Improvements in Riding or Driving Harness.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd June, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 25th Apr., 1892-Accepted, 18th June, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Riding or Driving Harness.
I, JAMES WEBB, of Bishop's Stortford, in the County of Hertford, Veterinary
Surgeon, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in riding or driving harness, and its
objects are to give the rider or driver perfect control over any tendency in the
animal to kick, to render the use of the present bearing rein unnecessary, to make
the animal hold its head up, and to render severe bitting unnecessary.
In carrying my invention into effect, I attach a strap (hereinafter called a
rein-strap), adjustable as to length, to the front of the crupper. This is carried
forward, preferably below the crupper-strap and under the saddle, to the front of
the latter, where it terminates in a D or other suitable device for attaching straps
to. The saddle-tree is made rather higher than usual to make room for the strap,
and suitable supporting loops are provided. The present bearing rein pillar may
he modified by bringing it down in front of the saddle so as to provide the front
loop.
The bit has a half-moon shaped mouth piece. Two loose rings are provided on
this bar by which the bit is connected to the billets or cheek-straps of the head
stall. The cheek-pieces are straight and are furnished with an eye or a D at each
end. The reins are led through these eyes or D's, consequently, they are fitted
with anti-friction rollers.
The reins are taken through the terrets on the saddle and collar in the usual
way, then through the bottom eyes on the cheeks of the bit, upwards through the
top eyes, then through the loops on the throat-band heretofore used for the bearing-
rein, and up to the front end of the rein-strap to which they are made fast in any
convenient way.
When my invention is to be applied to a riding saddle and bridle, the bridle
cheek is provided with a third ring, close to the end of the mouthpiece, to receive
a snaffle-rein.
The crupper may be dispensed with if desired, in which case the terminal of the
rein-strap will be made fast to the saddle.
The rein-strap may be bifurcated in front, in which case there will be one
terminal on each side of the pommel.
The direction in which the reins are led through the bit-cheeks may be reversed
if required.
Dated this 23rd day of June 1891.
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Riding or Driving Harness.
1, JAMES WEBB, of Bishop's Stortford, in the County of Hertford, Veterinary
Surgeon, do hereby declare the nature of this invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the
following statement :-
My invention relates to improvements in harness, and is equally applicable to
riding or to driving harness. The objects of it are to give the rider or driver
perfect control over any tendency in the animal to kick, to render the use of the
present bearing rein unnecessary, to make the animal hold its head up without the
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page_text: -
usual bearing rein, viz. :-one fast to both saddle and bit, and to render severe
bitting unnecessary.
It consists in dispensing with the present fixed attachment of both the bearing
rein and the driving rein to the cheeks of the bit and joining the reins together at
that point. The combined rein is then led through rings or pulleys upon the cheeks.
Therefore, in a set of driving harness made according to my invention, there are
only two rein-ends or terminals instead of four, and these two are made fast to
either the saddle or to the crupper, preferably to the latter. In the case of a set
of riding harness made according to my invention, the reins are connected with the
checks of the bit in the same way as those of a set of driving harness, and the
rein-ends are made fast to either the crupper, the saddle, or to the throat-strap, as
may be preferred. The advantage of a judicious bearing rein is thereby secured
to a riding bridle. The important feature of my invention is that no part of the
combined rein is lower than the normal position of the riding or the driving rein,
as the latter have hitherto been made and used. The fixed point to which the
rein-ends are made fast is always, in my improved harness, above the animal's back,
never below it, with the practical result that a pull at the reins must always make
him raise his head, whereas if the said fixed point were lower than the back, eg., in
the girth, the effect of the pull would be to draw the animal's muzzle towards
his chest. In other words, the position of this fixed point is a condition precedent
to the utility of the invention.
In order that my invention and the best means by which it is to be carried into
practical effect may be thoroughly understood, I will describe them in detail,
referring in so doing to the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as part
of this Specification and read therewith.
Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the application of my invention to a set
of driving harness.
Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the application of my invention to a
riding saddle.
Fig. 3 illustrates the construction of the screw for making fast the rein-strap to
the crupper.
Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the double loop through which the rein-strap and
crupper are led.
Fig. 5 is a side elevation the bracket which holds the rein-strap up clear of the
withers.
Fig. 6 is a plan of the same including a piece of the rein-strap and its D.
Fig. 7 is a plan of a rein-end or terminal.
Figs. 8 and 9 are, respectively, side and front elevations of the pulley-loop on
the throat-strap.
Figs. 10, 11 and 12 arc, respectively, side elevation, plan and perspective view
of a bit.
Fig. 13 is a plan of the bifurcated rein-strap of a set of riding harness.
Figs. 14 and 15 are, respectively, plan and side elevations of a D for receiving
a driving rein-end.
