Improvements in the Skirts of Ladies' Riding Habits.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Mar., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 7th Dec., 1889-Accepted, 18th Jan., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Skirts of Ladies' Riding Habits.
I, GEORGE WILLIAM HUNT of 68 High Street London W., Ladies and Gentlemans
Tailor do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to skirts in which an opening is made on the side that
comes next the horse for the pommels to come through, and consists in attaching
to the skirt above the opening a flap of cloth which when the rider is dismounted
will fall down inside of skirt and cover over the opening. This flap is cut to conform
to the contour of the leg when in the saddle, and folds under the leg and comes over
the top of pommel when the wearer is mounted. To assist in keeping the skirt in its
place two elastic loops stitched to inside of skirt near knee are used for the right
foot and one for the left. The skirt is slit from the bottom of the opening to the
bottom of the skirt, the edges being weakly held together by stitching or other
suitable means that will at once break away should the wearer be thrown and the
skirt hang on either of the pommels. The top of the opening may have a bit of
weak material let in, or it inay be slit and weakly stitched together to enable it to
break away in event of the second pommel working under the edge.
Dated this 8th day of March 1889.
FREDERIC PRINCE,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Skirts of Ladies' Riding Habits.
I, GEORGE WILLIAM HUNT of 68 High Street, London, W. Ladies and Gentleman's
Tailor and Riding Habit Maker, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained
in and by the following statement
:-
This invention relates to skirts in which an opening is made on the side that comes
next the horse for the pommels to come through, and consist in attaching to the
skirt above the opening a flap of cloth which when the rider is dismounted will fall
down inside of skirt and cover over the opening. This flap is cut to conform to the
contour of the leg when in the saddle and folds under the leg and comes over the
top of the pommel when the wearer is mounted. To assist in keeping the skirt in
its place two elastic loops stitched to inside of skirt are used for the right foot and one
for the left. The skirt is slit from the bottom of the opening to the bottom of the
skirt the edges being weakly held together by stitching or other suitable means that
will at once break away should the wearer be thrown and the skirt hang on either
of the pommels. The top of the opening may have a piece of weak material let in,
or it may te slit and weakly stitched together to enable this part to break away in
event of the second pommel working under the edge.
My invention may also be carried out in the following manner preferably the
latter :-
I make an opening in the ordinary skirt as now worn from the bottom of the skirt
as far as the knee, on the side that comes next to the horse and take out a piece the
shape of a sugar loaf large enough for the pommels to come through, in that part
where the ordinary skirt would be liable to catch the pomme's when the rider would
be in the act of dismounting of when being thrown from the horse in case of
accident.
1
I attach to the skirt at the top of the opening a flap of cloth or cover as I term
it, the same cloth as the skirt which when the rider is dismounted will fall down inside

page_text: the skirt and cover over the opening and prevent showing the leg which will then
have the appearance of an ordinary skirt. The cover is passed over the top of the
knee inside the skirt and is attached to the heel of the right foot by an elastic loop.
When the rider is mounted to keep it quite clear of the pommels and to assist
with the two usual elastic loops in keeping the skirt in its right place and to keep
the skirt quite clear of the pommels to prevent creasing folds and dragging, I apply
to the slit at the bottom of the opening strong cloth tabs sewn firmly one side of
the slit, inside the skirt and sewn weakly on the other to enable them to break
away in the event of this part catching in the pommel. The advantage of the
strong tabs are:-
They will not require to be renewed, should the skirt catch the rider will be
able to repair the skirt and make it as good as ever by pinning or tacking it.
On
the back of the skirt outside I fix a large hook and lower down towards the side a
loop so that the rider may when dismounted loop the skirt up and walk without the
trouble of holding it up. The safety part entirely depends upon the skirt being fitted
perfectly tight and held down by the elastic loops.
To enable my invention to be clearly understood I will describe the same by aid
of the accompanying drawings in which the same letters of reference denote the same
parts in different figures.
Fig. 1. is an inside view of side of habit skirt that comes next the horse.
Fig. 2. is an outside view of same, the interior part being shown by dotted
lines.
A. is side of habit skirt. B. opening in the same for the pommels to come through.
C continuation of opening fastened together by D preferably strong tabs. E Cov
stitched to the top of opening. F Elastic loop for right heel. G Elastic loop f.
left foot. H. Elastic loop for right foot shown by dotted lines being on the other
part of the skirt not shown. I. Hook for loop K. L Broad hem round the bottom
of skirt. Ma piece of strong calico lining.
Having now particulary 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. In the skirt of ladies riding babits provided with an opening the use of a cover
or equivalent attached to skirt to cover up the opening when the rider is dismounted
to prevent showing the leg.
2. The combination of a cover or equivalent attached to skirt of habit to cover
opening B continuation C fastened with D used for the purposes described and
shewn in accompanying drawings.
3. With the skirt of ladies riding habits the use of loop F used for the purpose
described and shewn in accompanying drawings.
4. With the skirt of ladies riding habits with an opening the use of strong tabs
as described.
5. Use of hook I. and loop K for the purposes described.
Dated this 6th day of December 1889.
GEORGE WILLIAM HUNT,
61, Paddington Street, High Street, Marylebone, W.