Improved Means and Appliances for Training Horses and other Animals, or Improving their Stepping and Trotting Actions, applicable also as a Gymnastic Appliance.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 8th Feb., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 8th Nov., 1895-Accepted, 28th Dec.,
1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means and Appliances for Training Horses and other
Animals, or Improving their Stepping and Trotting Actions,
applicable also as a Gymnastic Appliance.
I, HENRY BYRON WOODS, of 32 Tavistock Crescent, County of London,
late Major R.M.L.I. do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to improved means and appliances for training horses and
other animals, or improving their stepping and trotting actions.
I will describe my invention as applied to training a horse to step or trot with
an improved action, although the invention is applicable to mules, donkeys, and
other animals, also human beings for increasing their muscular power in addition to
improving their gait or carriage.
For the purpose of my invention, I take say a kind of buggy cart with long
shafts reaching from some distance in front of the horse to the rear of the cart
body. I adapt these and also the body of skeleton form for adjustment as to
width and height to suit horses or ponies, and in some cases the body can be
mounted on springs also adjustable for balancing purposes.
The shafts carry cross bars in front and rear of the horse, these being adjustable
and fixable as to width and distance apart by suitable clips and screws.
I also
arrange a semi-hoop like band to the shaft to be passed under the horses belly
but not in touch. The cross bars have connected to them lengths of india rubber
or spring with straps or cushion rings at their free ends, into which the horses legs
can be secured, referring to the front cross bars just below the knee joints and at
the pastern joints. The hind cross bar is similarly provided with lengths of rubber
or its equivalent for engaging the hind legs of the horse at the hock joints, other
lengths of rubber or equivalent being connected to the semicircular band and to
the pastern of the horses hind legs, so that in the contraction of the legs, a strain
or stretch is put upon the rubber lengths which are regulated for the purpose in
order that when the horse steps forwardly with that particular leg the rubber or
spring simultaneously contracts and lifts the leg somewhat quicker and to a greater
height than the horse would in its natural step.
The leg by this means is lifted higher, and since it is held at the knee as well as
at the pastern joints, the knee takes an upward rounded direction of motion and
the hoof portion from the pastern joint is thrown forwardly for picking up the
distance of the step, the action being very much improved in a breeders and
dealers point of view in addition to strengthening and developing the muscles of
the legs.
With regard to the hind legs the hock joint is carried somewhat more to the
rear as is also the lower limb or pastern joint which gives the horse the appearance,
while moving, of having a longer stride, the lengths of rubber or equivalent in all
cases being put into tension by the opposite motion of the horses legs.
With regard to human beings, the shafts and cross bars with their rubber
lengths would be in the form of a frame and be similarly affixed to a person's legs
in order that he or she could practice walking with a high stepping action and so
in a short time obviate that desponding and slouching gait and shuffling walk
besides bringing out and developing the muscular powers of the person.

page_text: To prevent the rubber sagging to too great an extent when in a slack condition,
I attach a more sensitively prepared strip of rubber which I rove through rings
attached to the main rubber in order that the main rubber can be so to speak
tightened up between given points.
Dated th th 1
L
1007
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166 Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Henry Byron Woods.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Means and Appliances for Training Horses and other
Animals, or Improving their Stepping and Trotting Actions,
applicable also as a Gymnastic Appliance.
I, HENRY BYRON WOODS, of 32 Tavistock Crescent, County of London,
late Major R.M.L.I. 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 improved means and appliances for training horses and
other animals or improving their stepping and trotting actions, applicable also as a
gymnastic appliance.
I will describe my invention as applied to training a horse to step or trot with an
improved action, although the invention is applicable to mules, donkeys, and other
animals, also human beings for increasing their muscular power in addition to
improving their gait or carriage.
For the purpose of my invention, I take say a kind of buggy cart with long
shafts reaching from some distance in front of the horse to the rear of the cart
body. I adapt these and also the body of skeleton form for adjustment as to
width and height to suit horses or ponies, and in some cases the body can be
mounted on springs also adjustable for balancing purposes.
The shafts carry cross bars in front and rear of the horse, these being adjustable
and fixable as to width and distance apart by suitable clips and screws.
I also
arrange a semi-hoop like band to the shaft to be passed under the horse's belly but
not in touch. The cross bars have connected to them lengths of india rubber or
spring with straps or cushion rings at their free ends into which the horse's legs
can be secured, referring to the front cross bars just below the knee joints and at
the pastern joints. The hind cross bar is similarly provided with lengths of
rubber or its equivalent for engaging the hind legs of the horse at the back joints,
other lengths of rubber or equivalent being connected to the semi-circular band
and to the pastern of the horse's hind legs, so that in the contraction of the legs a
strain or stretch is put upon the rubber lengths which are regulated for the purpose
in order that when the horse steps forwardly with that particular leg, the rubber
or spring simultaneously contracts and lifts the leg somewhat quicker and to a
greater height than the horse would in its natural step.
The leg by this means is lifted higher and since it is held at the knee as well as
at the pastern joints the knee takes an upward rounded direction of motion, and
the hoof portion from the pastern joint is thrown forwardly for picking up the
distance of the step, the action being very much improved in a breeder's and
dealer's point of view in addition to strengthening and developing the muscles of
the legs.
With regard to the hind legs, the hock joint is carried somewhat more to the
rear, as is also the lower limb or fetlock joint which gives the horse the appearance,
while moving, of having a longer stride, the lengths of rubber or equivalent in all
cases being put into tension by the opposite motion of the horse's legs.

