DESIGN AND EVALUATION OF A HORSE SADDLE USING CAD SOFTWARE

Abstract

The pressure on a horse's back can affect their performance during the equestrian competition. A better pressure distribution on the surface of the horse's back can be obtained using a custom saddle, considering the rider's weight and back anatomy. The first part of the paper presents a recent study regarding the mathematical and CAD methods used to generate the hyperbolic paraboloid of the saddle surface. The second part of the paper shows the saddle design modelled using CAD software. The horse's back and rider's anatomy stay at the base of the saddle's surface. The saddle surface is divided into several areas for a better and more accurate evaluation. The third part of the paper presents the saddle evaluation using the finite elements method, using two load simulation cases in different rider situations. The improved shape of the saddle and conclusions are shown in the last part of the paper.