Automatic horse walker

Details Automatic horse walker Automatic horse walker

1999-06-21

2001-04-10

Poon, Peter M. (Department: 3644)

Animal husbandry

Exercise or amusement device

Animal forced to travel relative to an underlying,...

C119S721000, C119S701000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06213056

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to mechanical horse walkers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Horse trainers commonly use horse walkers for the purposes of forcing a horse to walk during a “cool down” period after a race in order to protect the horse from muscle stiffening and respiratory infections, training a horse and breaking a horse to harness or halter when the horse is young. Traditionally, the horse walker was an exercise boy who led the horse by the reins. In more modern times, several types of mechanical devices have been developed to motivate a horse to move in a walking gait.
For example, Profughi (U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,018) discloses a horse walker apparatus having spokes connected to a rotating hub. A horse is tethered to a spoke and pulled along when the hub rotates.
Losaw (U.S. Pat. No. 3,815,551) discloses a mechanical horse walker that is portable. Curtis (U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,274) discloses a mechanical horse walker with a continuously variable transmission for preventing injury to a horse.
The mechanical horse walkers disclosed in the prior art teach the use a tether in which a horse is pulled in a circle by a rotating arm. This presents several problems. The mechanical force provided by the rotating arm pulling the horse's tether is sometimes inadequate impetus for a balking horse to keep moving. Some of the existing art mechanical horse walkers have slip clutches or other devices to prevent injury to the horse. However, these devices do not provide any impetus to keep the horse moving except for a pull on the tether. Thus, a balking race horse may injure himself by failing to keep walking after a race.
Another problem with mechanical horse walkers of the existing art is that they do present a hazard to a horse, because a mechanical malfunction of a protective device, such as a slip clutch, may result in the horse being dragged by the horse walker.
Yet another problem of mechanical horse walkers of the existing art is, because they use a tether, they restrict the movement of the horse's head; and restrict the horse to a narrow circular path, as limited by the length of the tether.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is for a mechanical horse walker which provides an electrical stimulus to provoke forward movement of a horse. The mechanical horse walker has a plurality of radial arms connected to a vertical shaft at one end and has a grid assembly connected at the other end. The vertical shaft is connected to a vertical shaft support assembly. This assembly is supported by an apparatus support assembly and has the ability to rotate in a circular fashion due to a drive means. A bearing housing assembly provides the means for the vertical shaft assembly to rotate.
The electrical stimulus is provided by electrifying the vertical shaft support assembly, vertical shaft, radial arms and/or associated grids by an electrifying means. The electrifying means could include an electrical wire being in contact with either the vertical shaft support assembly, vertical shaft, radial arms and/or associated grids. When the radial arm comes into contact with a horse, the horse is motivated to move away from the radial arm in a circular motion.
A pair of circular fences corral the horses into a desired path.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a sufficient impetus to keep a horse moving in a forward direction.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a sufficient impetus to keep a horse moving in a forward direction, wherein such impetus is by electrical stimulus.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanical horse walker which does not pull a horse by a tether.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanical horse walker which does not restrict movement of a horse's head during use.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a mechanical horse walker which does not restrict movement of the horse to the length of a tether.


REFERENCES:
patent: 821395 (1906-05-01), Arthurs
patent: 2831457 (1958-04-01), McMurry
patent: 3291099 (1966-12-01), Crane et al.
patent: 3773018 (1973-11-01), Profughi
patent: 3815551 (1974-06-01), Losaw
patent: 3827402 (1974-08-01), Laurenz
patent: 3965866 (1976-06-01), Lorentz et al.
patent: 3981274 (1976-09-01), Curtis
patent: 4128200 (1978-12-01), Jones et al.
patent: 4265199 (1981-05-01), Hopkins
patent: 4275686 (1981-06-01), MacGillivray
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patent: 4997127 (1991-03-01), McEwen
patent: 5630380 (1997-05-01), Karanges
patent: 6055939 (2000-05-01), Stelljes
patent: 2249012 (1992-04-01), None

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