page_text: With regard to human beings the shafts and cross bars with their rubber lengths
would be in the form of a frame, and be similarly affixed to a person's legs in
order that he or she could practice walking with a high stepping action, and so in
a short time obviate that desponding and slouching gait and shuffling walk besides
bringing out and developing the muscular power of the person.
My invention will be clearly understood by reference to the annexed drawings.
Figure 1 represents a horse in a buggy or trotting cart with frame arranged for
heightening, lowering, widening, or narrowing for accommodating said vehicle to
various sizes of animals.
Figure 2 a plan of the vehicle.
Figure 3 indicates the preferred arrangement of appliances for manual exercises
of the legs, the grip of the hands facilitating all the muscles of the body being
brought into play.
Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle is composed of two long shafts A, A,
passed through sockets B, B, of the fore and aft under carriage C, C, to which the
springs D, D, are affixed by the scroll irons E, E, for mounting it upon the
wheels F, F, G being the seat also adjustable on the shafts A, A, for balancing
the rider, or so setting him as to have full command over the animal.
H, H, and J are cross bars also passed into sockets K, K, L, which are
adjustable along the shafts and fixable by the pinch nuts M, M, N, to suit the
length of the animal. The cross bars H, H, J, have grooved collars P, P, on
each for the fixture of the ends of elastic cords Q, Q, of which there are six
shown, the forward ones being connected by bands R, R, to the animal's pastern
joints and to the fore legs respectively just below the knee joints, the hinder
clastics being connected by bands S, S, to the hocks of the animal.
Close to the shaft stops T, T, on either side is another socket U also adjustable
for position, and to which is affixed a curved bar V occupying a position under
the animal's belly for the attachment of other elastic cords W, W, these being
also connected by bands X, X, to the hind fetlock, as indicated. The elastic
cords are of such length that they become elongated or put in tension
by the power of the animal while drawing in its legs to touch the ground but the
instant it lifts either foot the elastic cords contract so that the fore legs are forced
forwardly, and the hind legs backwardly to a greater distance and also to a greater
height than that naturally provided for, the result being after a short training in
the vehicle, a high step or fine action in addition to a long stride which the animal
retains for its ordinary movements whether in or out of harness.
Another advantage arising from my system of step or high action training is,
the animal carries its head better and arches its neck in a more graceful manner
than by any present system of training in consequence of the absence of gags,
jockey saddles, bearing reins, and the like.
Referring to Figure 3, the elastic cords Q, Q, are affixed to a projection Y from
the wall Z, the other ends being connected by bands R, R, to a person's ankle and
knee joints respectively, said cords Q, Q, being put in tension when the person
draws the foot back to place it on the ground, so that by the contraction or
rebound of the cords in lifting the foot draws the leg higher than usual from the
knee joint and more forward from the ankle joint, the hands being raised and
gripping the bar a above the level of the person's head, as indicated.
This practice or training tends to bring all the muscles of the body into active
operation, it sets the body more upright, expands the chest, develops the muscular
capabilities, and materially improves the stepping and general "set up" and gait
of the body.
With regard to the training of horses and other animals, it is better that they
be within shafts of a vehicle in order that they can advance in their stepping, but
for human beings I prefer that exercises shall be carried on from a standing
position somewhat after the example shown at Figure 3.
I have shown two elastic cords to each leg in Figure 3 but for theatrical
dancing and bigh kick training, the ankle elastics alone would be necessary, the

page_text: cords being arranged to suit the person's height and degree or extent of the
motions desired.
To prevent the rubber or elastic cords sagging to too great an extent when in a
slack condition, I may attach a more sensitively prepared strip of rubber which
I rove through rings attached to the main rubber in order that the main rubber
can be so to speak tightened up between given points.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is
1. The arrangement of adjustable vehicle body and shafts with cross bars and
elastic cords or any description of spring for high step training of animals, as
described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the annexed drawings.
2. Training horses and other like animals to step by tension of elastic cords or
any other kind of spring affixed to knee and fetlock joints respectively, said cords
or springs depending from a frame or cross bars and curved bar substantially as
indicated in the annexed drawings, Figures 1 and 2.
3. The employment of elastic cords between fixed supports and the legs of a
person for gymnastic purposes in the manner and substantially as represented at
Figure 3 of the annexed drawings.
The 8th dow of Nozambar 100%
H. GARDNER,
Patent Agent, 166 Fleet Street, London,
Agent for the said Henry Byron Woods.