Title:
SWIMMING POOL FOR HORSES
United States Patent 3691995
Abstract:
A swimming pool for use in exercising and conditioning horses in the form of a recessed water-filled tank of circular configuration having a sloping ramp portion providing ingress and egress of said tank and an island in the center of said tank creating thereby an annular-shaped pool, and a pair of diametrically opposed counterbalanced pedestrian bridges linking the island with the pool perimeter, with the bridges normally maintained with their island ends elevated.
Application Number:
05/027644
Publication Date:
09/19/1972
International Classes:
A01K13/00; A01K15/02; A01K13/00; A01K15/00; (IPC1-7): A01K15/00
Field of Search:
119/5,158,29,1 4
Primary Examiner:
Medbery, Aldrich F.
Claims:
I claim
1. In a swimming pool for use in exercising and conditioning horses of the type having a recessed water-filled tank of generally circular configuration with its upper edge substantially flush with ground level the improvement wherein an island of which an attendant may stand is provided proximate the center of said tank creating thereby an annular-shaped pool for horses; said island being linked to the perimeter of said pool by a pedestrian bridge having counterbalancing means for normally maintaining the island end of said bridge elevated at a height above said island sufficient to enable said attendant on said island to pass underneath said bridge, and yet at a height low enough to place said island end within manual reach of said attendant on said island, said counterbalancing force imposed by said counterbalancing means constituting a means for maintaining said island end of said bridge in said elevated position and being sufficiently weak as to be overcome by said attendant's manual downward pull on said island end to enable him to lower said bridge from said island in order to cross to the perimeter of said pool.
2. A swimming pool for horses as set forth in claim 1 further characterized in that a pair of such bridges are provided linking said island with said pool perimeter, said bridge pair being in substantially diametrical alignment.
3. A swimming pool for horses according to claim 1 further characterized in that there is a circumferential walkway for an attendant provided around said pool perimeter.
4. A swimming pool for horses as set forth in claim 2, further including a pair of ramps communicating with said pool at respective locations on the perimeter thereof in a line parallel to and adjacent said pair of diametrically aligned bridges, one of said ramps comprising an entry ramp for the horses and the other comprising an exit ramp for the horses, said pair of bridges serving to support an attendant as he guides a horse from said entry ramp to said exit ramp across said pool.
Description:
This invention is a simple economically constructed swimming pool for horses which will be used primarily for conditioning race horses. It may be constructed of either concrete or steel. Many trainers today resort to lakes, ponds and even the ocean for this exercise and conditioning.
This pool provides a safe method for horse swimming in that it allows attendants to supervise this activity and quickly remove an animal in the event he is experiencing difficulty. Many horses are not able swimmers, and initially it will be desired to take an animal straight through the pool with an attendant on either side as a precautionary measure. The ramps which join the center island are counterbalanced and allow a man to walk under them when supervising horses in the pool. The "island" in the center affords an opportunity to give the horse as much swimming as desired for the animal may be required to swim around it several times to gain the desired exercise.
Length or width is not critical, for this invention provides any amount of exercise desired in a minimum area. The pool may be preconstructed, whether it be concrete or steel, and as the drawing indicates, it is not perfectly round, but rather it is constructed in panels.
With these and other objects definitely in view, this invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of elements and portions as will be hereinafter fully described in the specification, particularly pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the drawings which form a material part of this disclosure, and in which the following drawings more fully explain this novel idea;
FIG. 1 is an overhead view, and
FIG. 2 is a side view.
With reference to FIG. 1, the view shows the entire pool, indicated by the number 2, which is constructed of concrete and has a walkway 7 around the entire pool. The octagonal shaped island in the center has a steel railing 6 entirely around it, except for those two areas where it is met by the ramp 5.
FIG. 2 more appropriately shows the workings of this invention. Number 1 indicates the ramp whereby the animals enter the pool. As the horse reaches the depth where it must swim, it may be accompanied by an attendant on either side or both sides, using the walkways 7 with one attendant proceeding onto the counterbalanced ramp 5. At the time the attendant reaches the island 4, it will raise to a point whereby he can easily walk under it and supervise the swimming while holding the horse. When the attendant desires to remove the animal, he simply pulls the other counterbalanced ramp 5 to a level position and moves the animal out via the exit ramp 3.