IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLE STIRRUPS
Year: 1867

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by William Clark at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the 28th March 1867.
A communication from abroad by Osborne Macdaniel, of the City,
County, and State of New York, United States of America.
I, WILLIAM CLARK, of 53, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex,
Engineer and Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN SADDLE STIRRUPS," to be as follows:-
The nature of this Invention consists in constructing a stirrup for a riding-
saddle with a plurality of sides for the purpose of presenting one side at all
times ready to receive freely the foot of the rider in whatever position it may
hang.
It is well known that the common stirrup with a single bar and the Oriental
or Mexican shoe stirrup frequently give great trouble and annoyance by
hanging in such a position that the foot of a rider cannot enter it readily ou
mounting his horse, a difficulty attending the ordinary form of the stirrup
which has led to the practice of the groom holding the stirrup of a gentleman
when he mounts. Unless the stirrup hangs at right angles to the side of the
horse to come fairly in front of the foot it is often difficult for the rider to
catch the stirrup when he mounts, and serious accidents sometimes happen
from this cause. The common single bar stirrup is also dangerous with
unskilful riders and unruly horses by allowing the foot to enter too far, so that
it gets caught in the stirrup if he is thrown. There are other objections to
the ordinary stirrup, all of which are obviated by this improved plan of con-

page_text: struction with a plurality of sides to receive the foot, for in whatever position
it may be casually placed the foot can easily enter one of the sides of this
improved stirrup; it possesses also the advantage of affording a better support
for the foot, and the toe cannot enter too far.
This improved stirrup may be formed upon several plans, but that which
I prefer is the triangular three-barred stirrup to form the base or lower part,
in which the bars, curved or straight, are connected to form an equilateral
triangle, from the corners of which spring three bows or side pieces that are
united at the top to form the head of the stirrup. The saddle strap loop may
be made rigidly on the head in the usual way, or it may be connected by a
swivel joint with a centre plate to which the bows are united.
It will be readily understood that the form and plan of arrangement of the
stirrup may be modified without departing from the essential features of con-
struction and operation of this Invention, which consists in so forming a
stirrup with a plurality of sides that one side shall always be in position ready
to receive the foot. This object may be measurably accomplished by making
the stirrup square with four bars, or even with two, or instead of bars the
bottom may be a plate connected with the bows or side pieces, all of which
plans and modes of construction, however, are only modifications of this In-
vention, which I do not approve or adopt for the reason that I consider the
triangular form with three bars or a plate bottom preferable to any other
form of construction.