An Improvement relating to the Attachment of Stirrup Straps of Side or Ladies' Saddles.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 12th July, 1895-Accepted, 17th Aug., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improvement relating to the Attachment of Stirrup Straps
of Side or Ladies' Saddles.
I, WILLIAM HOWELLS, of Glanmor, Wick, near Bridgend, Glamorganshire,
Farmer, 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 :-
This invention has reference to side or ladies' saddles, and consists in an
improvement relating to the arrangement and attachment of the stirrup straps of
such saddles.
According to this invention, the stirrup strap, having the stirrup attached at one
end thereof, in the usual way, is conducted upwards on the outer face of the outer
flap of the saddle and is carried through the saddle, under the seat thereof, to the
opposite side. Thence the strap is continued down and after having been passed
below the body of the horse is buckled to a strap attached to the saddle at that
side at which the stirrup is situated. Accordingly, the strap is arranged in the
form of a loop which is tightened by the strain exerted on the stirrup by the rider.
The said strain is borne about the body of the horse and is not concentrated at one
point. As a result, liability to gall or chafe a horse carrying the saddle is
reduced.
In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings, Fig. 1 represents in plan a
part of a side saddle having the stirrup strap a arranged and attached in accordance
with this invention. Fig. 2 is a front view. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of
the invention.
According to this invention the stirrup strap a, to which the stirrup bis
attached in the usual way, is conducted up over the outer face of the outer flap c
of the saddle and is passed through the saddle below the seat thereof. On emerging
at the opposite side the strap is conducted down in like manner and is passed below
the horse's body and returned to the side at which the stirrup is situated and is
buckled or otherwise attached as at a¹ Figs. 2 and 3 to a short strap depending
from the saddle and lying on the outer face of the pad d.
Or, the strap may be attached directly to the saddle. The strap a thus forms
a loop about the body of the horse, which loop is, under the strain exerted on
the stirrup by the rider, tightened about the horse, the strain being borne about the
body of the horse and not concentrated at any one point. The aperture in the
saddle through which the stirrup strap is passed may have a channel of tin, iron or
other suitable metal or material to carry the strap.
Such a channel is illustrated in side view at Fig. 4 and in cross section at Fig. 5
of the drawings.
By the above-described arrangement and attachment of the stirrup strap of a
side saddle, liability to chafing and galling of the horse carrying the saddle is
lessened.
The arrangement is capable of being reversed, that is to say, adapted to an off-
side saddle or a reversible saddle.
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 :-
In a side or ladies' saddle, looping the stirrup strap to which the stirrup is

page_text: suspended, about the saddle by passing the strap through the saddle below the seat
thereof from one side to the other and then returning the strap under the saddle to
the side at which the stirrup is situated and securing the said strap to the saddle
at such side, or to a strap attached thereat to the saddle; so that the stirrup strap
forms a loop about the body of the horse carrying such side saddle and distributes
the strain exerted on the stirrup strap by the rider, substantially as hereinbefore
described with reference to the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings.
Dated this 11th day of July 1895.
NICHOLAS WATTS,
Chartered Patent Agent, Bristol.