AN IMPROVED HALTER ATTACHMENT FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIB BITING
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Clark, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of
Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an Invention of "AN IMPROVED HALTER
ATTACHMENT FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIB BITING." A communication
from abroad by Ambrose Madden, of Asbury Park, in the County of Monmouth,
State of New Jersey, and Clarence Levey, of New York City, both in the
United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Clark at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 9th August 1880.
WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent. "AN IMPROVED HALTER ATTACHMENT FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIB-
BITING." [A communication from abroad by Ambrose Madden, of Asbury Park,
in the County of Monmouth, State of New Jersey, and Clarence Levey, of New
York City, both in the United States of America.]
This Invention relates to an attachment for use with halters for preventing
horses from crib biting and to cure them of that pernicious habit, and the
attachment consists of rigid metal bars which are formed in one piece with a ring
that connects the side or cheek and nose and throat straps of the halter, an under
jaw strap that is connected with the side straps, a plate that is suspended from the
under jaw strap by a billet, and straps that connect the plate to the lower end of
the rigid bars.
On the rings on the upper ends of the bars are formed spurs or projections
which project into the folds of the cheek and nose straps, and by the sewing are
held firinly, so that the ring cannot turn, and the bars are beld rigidly in place at
the sides of the horse's jaw. The lower ends of the bars are slotted to receive the
straps that conuect the plate to the bars, which straps are fitted with buckles to
allow of adjustment in length. The under jaw strap will pass closely around the

page_text: jaw, and with the billet will sustain the plate and prevent the same from being
drawn or falling down. The plate is fitted on its front side with a number of
teeth or spikes, and with bent spring plates that are secured at opposite ends and
curve outward beyond the ends of the spikes, so that the spikes will not enter the
animal unless considerable pressure is applied to the springs.
In use, when the halter is applied to the horse, the attachment does not prevent
perfect freedom of movement to the animal's head and mouth, but when he seizes
the manger and drops his lower jaw, as in the habit of crib-biting, the pins will
prick the under jaw or lip. This has the effect to prevent the horse from crib-
biting and break up the habit. It is to be understood that horses practice this
habit when tied in the stall, and it is therefore usually only necessary to apply the
attachment to the halter.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said William Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 8th February
1881.
WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Patent
Agent. "AN IMPROVED HALTER ATTACHMENT FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRIB
BITING." A communication from abroad by Ambrose Madden, of Asbury Park,
in the County of Monmouth, State of New Jersey, and Clarence Levey, of New
York City, both in the United States of America.
This Invention relates to an attachment for use with halters for preventing
horses from crib biting and to cure them of that pernicious habit, and the Invention
consists in a combination of rigid arms and straps hung upon the halter and
carrying a spiked plate which is retained beneath the animal's under lip in such
manner that the motions of the horse in the act of cribbing causes the spikes to
prick.
The construction will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying
Drawings which form part of this Specification, and wherein,―
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a halter with the attachment applied thereto.
Figure 2 is a face view of the spiked plate; Figure 3 is a detailed view in
larger size, showing the manner in which the rigid arms are connected with the
halter. Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.
A is a halter of usual construction, of which a, a, are the side or cheek straps;
b, the front or nose strap; and c the thread strap.
The attachment consists of the metal bars d, d, which are formed in one piece,
the ring 1 that connects the straps a, b, c, of the halter, the under-jaw strap e that
is connected with side straps a, the plate f that is suspended from strap e by a
billet and the straps h, h, that connect the plate f to the lower end of bars d.
On the rings 1 on the upper ends of bars d are formed spurs or projections 2,
which project into the folds of the straps a, b, (see Figure 3), and by the sewing are
held firmly, so that the ring cannot turn, and the bars are held rigidly in place at
the sides of the horse's jaw.
The lower ends of the bars d are slotted, as shown, to receive the straps h, which
latter are fitted with buckles to allow of adjustment in length.
The strap e will pass closely around the under jaw, and with the billet g will
sustain the plate f and prevent the same from being drawn or falling down.
The plate is fitted on its front side with a number of teeth or spikes ź, and
with bent spring plates that are secured at opposite ends and curve outward
beyond the ends of the spikes, so that the spikes will not enter the animal unless
considerable pressure is applied to the springs.
In use, when the halter is applied to the horse, the attachment does not prevent
perfect freedom of movement to the animal's head and mouth, but when he seizes
the manger
and drops his lower jaw, as in the habit of crib biting, the pins i will
prick the under jaw or lip. This has the effect to prevent the horse from cribbing,
and break up the habit.
It is to be understood that horses practice this habit when tied in the stall, and
it is therefore usually only necessary to apply the attachment to the halter.
Having described the nature of the said Invention, and the manner of performing
the same, I declare that what I claim as the Invention to be protected by the
hereinbefore in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1st. The crib biting attachment for halters, consisting of the rigid arms d, spiked
plate f, and adjustable straps h, h, connected with the plate f and bars & combined
with the halter, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

page_text: 2nd. In crib biting attachments for halters the plate ƒ provided with the spikes
and springs suspended from the halter and connected to the rigid side bars d,
substantially as described and shown.
3rd. In crib biting attachments for halters the bars d provided with the rings 1
and spurs 2 for connection with the halter straps, as described, and connected at
their lower ends with the spiked plate f, substantially as described and shown.
In witness whereof, I, the said William Clark, have hereunto set my hand
and seal, this Eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord One
thousand eight hundred and eighty one.
W. CLARK. (L.S.)