Article / 11 May 2026

Sports and patents: Part one – A ride in the saddle

This year’s World IP Day took on an athletic theme, celebrating the patents, trade marks, design rights and copyright that have shaped and developed the wonderful world of sport. To mark the occasion, we’re exploring the rich history of, and patents behind, important pieces of sports equipment. In the first of our three-part series, we explore the development of the horse’s saddle and discuss why even the smallest improvements to a well-known invention could be eligible for patent protection.

No individual inventor can lay claim to the creation of the horse’s saddle. Indeed, the exact origins of the saddle, which allowed humans to ride horses more comfortably, more securely, and for longer periods of time, continue to be the subject of debate.

Yet for all forms of equestrianism, from racing to dressage, the design and development of the saddle continue to be crucial elements of rider safety, animal welfare, and athletic performance. Search the European Patent Office’s register, for example, and you will find numerous examples of patent applications for inventions that provide improvements within the saddle’s function and design. These range from a new material for constructing the saddle’s ‘tree’, to a flap designed to handle the higher forces and friction of showjumping.

Can I patent my equestrian invention?

What may seem at first like a standard piece of equipment placed on a horse’s back is, in fact, a complex framework of materials that has been, and continues to be, adapted and improved for all forms of horse riding.

Even the earliest examples of saddles demonstrate the extent to which care is taken to develop an object that meets the needs of both horse and rider.

Whether these developments are patentable, however, will depend on numerous factors.

For an invention to be patentable in the UK, for example, it must first be novel, meaning it has not been publicly disclosed by anyone, anywhere in the world, at any time before the patent is applied for. The invention must also involve an inventive step, meaning it cannot just be an obvious development of something that is already known. 

Attempting to patent a saddle as such is, therefore, impossible as the saddle is, and has been, in use around the world, albeit in various forms, for thousands of years. Developments or improvements to the saddle, however, whether these relate to even modest aspects of its design or construction, the materials from which it is made, or its means of manufacture, are all potentially patentable. Provided, of course, that they are novel and inventive.

The horse’s saddle – A brief history

One of the earliest examples of a horse’s saddle was found as recently as 2023, buried deep within the grounds of a Yanghai cemetery in what is now northwestern China.

Sharing resemblances to modern day soft saddles, the saddle, which was buried with its rider more than 2,400 years ago, consisted of various pieces of hide held together by different stitching techniques.

The creation of early forms of saddle is also credited to the nomadic Sarmatians, an ancient Iranian people known for their skills in horsemanship and warfare.

Today, most modern saddles are based on either the ‘English saddle’, a flatter and lightweight design that allows the rider to be in closer contact with the horse, or the ‘Western saddle’, a larger and heavier design with a horn at the front for roping and guiding cattle.

Many companies have extensive patent portfolios relating to saddles, with these patents focusing on a novel, inventive element within the saddle itself. 

In 2026, for example, Bates Saddles launched its patented ‘FlapLock’ technology, which it says “locks the saddle flap to the under-flap for total resistance against multi-directional forces” to reduce drag and interference when jumping.

Further examples of patented technologies relating to horse saddles are provided below.

Patents in horse saddles

  1. A springy interior - An early example of a saddle-related patent is one filed by William D Davis of Montana and granted by the US Patent Office in 1896. The patent claimed the invention of a “new and useful Military Spring Riding Saddle” that used a specific formation of springs at the end and bottom of the saddle to “render easy and comfortable riding while the horse is in a trot, however high-spirited the horse may be.”
  2. Gullets and composite materials - Sitting above the horse’s spine, the gullet is a crucial element of the saddle’s fit and was traditionally made with wood and metal. In 2020, however, a patent application filed with the European Patent Office outlined the invention of a modifiable tree gullet made from carbon fibre impregnated with thermosetting resins. This, according to its inventor, would “combine the characteristics of lightness and mechanical strength that guarantee the highest level of performance in maximum safety”.
  3. Treeless frames - Saddle trees have existed as far back as the time of the Romans, providing a solid frame within the saddle’s interior that dictates the saddle’s shape and spreads the rider’s weight more evenly across the horse’s back. Treeless arrangements are becoming more popular, however, as they are easier to fit to the horse’s shape and size, whilst removing the risk of focused pressure points on the horse’s back. An example is a patent application published in 2023 that forgoes the need for a saddle tree, without sacrificing the benefits of security and sturdiness that the tree would otherwise provide. This is achieved via a flexible band made from a thin, mouldable metal such as a steel alloy, and a recessed gullet that creates a clearance gap over the horse’s spine.

Technology that supports better saddle design and use could also be patentable. Some businesses, for example, offer services in which wireless sensors are attached to different parts of the horse to understand how the horse’s stature and movement affect the placement of the saddle, and map pressure points on the horse’s body. This reduces the risk of injury to the horse, something that is of increasing importance in most forms of horse riding. It also allows professional horse riders to improve their technique and posture.

Although saddles have been around for thousands of years, there are still opportunities arising all the time to incorporate new technology or new materials in novel and inventive ways that are potentially eligible for patent protection.

Even something like a horse’s saddle offers a wealth of opportunity to develop a portfolio of patents covering improvements to features like the tree, the gullet, the stirrups or the flaps, as well as any technologies or production methods involved in its manufacture or fitting.

Whether you are developing a new system for analysing saddle fit, or a novel replacement for the traditional saddle tree structure, liaising with a patent attorney at the earliest opportunity is one of the best ways to identify what can be protected.

By diving deep into the minutiae of your invention, they can help you to identify any novel and inventive elements that could be the key to obtaining patent protection, enabling you to differentiate your business and ensure that it grows at a gallop, not a trot.

Get in touch

Cory Stobart supported the drafting and filing of a patent for a treeless saddle arrangement with the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) in 2021. If you have an invention or innovation relating to sports equipment, please contact a member of our team below.