IMPROVEMENTS IN REINS FOR CON- TROLLING SADDLE HORSES
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Robert Lake, of the "International
Patent Office," No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting
Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN REINS FOR CON-
TROLLING SADDLE HORSES."-A communication from abroad by Jean
Sala, of Paris, in the Empire of France.
Sealed the 30th November 1869, and dated the 5th June 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Robert Lake
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 5th June 1869.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office,"
No. 8, Southampton Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN BEINS FOR
CONTROLLING SADDLE HORSES," a communication, to be as follows:-
The utility in the art of equitation of what are called flexures executed
according to the method of Bancher is well known, and especially the
flexure of the jaw obtained by the trainer on foot; in drawing one of the
reins of the bit forward and the other backward the contorsion of the bit

page_text: is produced which no horse can resist. By this flexure and others
operated simultaneously upon the neck and cheek of the horse he is
rendered apt and docile, and he is taught to hold his head in a good
position in the different steps. Hence the Inventor has had the idea of
giving to a horseman or a trainer on horseback reins which he calls
rigido-flexible" reins, which permit a person on a horse to exercise the
above described double action. Reins for actuating the bit are provided
either for pulling or pushing in such a manner that they can twist or
turn the same in the horse's mouth, thus not only can the rider act upon
the lower jaw in pulling, but also upon the upper jaw in pushing, and
upon both together at the same time in twisting the bit by the double
action, which, as I have above stated, consists in pushing one rein
forward and drawing the other backward. It is not necessary to enlarge
upon the novelty of this action to demonstrate the utility of my Inven-
tion it will be readily understood that by the aid of the said "rigido-
flexible" reins the most inexperienced horseman can at onco subdue
horses which heretofore would have resisted all means and all punish-
ments common in the art of equitation. The said "rigido-flexible" reins
are very simple, they do not differ in appearance from ordinary reins,
and properly employed will not only put an end to the greatest difficulties
of horsemanship, but will render the same easy and agreeable. The said
reins are not designed to form a substitute for any existing method of
equitation, they only constitute additional means for controlling a horse
already accustomed to the snaffle; they are used in connection with the
ordinary means employed in the best school of horsemanship to effect
the submission of the horse to its rider when he is inclined to be diş-
obedient, restive, and obstinate. Many horsemen however though
appreciating the utility of the said "rigido-flexible" reins for overcoming
the resistance of the horse might prefer to use the ordinary reins when
he is quiet, I therefore modify the said "rigido-flexible
" reins by
making them in the form of a cane or rod, so that they constitute what
may be called a training whip, which will serve at any moment to adopt
my Invention to the ordinary guiding reins. Thus an inexperienced
rider finding himself before an obstacle which his horse refuses to pass
will have the means of producing by a turn of the hand the " rigido-
flexible" reins, and having made the horse obey can instantly restore the
reins to the ordinary form.
The accompanying Drawing shews the said "rigido-flexible" reins and

page_text: Figures 1 and 2 shew front and edge views of the said "rigido-
flexible" reins.
Figures 3 is a transverse section of the said reins. a shews the ordinary
leather reins, and the rigid core of the said reins.
Figure 4 shews ordinary flexible reins rendered rigid by the training
whip (see Figure 5) which is divided into parts, and is applied by means
of sliding rings and straps or thongs to the flexible reins to render them
rigid. c and d are the two parts of the said whip.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said William Robert Lake in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 3rd December 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, WILLIAM
ROBERT LAKE, of the "International Patent Office," No. 8, South-
ampton Buildings, London, Consulting Engineer, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Fifth day of June, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors,
give and grant unto me, the said William Robert Lake, Her special
licence that I, the said William Robert Lake, my executors, adminis-.
trators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said William Robert Lake,
my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree
with, and no others, from time to time and at all times thereafter
during the term thorcin expressed, should and lawfully might make,
use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN REINS FOR CONTROLLING SADDLE HORSES," upon the con-
dition (amongst others) that I, the said William Robert Lake, my exe-
cutors or administrators, by an instrument in writing under my, or their,
or one of their hands and seals, should particularly describe and ascertain
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the
said Letters Patent.

