A MECHANICAL HORSE
Year: 1858

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to John Golding Bunting, of the City of Saint John,
in the Province of New Brunswick, in British North America, but at
present at the Office for Patents, No. 4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross,
the County of Middlesex for the Invention of "A MECHANICAL HORSE-
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said John Golding Bunting at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
15th November 1858.
I, JOHN GOLDING BUNTING, of the City of Saint John, in the Province of
New Brunswick, in British North America, but at present at the Office for
Patents, No. 4, Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross, in the County of Middlesex,
do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "A MECHANICAL
HORSE-TAMER OR BRAKE," to be as follows:-,
This Invention consists of certain appliances, by the means of which horses,
however restive or unmanageable, may be broken and rendered docile in a
very short space of time. In the centre of a field or other convenient spot
is driven a post or socket to hold a post, having on its upper end a stout pin;
from thence diverge, in a horizontal direction, two poles, say, from 25 to
30 feet long, both of which have holes made in one end to drop on to the
pin in the post, the other ends being kept apart from 12 to 15 feet by cross
pieces or shafts, which are secured in any convenient manner. Upon the
outer extremities of the poles are attached axle arms to carry heavy cart

page_text: wheels; these wheels should be of such a height that the cross pieces or shafts
reach just to or above the shoulder point of the horse. When the horse to
be broken is about to be placed in the cradle, the cross bar or shaft nearest
to the wheels must be removed. The horse is then passed between the wheels,
and the cross bar or shaft replaced, while at the same time the straps which
have previously been placed upon the horse are fastened to the side cross
pieces or shafts. Straps also pass over the horse to prevent kicking, and
under the stomach, and are attached to the side poles or shafts to prevent
his lying down. The horse being fastened within this cradle is quite unable
to plunge by the weight of the wheels, or lie down on account of the under
straps, and is prevented running backwards by means of a prop fixed to the
hind pole, which prop is held up or lowered at pleasure. When the horse
is rendered tolerably docile a man may sit behind him upon a "dickey" seat,
which can be erected on the hinder pole, and taught the use of the bit and
reins, or on his back when required to be broken for the saddle. If the horse
to be broken is not sufficiently nervous or iritable to be placed in this circular
brake, or after he is rendered somewhat obedient, the long poles may be dis-
pensed with, and a square cradle with four wheels attached, having a pair of
shafts in front, in which to place a strong steady horse, may be used instead, the
result being that the horse in the cradle must inevitably follow the course led
by that in the shafts, the same being driven by the man on the "dickey"
seat behind. In this case, if required to teach the cradled horse the use of
the bit, both horses are to be driven as in "tandem." By these means the
most unmanageable horse is rendered perfectly docile in a comparitively
short space of time, either for riding or driving, with or without the use of
*. blinkers."
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said John Golding Bunting in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 14th May 1859.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOHN 3
GOLDING BUNTING, of the City of Saint John, in the Province of New
Brunswick, in British North America, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Fifteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, in the twenty-second year 3
of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto

page_text: me, the said John Golding Bunting, Her special licence that I, the said
John Golding Bunting, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such
others as I, the said John Golding Bunting, 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 therein 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 "A MECHANICAL HORSE-TAMER OR BRAKE," upon the condition
(amongst others) that I, the said John Golding Bunting, my executors 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.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said John Golding Bunting, 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 thereof, that is to say :-
This Invention consists of certain appliances, by the means of which horses,
however restive or unmanageable, may be broken and rendered docile in a
very short space of time. In the centre of a field or other convenient spot is
driven a post (or socket to hold a post), having on its upper end a stout pin;
from thence diverge, in a horizontal direction, two poles, say, from twenty-
five to thirty feet long, both of which have a hole in one end to drop on to
the pin in the post, the other ends being kept apart from twelve to fifteen
feet by cross pieces or shafts, which are secured in any convenient manner.
Upon the outer extremities of the poles are attached axle arms, to carry
heavy cart wheels.. These wheels should be of such a height that the cross
pieces or shafts reach just to or above the shoulder point of the horse. When
the horse to be broken is about to be placed in the cradle, the cross bar or
shaft nearest to the wheels must be removed; the horse is then passed
between the wheels and the cross bar or shaft replaced, while at the same
time the straps which have previously been placed upon the horse are fastened
to the side cross pieces or shafts. Straps also pass over the horse to prevent
kicking, and under the stomach, and are attached to the side poles or shafts
to prevent his lying down. The horse being fastened within this cradle is
quite unable to plunge by the weight of the wheels, or lie down on account
of the under straps, and is prevented running backwards by means of a prop

