is to provide a training harness that allows a trainer to increase the leverage on a horse when pulling the horse, for example, when attempting to load the horse into a trailer.
Another object of the invention is to provide a horse harness that provides means of preventing a horse form cribbing, pawing, rearing up and fighting.
Another object of the invention is to provide a training harness that allows a trainer to influence a horse to move forward, backward, to the right and to the left.
Another object of the invention is to provide a training harness that allows a trainer to influence the behavior of a horse from a location remote from the horse.
The objects of the invention are accomplished by providing a harness including a flexible yet substantially unstretchable first portion adapted to extend around a horse and fit snuggly against the shoulders and buttocks thereof and a suspension system for maintaining the first portion on the horse at predetermined positions thereabout. The first portion can be divided into a shoulder portion adapted to extend across the shoulders of the horse, a pair of spaced apart, parallel flank portions connected with the shoulder portion and arranged to extend across the respective sides of the horse and a buttock portion connected with the pair of opposing flank portions and arranged to extend across the buttocks of the horse.
At each point of connection between the shoulder portion and the flank portions and the flank portions with the buttock portion, the connections can be fixed or adjustable. Where a connection is fixed, it is preferred that the respective portions be joined using a circular member such as a metal ring having an opening therethrough, although any shape will suffice, such as square or triangular, and an opening is not
Browning C. Brandon
Sirote & Permutt P.C.
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