page_text: NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said William Robert Lake, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement, reference being had to the accom-
panying Drawing forming a part of this Specification :-
The utility in the art of equitation of what are called flexures executed
according to the method of Baucher is well known, and especially the
flexure of the jaw obtained by the trainer on foot; in drawing one of the
reins of the bit forward and the other backward a contortion of the bit is
produced which no horse can resist. By this flexure and others operated
simultaneously upon the neck and cheek of the horse he is rendered apt
and docile, and is taught to hold his head in a good position in the
different steps. Hence the Inventor has had the idea of giving to a
horseman or trainer on horseback reins which he calls "rigido-flexible"
reins, whereby a person on a horse may exercise the above-described
double action. The said reins are rigid for actuating the bit either by
pulling or pushing in such a manner that they can twist or turn the
same in the horse's mouth, thus not only can the rider act upon, the
lower jaw in pulling, but also upon the upper jaw in pushing, and upon
both together at the same time in twisting the bit by the double action,
which, as I have above stated, consists in pushing one rein forward and
drawing the other backward. It is not necessary to enlarge upon the
novelty of this action to demonstrate the utility of my Invention, it will
be readily understood that by the aid of the said "rigido-flexible" reins
the most inexperienced horseman can at once subdue horses which
heretofore would have resisted all the means of subjugation and correction
common in the art of equitation. The said "rigido-flexible" reins are
very simple, they do not differ in appearance from .ordinary reins, and
properly employed will not only put an end to the greatest difficulties of
horsemanship, but will render it easy and agreeable. The said reins are
not designed with a view to introduce a new method of equitation to be
substituted for any existing method, they only constitute additional
means for controlling a horse already accustomed to the snaffle; they
are used in connection with the ordinary means employed in the best
school of horsemanship to effect the subjection of the horse to its rider
when he is inclined to be disobedient, restive, and obstinate. Many
horsemen however though appreciating the utility of the said "rigido-
flexible" reins for overcoming the resistance of the horse might prefer to
use the ordinary reins when he is quiet, I therefore modify the said

page_text: "rigido-flexible" reins by making them in the form of a cane or rod, so that
they constitute what may be called a training whip, which will serve at
any moment to adapt my Invention to the ordinary guiding reins. Thus
an inexperienced rider finding himself before an obstacle which his horse
refuses to pass, will have the means of producing by a turn of the hand
the "rigido-flexible" reins, and having made the horse obey can instantly
restore the reins to the ordinary form.
The accompanying Drawing shews the said "rigido-flexible" reins and
the modification thereof in the form of the training whip aforesaid.
Figures 1 and 2 shew front and edge views of the said "rigido-
flexible reins.
Figure 3 is a transverse section of the said reins. a shews the ordinary
leather reins, and 6 the rigid core of the said reins.
Figure 4 shews ordinary flexible reins rendered rigid by the training
whip (see Figure 5) which is divided into parts, and is applied by means
of sliding rings and straps or thongs to the flexible reins to render them
rigid. c and d are the two parts of the said whip.
Having thus fully described the said Invention, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I claim the "rigido-flexible" reins
which permit of acting upon the bit either by pulling or pushing to
move the said bit backward and forward for the purpose set forth, the
said reins being either made permanently rigid by a special construction
or rigid only at the required moment by the adaptation of two rigid
parts which compose the riding or training whip, substantially as set.
forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Robert Lake, have here-
unto set my hand and, this Third day of December, in the year
of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine.
Witness,
HARRY WRAIGHT,
WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE. (L.S.)
Clerk to Messrs. Haseltine, Lake, & Co.,
8, Southampton Buildings,
London.