Referring to Fig. 1,
a is the ordinary crupper. 6 is the rein-strap. This is made fast by its rear
extremity to the crupper by any suitable device. I prefer to use a male and female
screw, the details of which are clearly shewn in Fig. 3. d is a double loop. The
upper half of it embraces the crupper-strap; consequently the lower half of it
serves to support the rein-strap and to keep it clear of the horse's back. The
saddle e is made rather higher as to its tree than heretofore, so as to make room
for the strap. is a bracket projecting forwards from the saddle. It terminates
in a loop the front of which is provided with an antifriction roller. This
roller is high enough to keep the rein-strap off the withers. The said strap is led
up through this loop and over the roller in front of which it terminates in a D
or equivalent attachment/3. The latter is preferably made split, i.e., to open as
ificated by the dotted line in Fig. 6.

page_text: The details of the bit are illustrated in Figs. 10, 11 and. 12.
y is the mouthpiece.
Its surface is smooth and it is without anything like either
a port or a joint in it. In plan it is slightly curved outwards.
h, are the cheek-pieces. ¹, are a pair of antifriction pulleys behind each
check. Their axles are supported in any suitable way, e.g., in loop-like extensions h²
of rearward extensions 3 of the check-pieces.
i, i are a pair of loose rings on the mouthpiece
These rings stand just inside the cheek pieces h,
respective billets or check straps i³, P.
which passes through them.
and are attached to their
jj are the ordinary driving reins. They are led as heretofore through the
terrets on the saddle and those on the hames. From the latter their terininals
are taken round the bottom pulleys on the bit-checks upwards and round the top
pulleys, through the loops m on the throat-strap heretofore used for the bearing
rein, and backwards up to the D on the front end of the rein-strap to which they
are made fast. The loops on the throat band are provided with anti-friction
pulleys m. I prefer that the reins from near the bit up to their junction with
the rein-strap should be rolled up into a circular cross section.
It is to be noted that the terminals of the reins may be made fast to the
saddle instead of, through the rein-strap, to the crupper, but at the same time it
should be clearly understood that the latter plan is much to be preferred, as
according to it the pull would be directly against the tail, an arrangement which
will suffice to check a restive or kicking horse.
Referring to Fig. 2, the difference between the invention as there illustrated
and as illustrated in Fig. 1 and described therewith, is confined to the substitution
of a riding for a driving saddle, a riding bridle for a driving one, and the optional
addition of a snaffle bridle n' which is connected to the extensions on the bit
which are specially provided for that purpose.
The terminal of each rein n is
made fast to a Do of any convenient construction. The one illustrated is
preferably made to open and is besides pivotted to a plate of which is rivetted to
the saddle e¹. When a riding saddle is used with a crupper, a bifurcated rein-strap
(illustrated in Fig. 15) is made fast by its single end p to the crupper-strap as
described with reference to Fig. 1. Each bifurcation is led preferably through
a Das o and receives its respective rein-end. The D's in this case would be fast
to their plates o' to prevent them being pulled down on to the withers.
A further modification of this part of my invention makes the rein-ends fast to
the throat-strap. In either driving or riding harness, the reins may be led past
the pulleys downwards instead of upwards. In the accompanying figures, I have
shewn a pair of anti-friction pulleys on each check of the bit as the most convenient
device for connecting the reins thereto but I may point out that any other e.g., plain
rings may be used, but I prefer the one illustrated.
ADVANTAGES OF THE IMPROVED HARNESS.
With my invention only one bit is required instead of the two which are often
employed, especially in double harness. The special bit illustrated cannot, in virtue
of its conformation, cause pain to the horse, as it has no port, no roughening, and
no joint in the middle of the mouth-piece.
From the peculiar and simple arrangement of the reins, the weight of the horse's
head is equally divided between the driver and the horse himself, and the reins
act in a similar manner to a bearing rein as far as inducing the animal to hold his
head up is concerned.
Although the improved reins include an efficient bearing rein, the driver is
enabled to case his horses' heads by simply slackening his hold on his reins, and he
can just as readily pull his horses' heads up, as they are directly under his control.
The horses can therefore be driven straighter, especially if they are at all awkward.
They are guided more easily. will turn better, and carry themselves in better form

page_text: or poke out his nose, my improvement makes him carry it properly. The driver
always has his horse well in hand so that it is next to impossible for him to
stumble and fall, but if he should stumble, the driver has a power, in virtue of the
fixed point to which the reins are made fast being above the back and their passing
round pulleys on the bit, of assisting the horse to recover himself. If a horse is a
hard puller, kicker, or addicted to running away, this rein, by elevating his head,
prevents him kicking, and by drawing his head and tail towards each other, his
body is, as it were, drawn all up together.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is
1. The combination in a set of harness, of fixed point which will be above the
level of the back of the animal when he is harnessed, reins made fast to said fixed
point, and connecting devices on the bit through which the sail reins are led to the
hands of the driver or rider, as the case may be.
2. The combination in a set of harness, of rein, bearing rein, and fixed point
which will be above the back of the animal when he is harnessed, as set forth.
3. The combination in a set of harness, of crupper, rein-strap and combined rein,
as set forth.
Dated this 25th dar of duil 1005
PHILLIPS & LEIGH,
No. 22, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.