IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO SIDE-SADDLES
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Thomas Jenkins of the Middle Temple London
Barrister at Law for an Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO
SIDE-SADDLES "
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Thomas Jenkins at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 3rd July 1882.
GEORGE THOMAS JENKINS of the Middle Temple London Barrister at Law
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO SIDE-SADDLES"
In the present mode of fitting the stirrup leather to a side saddle, there is
produced on the use of the stirrup a great lateral pressure of the off-side of the
saddle-tree against the off side of the withers of the horse, thereby causing the
same to be wrong and made tender and sore.
Now the object of my invention is to remove or reduce such pressure by altering
the direction of the same and distributing it or converting it into a vertical pressure
instead of a lateral pressure.
And my invention consists in an arrangement for passing the stirrup leather over
the back or withers of the horse so that it may act freely when pulled backwards
or forwards by the use the stirrup or otherwise.
The means which I prefer to adopt for the purpose consist in the adaptation and
application to the fore part or pummel of the saddle-tree, of a hollow curved guide
of metal or other suitable material through which is passed the stirrup-leather,
having one end fastened by a buckle to a short strap fixed to the top of the stirrup
iron and the other end passed over the horse's withers or back, through the said
curved guide. In order to effect this, the socket or screw hole of the third crutch
(sometimes called the leaping crutch) is raised sufficiently from the saddle-tree to
admit of the stirrup strap passing freely under such socket into the curved guide.
The other end of the strap after the stirrup has been put in its right place, is
buckled on the off side of the horse either to the outside girth or to a strap
specially provided for the purpose and being brought under the horse from the near
side of the saddle.

page_text: The said curved guide forms a kind of bridge over the back of the horse, and it
may be fitted with friction rollers for the stirrup leather to pass over, if preferred,
in order to lessen the friction on the leather in its working.
Also the lateral pressure of the saddle tree above referred to may be further
reduced by making that end of the stirrup-leather which is buckled to the strap or
girth on the off side of the horse to pass round or over a pulley or pulleys on such
off side, the end of the stirrup-leather being ultimately fixed to some part of the
off side of the saddle or of the pummel. Also the third crutch may have formed
in it a rectangular or oblong opening through which the stirrup leather can be
caused to pass instead of under the socket of the crutch as above stated.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said George Thomas Jenkins in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
1st January 1883.
GEORGE THOMAS JENKINS of the Middle Temple London Barrister-at-Law
"IMPROVEMENTS IN AND APPLICABLE TO SIDE-SADDLES."
In the present mode of fitting the stirrup-leather to a side-saddle there is
produced on the use of the stirrup a great lateral pressure of the off-side of the
saddle-tree against the off-side of the withers of the horse thereby causing the
same to be wrung and made tender and sore.
Now the object of my Invention is to remove, or reduce, such pressure by altering
the direction of the same and distributing it or converting it into a vertical pressure
instead of a lateral pressure.
And my Invention consists in an arrangement for passing the stirrup-leather over
the back or withers of the horse so that it may act freely when pulled backwards
or forwards by the use of the stirrup or otherwise and fastening the stirrup leather
when so passed over to another strap fixed on the near side of the saddle tree and
passed under the horse's body.
The means which I prefer to adopt for the purpose consist in the adaptation and
application to the forepart or pummel of the saddle-tree, of a hollow curved guide
of metal or other suitable material through which is passed the stirrup leather
having one end fastened by a buckle to a short strap fixed to the top of the stirrup
iron, and the other end passed over the horse's withers or back, through the said
curved guide. In order to effect this the socket or screw hole of the third crutch
(sometimes called the leaping crutch) is raised sufficiently from the saddle-tree to
admit of the stirrup strap passing freely under such socket into the curved guide.
The other end of the strap after the stirrup has been put in its right place is
buckled on the off-side of the horse to a strap specially provided for the purpose
and brought under the horse from the near side of the saddle.
The said curved guide forms a kind of bridge over the back of the horse and it
may be fitted with friction rollers for the stirrup leather to pass over, if preferred,
in order to lessen the friction on the leather in its working.
Also the lateral pressure of the saddle-tree above referred to may be further
reduced by making that end of the stirrup-leather which is buckled to the strap
or girth on the off side of the horse to pass round or over a pulley or pulleys on
such off side, the end of the stirrup leather being ultimately fixed to some part of
the off side of the saddle or of the pummel. Also the third crutch may have
formed in it a rectangular or oblong opening through which the stirrup leather
can be caused to pass, instead of under the socket of the crutch as above stated or
the stirrup leather may be allowed to. pass (either with or without a protecting
guide) behind and close to the third crutch.
Having thus stated the nature of the said Invention I will proceed to describe
more particularly in what manner the same is to be performed by the aid of the
accompanying drawings in which are represented as applied to a saddle tree the
parts above referred to.

page_text: applied to the fore part or pummel of the saddle tree B, a portion only of which
is shewn, C is the stirrup leather or strap which is passed through the guide A
over pulleys D D to prevent friction, one end of which stirrup leather extending
from the part C₁ of the same is fastened to a short strap fixed to the top of the
stirrup iron and the other end extending beyond C is secured as required on the
off side of the horse. E is the socket or screw hole of the third crutch which is
raised from the saddle-tree as shewn in order to admit of the stirrup strap C
passing freely under such socket into the curved guide A and working therein
as required.
From the foregoing arrangement of the parts it will be seen that as the
curved guide A forms a kind of bridge over the back of the horse and the stirrup
leather or strap C is passed through this guide and fastened to a strap passing
under the horse's body as before mentioned the great lateral pressure ordinarily
produced on using the stirrup will be removed or reduced by the altered direction
given to such pressure which will be distributed or converted into a vertical
pressure, and thereby relieve the horse from the ordinary pressure of the off side
of the saddle tree.
Having thus described the nature of the said Invention and in what manner the
same is to be performed I hereby declare that what I claim as of my Invention
is: The adaptation and application to side-saddles of a curved guide forming a
kind of bridge over the back of the horse through which guide the stirrup leather
or strap is passed as and for the purpose substantially as hereinbefore described.
In witness whereof I the said George Thomas Jenkins have hereunto set.
my hand and seal the twenty fifth day of December in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and eighty two.
GEORGE THOMAS JENKINS (L.s.)