CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MAKE, USE, AND APPLICATION OF BRIDLE BITS
Year: 1827

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
JOHN FORD, of the Parish of Mildenhall, in the County of Suffolk, Farrier,
send greeting.
WHEREAS His most Excellent Majesty. King George the Fourth, by His
Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at West-
minster, the Sixth day of September, in the eighth year of His reign, did,
for Himself, His heirs and successors, give and grant unto me, the said
William John Ford, His especial licence, full power, sole privilege and autho-
rity, that I, the said William John Ford, my exors, admors, and assigns, or
such others as I, William John Ford, my exors, admors, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
during the term of years therein expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick-
upon-Tweed, and also within all His Majesty's Colonies and Plantations
abroad, my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MAKE, USE, AND
APPLICATION OF BRIDLE BITS;" in which said Letters Patent there is con-
tained a provisoe obliging me, the said William John Ford, by an instrument
in writing under my hand and seal, particularly to describe and ascertain the
nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,
and to cause the same to be enrolled in His Majesty's High Court of Chan-
cery within two months next and immediately after the date of the said'
recited Letters Patent, as in and by the same, reference being thereunto had,
will more fully and at large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance of the said provisoe, I, the. said..
William John Ford, do hereby declare that the nature of the said Invention,
and the manner in which the same is to be performed, is described and

page_text: ascertained by the Drawing hereunto annexed, and the words following (that
is to say):
A and B are the parts of the bit attached to the head stall of the bridle;
A, C, E, and B, D, F, are the sides of tho bit, having joints in them at C
and D made by putting the parts C and C¹ together, and D and D¹ together,
as shewn in the Drawing. a and b are cavities or mortices through which
check pins pass, so that C, E, and D, F, may move through an angle of 45°
from the right lines which they at first form with A, C, and B, D. K is a
smooth circular bar connecting together the upper parts of the sides of the
bit; L is a bar connecting the lower parts of the sides of the bit which is
placed about half an inch from the bar K. G and H are small rings placed
on the upper part of the bar L, so that they come outside the lower jaw of
the horse. M is a port or circle attached to the bar L about an inch dia-
meter inside of it. N, G, and O, H, are small circular bars with rings at N
and O, and are attached to the bar L at G and H. P and Q are holes or
eyes in the upper sides of the bit to receive the curb chain. R and S are
upper sides of the bit without the bar K. T are studs or rivets to go through
the bar Lin the single bar bit at G and H. This bit is made from the solid
metal, with no rivetting except at the joints in the sides, and the attachment
of the bars N, G, and O, H, to the bar L. The riding or driving rein is
fastened to the rings at N and O, and a rein is fastened to the rings at E
and F, which I call the correction rein. A bearing or bridoon rein for a
carriage horse is attached to the same holes P and Q as the curb chain; but
the holes are then extended upwards sufficiently large to admit such rein. A
bridle with this double bar bit thus complete, cither for driving or riding a
horse, the useful effects of it are thus produced: for common purposes of
driving or riding with a quiet horse, the rein fastened at N and O is sufficient.
If the horse startles, rears up, plunges, stumbles, or attempts to run away,
then a firm steady pull at the correction rein alone, by moving the sides of
the bit C, E, and D, F, from the right lines through an agle of 45° will bring
the port or circle M strongly pressed on the lower jaw of the horse, and he
will be immediately restrained and corrected.. When the horse is subdued a
quick pull at the guiding or riding rein at N and O will bring the sides of
the bit back again into straight lines, and the horse will be relieved. . If the
horse is very vicious, or will not undergo the operation of shoeing, he may be
made tractable in the following manner :-Let the tongue be raised, and the
double bar bit placed on the lower jaw, which it will easily fit; at the same
time let the curb chain be loose. Then pass a small thin strap through the
two links to which the curb chain is attached, and buckle it so tight that

page_text: the horse cannot put his tongue between the bit and his under jaw, which
strap I call a soft curb; a gentle firm pull of the correction rein will then
have a very great effect, and correct the most refractory horse. A single bar
bit for driving or riding is made by leaving out the upper bar K, which slides
are shewn in the Drawing at R and S, and then N, G, and O, H, are attached
to the bar L at G and H, by studs or rivets T, T. These bits are equally
adapted for two pair of reins as for one pair..
Having thus shewn the peculiar construction of my bits, and the use and
application of them, I proceed to state wherein the novelty of my Invention
consists.
I claim the combination of a double bar bit having joints in the sides with
a port downwards, as above described, by which three improvements in bits
for the management of a horse are effected. First, the mechanical action
produced by having the joints in the sides between the bars of the bit, by
which means the port or circle in the lower bar may be brought to act power-
fully against the lower jaw of the horse, and thus he may be gently corrected
for any vicious habit; second, the relief afforded to the horse by pulling the
driving or riding rein after the correction rein has been used, by which means
the horse may, the instant he has been corrected, be easily guided in any
direction; and third, the slackening of the curb. By placing the soft curb or
strap above the joints, it is cased from the first tension by a gentle pull of the
correction rein. It then admits the port or circle to arrive at the part for
correction.
In witness whereof, I, the said William John Ford, have hereunto set my
hand and seal, the First day of November, in the year of our Lord
Inrolled the Third day of November, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and twenty-seven.