page_text: "
fixed to the hind pole, which prop is held up or lowered at pleasure. When
the horse is rendered tolerably docile, a man may sit behind him upon a
dickey" seat, which can be erected on the hinder pole, and teach him the
use of the bit and reins, or on his back, when required to be broken for the
saddle. If the horse to be broken is not sufficiently nervous or irritable to
be placed in this circular brake, or after he is rendered somewhat obedient,
the long poles may be dispensed with, and a square cradle with four wheels
attached, having a pair of shafts in front (in which to place a strong steady
horse), may be used instead, the result being that the horse in the cradle
must inevitably follow the course led by that in the shafts, the same being
driven by the man on the "dickey" seat behind. In this case, if required to
teach the cradled horse the use of the bit, both horses are to be driven together
as in "tandem." By these means the most unmanageable horse is rendered
perfectly docile in a comparatively short space of time, either for riding or
driving, with or without the use of blinkers.
In order to explain my said Invention as completely as possible, I now
proceed to describe the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the
same into practical effect, reference being had to the illustrative Sheet of
Drawings hereunto annexed, and to the numeral figures and letters of
reference marked thereon respectively, as follows:-
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS.
Figure 1 represents a plan view of my brake, shewing the wheels a, a, and
cross pieces b, b, attached to the longitudinal bars c, c, said bars falling on to
a pin fixed in an upright d, (Figures 1 and 2,) corresponding in level with
the centre of the wheels a, a; so it will be seen that if a horse is placed
between the cross pieces (or shafts) b, b, he cannot possibly get away from
the brake, because if he attempts to lie down the bellybands e, e, which are
hereto attached, prevent him, and should his temper or inclination lead him to
run away or jump, the weight of the wheels a, a, will also prevent him, or
even should the weight not do so, he can do no injury by running round,
which will tend to subdue him. It is obvious, therefore, that a horse finding
himself so far confined will adhere to the first principle (which is that of
self-braking), and will therefore strictly be confined to the machine already
fixed.
Figure 2 exhibits a front elevation of my machine or brake, where will be
seen the upright or post d and longitudinal bars c, having the cross pieces or
shafts b, b, in position. But should the height of the horse be too múch for
that of the shafts b, b, an additional piece or pieces (Figure 3) can be placed

page_text: beneath or above, according to the stature of the horse to be broken.
Figure 4 shews a screwed band, which keeps the cross pieces in their places,
and Figure 5 is a side view of a short strap placed round the cross pieces, to
which are buckled the other straps.
A "dickey" or seat (not shewn) may be placed behind the brake for the
purpose of conduction, by which means a colt, horse, or other such like animal
can be driven or "rein" broke at pleasure without the use of the ordinary
A square-wheeled cradle may in some cases be used, having a
leading horse attached, and a "dickey" seat placed behind, where the horse
is not too ungovernable.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my
said Invention of "A Mechanical Horse-tamer or Brake," I would remark,
in conclusion, that I do not confine or restrict myself to the precise details
herein described, and shewn in the hereunto annexed illustrative Sheet of
Drawings, as many slight modifications may be made therein without in any
way departing from the principle of my Invention; but what I claim as my
Invention intended to be secured to me by the herein in part recited Letters
Patent, is,
Firstly, the cross pieces or shafts b, b, (to which are fastened the straps,) in
combination with the longitudinal bars c, c, turning on a common centre
at d, and the wheels a, a, attached thereto.
Secondly, the necessary means of strapping, belting, or otherwise fastening
horses into the cradle composed of the cross pieces b, b, and longitudinal
bars c, c, for the purpose of self-braking.
And, thirdly, the use of a square cradled brake, as herein-before described,
for the purposes herein set forth.
In witness whereof, I, the said John Golding Bunting, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Thirty-first day of March, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-nine.
0
Witness,
SAM. POTTER, jun'., Solicitor,
36, King Street, Cheapside,
London.
JOHN G. BUNTING. (L.S.)