A NEW KIND OF HORSE BITTS OF VARIOUS CONSTRUCTIONS, AND IN A DIFFERENT MANNER TO ANY OF THOSE NOW IN USE, WHICH WOULD BE FOUND VERY EFFECTUAL IN THE MANAGEMENT AND GOVERNMENT OF HORSES (MORE ESPECIALLY SERVICEABLE IN HIS MAJESTY'S HORSE AND DRAGOON SERVICE), AND WOULD PROVE A MORE CURIOUS AND USEFUL INVENTION, AND BETTER CALCULATED FOR THE PURPOSES THEY WERE INTENDED FOR AND APPLICABLE TO, THAN ANYTHING OF THE KIND YET EXHIBITED,
Year: 1749

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, SAMUEL
PALMER, of the Parish of Saint Martin-in-the-Fields, in the County of
Middlesex, Surgeon, send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty King George the Second, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Twenty-ninth day of June, in the twenty-third year of His reign,
reciting that whereas I, the said Samuel Palmer, had, by my Petition, humbly
represented that, after long study, application, and great expence, I had in-
vented and brought to perfection "A NEW KIND OF HORSE BITTS OF VARIOUS
CONSTRUCTIONS, AND IN A DIFFERENT MANNER TO ANY OF THOSE NOW IN USE, WHICH
WOULD BE FOUND VERY EFFECTUAL IN THE MANAGEMENT AND GOVERNMENT OF
HORSES (MORE ESPECIALLY SERVICEABLE IN HIS MAJESTY'S HORSE AND DRAGOON
SERVICE), AND WOULD PROVE A MORE CURIOUS AND USEFUL INVENTION, AND BETTER
CALCULATED FOR THE PURPOSES THEY WERE INTENDED FOR AND APPLICABLE TO, THAN
ANYTHING OF THE KIND YET EXHIBITED;" and in regard I was the first and
sole Inventor of the same, His said Majesty did therefore give and grant
unto me, the said Samuel Palmer, my executors, administrators, and assigns,
His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I, the said
Samuel Palmer, my executors, administrators, and assigns, by myself and
themselves, or mine and their deputy or deputys, servants or agents, or such
others as I, the said Samuel Palmer, my executors, administrators, or assigns,
should at any time agree with, and none others, from time to time and at all
times hereafter during the term of fourteen years from the date of the said
Letters Patent, make, use, exercise, and vend my said Invention within

page_text: England, Wales, and Town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, in such manner as to
me, the said Samuel Palmer, my executors, administrators, or assigns, or any
of them, should seem meet; in which said Letters Patent there is contained
a proviso that if I, the said Samuel Palmer, did not particularly describe
and ascertain the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under my hand and
seal, and cause the same to be inrolled in the High Court of Chancery
within four calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
recited Letters Patent, that then the same, and all liberties and advantages
thereby given, should utterly cease, determine, & become void, as in and by
the said Letters Patent (referrence being thereunto had) may more fully and
at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Samuel Palmer, do hereby describe the nature of my said Invention, as
follows (that is to say):-
One of the horse bitts I have invented, and which I call the military or
great bitt, is made after the following manner:-The part that is put in the
horse's mouth is either of one intire peice, or two or three hinged or jointed;
and all those, either strait or curved, are made in such a manner that the
tongue is but very little pressed, for when pressed in long riding the tongue is
made sore and prevents the eating freely. In the middle of the mouthpeices
aro placed a roller or two to keep the tongue in play; on each side a little
below the rollers are made two holes to insert wire, into which a peice of
spunge is fastened, the intent of which is to keep the mouth moist and supple,
being first wet or smeared with honey or tar, &c. On the same mouthpeice,
on that part that lies on the bars, are or may be placed two or four rollers,
more or less; these rollers are made so large as to prevent hurting the
tongue by the pressure of the mouthpeice, and are either fluted for hard
mouth'd horses, or quite round and plain, with holes drill'd thro' the sides, that
in rolling they may acquire and give fresh and cold air to the mouth; or
else simple rollers, and covered over with leather, which is designed for
breaking young horses, or for tender mouth'd horses, that their mouths may be
preserved delicate; & some are made without any rollers at all, but curv'd
in such a manner that the tongue will not be injured. Some mouthpeices
will be made of one intire peice curved. The ends of the mouthpeice serve as
an axle to that part of the bitt I call the branches, and on which they turn, so
that one extremity of branch being much longer than the other from the center,
the shortest is acted on as by the longer, a lever of the first kind. There is
screwed on a boss or cap on the very extremity of the mouthpeices to fasten the

