Improved Driving Rein and Tail Holder.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Oct., 1893-Accepted, 9th Dec., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Driving Rein and Tail Holder.
I BURDINE BLAKE, of 78 South Main Street, London in the County of
Madison and State of Ohio, United States of America, Gunsmith 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:—
The object of my invention is to provide a combined driving rein and tail holder
to be applied to horse's harness to prevent the animal from getting his tail over
the reins, which is a frequent source of annoyance to the driver, especially in the
fly season. It consists in an attachment of peculiar construction which may be
incorporated in and form a part of the harness, or be applied to harness already
in use, whereby the reins are held in suitable guides and a depending guard or
fender is provided which prevents the horse's tail from rising to a point where it
might become entangled in the reins, all as hereinafter fully described.
Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing the device applied to the horse; and
Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view in perspective of the device detached.
In the drawings, A represents the body of the device, which may be, as shown,
a single sheet of stout leather made in the general shape of a saddle, or which
may be made of some stiff and light open-work of any suitable material. The
rear portion of the device has a broad rounded contour a a, and from the front
there extends a tongue b, while from the forward part of the two sides there
extend two other tongues c c. These tongues are perforated with a series of holes,
and the front one b, is adapted to be connected by a buckle to the back strap of
the harness, while the side tongues are similarly adapted to be connected to the two
breeching straps. On the front portion of the body of the device there are mounted
in elevated position guide loops d d, preferably made of metal, through which the
reins are respectively passed and by which they are held in position. If desired,
the body of the device may have one or more holes, as at e, to serve as a point of
connection with the crupper, but this is not essential to the invention, and may be
dispensed with.
In applying the device it is connected to the harness as above indicated, and the
curved line a a is allowed to project down over the tail to a point a little short of
the end of the bone or solid portion of the tail. In this relation the broad and
curved rear end of the device forms a guard or fender that prevents the horse's
tail from being elevated in switching, so that it can not become entangled in the
reins which are maintained in elevated position in the guide loops above.
I am aware that rein holders of various forms have been applied to the rear
portion of a horse's harness and I make no broad claim to this feature.
In some applications of my invention I may find that the tail guard is sufficient
without the use of the elevated rein loops, and I may so use it if desired.
Having now particularly 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. The saddle-shaped body A, provided with a front tongue b, for connecting
with the back strap, side tongue cc, for the breech strap, and the broad curved
guard surface a a, at its rear end, substantially as and for the purpose described.
2. The combined driving rein and tail holder, consisting of the body part A,
with front tongue b, for connecting with the back strap: sides tongues cc. for the

page_text: breech straps; the elevated rein holder d, and the broad curved guard surface a a,
substantially as and for the purpose described.
Dated this 24th day of October 1893.
R BLAKE
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
53, Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.