Year: 1896

page_text: 1, JOHN GILBERT SURMAN of Healing Rectory in the County of Lincoln, Clerk
in Holy Orders, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The saddle is constructed with the four following parts
(a) A cylindrical handle, fixed in the fore top of the saddle tree, which can be
grasped by both or either hand, by which falls in mounting, or when the horse
stumbles or rears can be prevented. It will obviate the necessity of seizing the
horse's mane either when mounting or when the animal is climbing hills &c.
(b) In the centre of this handle there is a small movable cylinder about two
inches long, the purpose of which is to give the rider greater power to control his
horse. For should the horse run away with the rider, he could by placing the
reins under this cylinder exercise an enormous force, by means of its pully action,
so that any horse, however restive, could be curbed and pulled up.
(c) A guard band fixed to the foretop of the saddle, and going round the lower
part of the horse's neck is fixed to the lower part of the saddle at two points on
either side. This will make the saddle absolutely unmovable, and if by any accident
the girtbs become unloosed or broken, the rider will not loose his seat, for the
saddle will not shift its position.
(d) The stirrups are constructed with a foot-rest that can move freely on a pivot,
having a support for the foot at the top, and extends backwards so as to be in
equilibrium, and thus the sole of the foot will have full support. The foot-rest has
also three small, but sharp points, fixed at the top, and the extremities of the base,
which will grip the boot of the rider. This contrivance will give the rider a firm
footing in his stirrup, for the support will prevent the foot being pressed too far
into the stirrup, and the sharp points above mentioned, will prevent the foot easily
leaving the stirrup; and should the rider be thrown, the pivot action of the foot-
rest will entirely prevent the possibility of the foot being caught in the stirrup, and
the rider dragged.
Dated this Nineteenth day of August 1896
J. GILBERT SURMAN.
Improvements in Saddles and Stirrups.
I, JOHN GILBERT SURMAN of the Rectory, Healing in the County of Lincoln
Clerk in Holy Orders 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 :-
My invention consists of an ordinary riding saddle, made either for a lady or a
gentleman, with the four following contrivances thereto attached.
1. A cylindrical handle, made either as a bar chain or strap, or made of either

page_text: string or rope fixed at two points in the fore part of the saddle tree and made up as
part of the saddle, or contrived to be fixed to the saddle by screws or any other
contrivance, made of steel iron brass or any other metal or material, covered with
leather or any other material, which can be grasped with either or both hands, the
object of which is to prevent falls to the rider.
2. In the centre of this handle is a small cylinder, or this cylinder may be fixed in
any other part of the saddle, made of metal or any other material, moving on an
axle, the purpose of which is to give the rider greater power to hold in his horse.
This he can do by placing the reins under the cylinder, making use of its pulley
action, and pulling the horse in with one hand, whilst grasping the handle with the
other, so as to have a firm fulcrum upon which to exercise his force.
3. A safety girth made of any kind of material attached to the fore part of the
saddle, so that it can be tightened on mounting or at any other time, the purpose of
which is, first to prevent the saddle shifting its position when the rider mounts, and
secondly in case the girths become unloosed or broken to prevent the saddle
coming off.
4. The stirrups which are made of any metal or material are constructed with a
foot-rest moving on swivels, and with a stirrup-plate also moving on swivels; the
object of which is to give the rider a firm, but free footing in his stirrups, and in
case he should be thrown, to entirely prevent his foot being dragged therein.
And in order that my invention may be more fully understood I have caused to
be appended hereunto two sheets of drawings marked with letters of reference
indicating like parts in the various figures.
Fig. 1. is a projection of the saddle seen from above; shewing the handle A. and
the cylinder B.
Fig. 2. side projection of saddle, shewing handle A. and cylinder B.
Fig. 3. front projection of saddle shewing safety girth C. in which is a buckle
for fastening the girth; and ¹ two metal rollers under which the girth passes for
holding the saddle firm at these points which will prevent the saddle shifting its
position when weight is placed on one stirrup, as in mounting; y a loop to keep
the girth free of the horse's neck.
Fig. 4 front projection of stirrup in which w. is the foot-rest moving on swivels s
and s; v. the stirrup-plate moving on swivels c and c. This is lined and also
padded with leather."
Fig. 5 side projection of stirrup with rider's foot inserted; w. foot-rest, v stirrup-
plate.
Some of the uses to which these contrivances can be put are the following:-
In mounting both the handle A aud the safety girth C. should be grasped. This
will not only give the rider a firm hold, so that however restive the horse may
be, the rider cannot be thrown, but by the saddle being pressed in at the points
and by means of other and similar metal rollers (not shown) immediately
beneath them, the saddle cannot slip round.
Also by grasping the handle with either or both hands falls when the horse
stumbles, rears, or swerves from the straight line can be effectually prevented.
Also by grasping the handle with the disengaged hand the rider will have a fulcrum
upon which to exert force to rein in his horse, and if further he avails himself of
the pulley action of the cylinder B. by placing the reins underneath it, as before
explained, he could exercise such an enormous force that no horse, however restive
could resist.
.
The safety girth C. will prevent all accidents that could arise from the girth
becoming unloosed or broken. It will have also this further advantage, that it
will not be necessary to fasten the girths so tightly as formally, because the safety
girth will prevent the saddle slipping round, when the rider mounts, and the saddle
being held at two points instead of oue, will be less liable to slipp when trotting or
galloping. This will give greater freedom to the horse to use his lungs, and the
girths also will be less liable to be broken.
The stirrups will give the rider a firm but free footing in them. The stirrup-

page_text: plate v. will afford a firm support to the front part of the foot, which is so
necessary when the horse is jumping, whilst the free movements of the stirrup-
plate n. and the foot-rest w. will give perfectly free action to the foot. Should,
however, the rider be thrown, this same free action of the stirrup-plate v. and the
foot-rest w. will entirely prevent the foot being dragged.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A handle made as a bar, chain, strap, or made of string or rope made of metal
or any other material, covered with leather or any other material, fixed at two
points in the fore part of the saddle-tree and made up as part of the saddle as
before described, or contrived to be fixed to the saddle by screws or any other
contrivance.
2. A cylinder made of any material, moving on an axle fixed in this handle, or
fixed in any other part of the saddle, used for the purpose of giving the rider
increased power to rein in bis horse, as before described.
3. A safety girth made of any kind of material attached to the fore part of the
saddle, contrived so that it can be tightened on mounting, or at any other time,
gripping the saddle at two points in such a manner that the saddle cannot turn
round, when weight is put on one stirrup, as before described.
4. Stirrups made of any metal or material, constructed with a stirrup plate
moving on swivels as before described, and also a foot-rest moving on swivels as
before described, in combination with the stirrup-plate as before described.
5. I further claim any modifications or applications of any and all of the above
parts used singly or severally in any kind of saddle for horses, and working in
combination with each other substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth,
and as shown upon the drawings.
Witness my hand this 21st day of September 1896.
J. GILBERT SURMAN.