page_text: branches on the axis; from the center of. the branches five parts are given off,
the longest of which springs off in a circular serpentine manner towards the
nose for five or six inches, more or less; at the extremity (which is divided or
may be formed into any device of beast or bird's head, &c.) is a hole, to which
a hinged swivel or ring is fastened to make the rein I call the curb-rein. Just
by is another hole to link a chain from the extremity of one of the branches
to the other; something nearer the center, where the form of a diamond
is, there is another hole for a chain; both these prevent the branches
from seperating at their extremity, or for ornament; one of the other five parts
is that to which the headstall is fastened, by the intervention of a hinged
swivel or ring; the opposite part or third part has an oval hole, to which may
be fastened a private swivel to link the dragoon horses together when the
riders act on foot, or to lead or tye a horse. In that part of the branch
(which is the fourth) which runs parallel with the mouth towards the nose,
is a large slitt or hole, in which is placed one or two brass rollers or pulleys,
which run on a center, and on which the reins I call the cavisten reins play.
In the upper part of this slitt is drilled two holes, which serve to fasten the
cavisten, whether made of twisted wire, whipcord, chain, leather, iron or
whalebone; this slitt may be projected as far as the point of the nose. From
the part opposite, and parallel towards the breast, springs the fifth part, to
which is fastened, by the intervention of a hing'd swivel or ring, the rein I
call the snaffle rein. In this part, between the mouthpeice and the snaffle
rein, is placed a stub, to which the curb, whether of one continued peice or in
many, or of leather, is fastened, & extends itself under the under jaw from one
part of the branches to the opposite one. In the part of the headstall that
supports and that part design'd for linking the horses together, is placed two
stubs with holes drilled thro' the head for a staple to be fastened, and in
which it plays towards the nose or the breast, and serves to fasten the
bridoen rein to; thro', which rein the cavisten rein in a concealed manner is con-
veyed to the hand; the curb extends itself from one branch to the other (I mean
the shortest branch of the lever) above the horse's mouth and under the jaw,
and is so fastened by screws and stubs, that it plays and corresponds in the same
motion as the branches, and always lyes flat; it is made of one peice or in parts,
and so constructed as to be made longer or shorter, and guarded with leather,
or else a leather strap alone may be sufficient; some are made where the part
to which the headstall is fastened; that part is designed to lock the horses
together, and that part to which the snaffle rein is fastened, are seperate from
the branches or lever, but are not so comodious as those already described.
:
The second horse bitt, and which is something more simple than the first,

