METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SUSPENDING NOSE-BAGS UPON HORSES
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Charles Bastand at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 1st August 1879.
"AN IMPROVED
CHARLES BASTAND, of Vauxhall, in the County of Surrey.
METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR SUSPENDING NOSE-BAGS UPON HORSES."
My Invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for suspending or
attaching nose-bags to horses, and is designed to provide means whereby the nose-
bag will be so suspended to the horse, that the latter can as readily reach the food
in the bag when it is only partially filled, as when it is quite full.
The result of the ordinary-method of hanging the nose-bag upon a horse is, that
although the bag is first adjusted in a convenient position for the horse to commence
eating, as the level of the food gets lower it becomes difficult for him to reach it, for
the reason that in dipping or lowering his head in his endeavour to reach the food
the bag sinks in exactly the same proportion, the food being just as far from the
horse's mouth as before; he therefore finds it necessary to shake the bag and toss
the food in order to eat, and this action frequently causes the latter to be wasted to
a great extent, and is moreover troublesome to the horse.
My said Invention entirely obviates these disadvantages and is carried into
practice as follows, that is to say :-
I provide two devices made somewhat in the form of buckles, each one of which
has upon it a small grooved pulley or roller. The said devices are made in such a
manner, that the ordinary strap which is attached to the nose-bag may pass
through them so that when the strap and bag have been placed in position on the
horse, one of the said devices is upon one side and the other upon the other side of
the horse's head at the upper part thereof. The said devices or buckles are each
formed with an opening at the part nearest the front of the horse's head, and these
openings are designed to received another strap which is there fastened and passes
around the forehead serving to keep the whole in a firm position. A cord or chain
is passed over the aforesaid rollers, the two ends being attached to the nose-bag,
that is to say, one on each side thereof. This cord or chain is attached at its other
extremity or loop end to a suitable hook or other device upon some part of the
harness on the horse's back.
It will therefore be seen that the nose-bag is suspended both by the ordinary
strap and the cord, and as the latter is also attached to a part of the harness which
does not descend when the horse dips or lowers his head, the bag is retained in
practically the same position continually. As the food is eaten and its level
Price d

page_text: consequently becomes lower in the bag, the horse naturally dips his head to reach
the food, and in doing this the rollers roll along the cord and the latter prevents the
bag from participating in the downward movement of the horse's head, excepting to
a very small extent, and the horse can consequently reach the food in a very
convenient manner at all times, however low the level may be. Waste of food is
therefore prevented and provision is made whereby the horse can feed in comfort.
The said apparatus can be readily fitted to any nose-bag, and the whole can be
placed upon or removed from a horse with great facility.