page_text: which I call the pistol or road bitt, the mouthpeices of which are to be of
the same make as before described with rollers, &c., and is near the form of
a cross, having but four parts, whereas the great bitt has five, and is fix'd in
its center on the mouthpeice as the great bitt. One of the perpendicular points
serves to fasten the headstall by a hinged swivel or ring, the opposite part to
fasten or lead a horse by adding a swivel. To that part of the cross that runs
parallel with the horse, and is higher than the horse's mouth, pointing to the
breast, is fixed at the extremity a loop or hinged swivel to fasten the snaffle
rein to; and between this extremity and the mouthpeice or axle is fixt on the
head of a stub a chain or curb of one intire peice or more, defended as before
mentioned, and is to be made longer or shorter at pleasure. That part of the
cross that extends towards the nose projects four or five inches more or less,
at the extremity of which is fixed a hinged swivel or loop, to which the rein
that acts on the curb is fixed, so that by drawing this down the shortest leg of
the lever is elevated, the mouthpeice being the axle, and by this means make
the curb act. From this long part of the cross springs a part thro' which is
made a slitt to let the cavisten lines pass on rollers to make the cavisten rein;
or else it may be made with a staple and roller on it, and this slitt for the
rollers or staples may be made in any part of the projection of the longest
part of the lever to contain the cavisten reins, that the cavisten may act on
any part of the nose you pleaso. This is the description of the pistol or road
bit; both bitts are supposed to be in the horse's mouth.
The third sort of horse bit I call the hunting bitt, and is different from
the other two in the branches (but the mouthpeices may be made as before
mentioned), the principal or longest part of the branch or lever being
towards the eye, whereas the principal part of the branch or lever to the
other two are pointing to the horse's nose. One part of the bitt nearest the
horse's nose has a slitt or hole in it, to admitt of rollers as in the other two
bitts, and may be as far projected to make the cavisten rein to act whero
you please, and two holes to fix the directer or support of the cavisten that
lies across the nose. The part parallel makes the shortest end of the lever, and
is below the juncture of the lips to which the curb is fastened, which curb is
to be either in links or one intire peice, and guarded as the others. On each
side of the center hole is placed a stub, with a hole in the head for a staple
to play in, to fasten the rein I call the bridoen rein, and thro' which the
cavisten rein passes concealed to the hand. At the lower part of the bitt, just
under the axle, is made an oval hole to put a swivel to lead a horse, as in the
others. At the extremity of the longest leg of the lever which points towards
the
eye, is fixed a loop or hinged swivel to fasten the rein that acts upon the

page_text: curb, and about the middle of the longest leg is fixed by a rivet peice, with a
hole in it to hang the headstall to. This is the description of the third or
hunting bitt.
The fourth or cross bitt (in which the mouthpeices are the same as in
those already described) is constructed of three parts, or may be intire, two
of which make a cross; the extremity of the mouthpeice makes the axle on
which they all act. To three of their extremities will be a stub with a hole
drilled thro' the head to put a 'ring or hinged swivel to, which reins will be
fastened nearer to the center. In one branch of the cross will be put a stub, to
which curbs will be fastened, one above the horse's mouth and one below, on
the same branch, so there will be two curbs to this, each of which will reach
from one side the horse's jaws to the other, both above and below. That part of
the cross that projects towards the horse's nose will be longer than the rest,
and will be made to insert a peice of iron or whalebone, or any other body, to
make a cavisten curb. A peice will be added on the axle, one extremity of
which the headstall will be fastened to, the other serves to lead or fasten a
horse by an oval hole at the end; and on this part two stubs with holes in
their heads are placed to fasten a staple to turn in to make the bridoen rein,
and all these parts are fixed to the mouthpeice by screwing on a cap or boss
at the extremity.
The fifth and most simple bitt will be made by a single lever with reins
at each end, and curved both above and below the horse's mouth, and a peice
to make the headstall to, and to lead a horse by the oval hole at the end, and
in this peice stubs and a staple are placed to make the bridoen or snaffle
reins. This is likewise fastened on the mouthpeice by a boss or cap, as, by a
Plan and explanation of the said several bitts hereunto annexed, may more
fully appear.
In witness whereof, I, the said Samuel Palmer, have hereunto sett my
hand and seal, this Twenty-first day of October, in the twenty-third
year of the reign of His said Majesty King George the Second,
and in the year of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and forty-
nine.

page_text: AND BE IT REMEMBRED, that on the Twenty-first day of October,
the aforesaid Samuel Palmer came before our Lord the King in His Chan-
cery, and acknowledged the Writing aforesaid, and all and every. matter and
thing therein contained and specified, in form above said. And also the said
Writing was stampt according to the form of the Statute made in the sixth 5
year of the reign of the late King William and Queen Mary, and so forth.
Inrolled the said Twenty-first day of October, in the said twenty-third
year of the reign of His Majesty King George the Second.