An Improved Apparatus for Breaking in or Training Horses.
Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Mar., 1887
Complete Left, 17th Dec., 1887
Complete Accepted, 20th Jan., 1888
An Improved Apparatus for Breaking in or Training Horses.
1, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an apparatus for use in training or breaking in horses
chiefly when attached to a vehicle. It may, however be also used when the animal is
in the stable and it produces the desired effect without causing fatigue or other
injurious effect.
In carrying the said invention into practice I provide a vertical support which has
at its lower end a screw-threaded piece designed to be screwed into the bow of the
saddle or pad. This support is formed of two pieces united at the two ends and
having interior strengthening flanges or ribs. A plate and a rearwardly projecting
piece are secured near the bottom in such manner that they can slide and they are
secured in place by a thumb screw. To this projecting piece which is slightly curved
at its free end one extremity of a curved spring is secured, the other extremity thereof
being secured to a rod or bar extending to the upper part of the vertical support and
formed to receive the end of short reins leading to the bit in the animals mouth.
This rod or har works between two rollers situated in the vertical support.
The apparatus so constructed is supported upon the saddle or pad so as to ineline
slightly to the rear and is retained in this position by a fork-shaped piece of leather
the upper ends of which are each provided with a ring held by hooks fixed to the
vertical support. The fork-shaped piece of leather is at its other end secured to the
crupper buckle. According to the description of horse with which the apparatus is
to be used and according to various circumstances understood by horse trainers, the
power and degree of movement of the spring must be regulated by raising or lowering
the aforesaid sliding parts at the foot of the supports. It may also be desirable to
provide a supply of springs of different strength so as to substitute one for another if

page_text: required. This apparatus being quite independent of the ordinary harness, if it is
desired to remove the foriner for any purpose this can be done very quickly. It is
only necessary for this purpose to unfasten the short reins unhook the fork-shaped
leather piece and unscrew the vertical support. This being done the horse stands
with the ordinary harness upon him. I provide a screw-threaded stopper which is
screwed into the aperture in the saddle bow when the apparatus is not being used the
object being to prevent the said aperture from becoming obstructed by the entry of
dirt or other matter.
The advantages of my apparatus are as follow.
1st. It breaks in or trains the horse in ordinary harness, whereas the breaking in
apparatus that has heretofore been in use is only applicable for the stable or outside
when the horse is led by hand and at a walking pace which has the serious incon-
venience of completely paralizing the freedom of movement of the horse.
2nd. It can be adapted to the most costly harnesses and be removed at will, without
causing any injury to such harness. Its small bulk does not render it objectionable
in appearance.
3rd. One or more horses can be provided with it and put to any carriage.
4th. It develops in the horse all the grace and elegance required for the better
kind of equipages and enables the driving to be effected with great facility. It also
obviates the chafing of the mouth of the horse.
5th. If the horse is not to be put to a vehicle the pad or saddle is put upon him
and he is either left in the stable or led about by hand. It may be observed that in the
two latter cases or when put to a vehicle, the horse is free in his movements and can
bend his head to the right and left.
1001
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents to the Applicant.

page_text: An Improved Apparatus for Breaking in or Training Horses.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake and Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, 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 relates to an apparatus for use in training or breaking in horses
chiefly when attached to a vehicle. It may however be also used when the animal
is in the stable and it produces the desired effect without causing fatigue or other
injurious effect.
The said invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved apparatus.
Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.
Figure 3 is a section on the line X, Y of figure 2.
Figure 4 is a modification of the apparatus.
In carrying the said invention into practice I provide a vertical support A which
has at its lower end a screw threaded piece designed to be screwed into the bow of
the saddle or pad. This support is formed of two pieces united at the two ends and
having interior strengthening flanges or ribs. A plate O and a rearwardly projecting
piece P are secured near the bottom in such manner that they can slide and they are
secured in place by a thumb screw R. To this projecting piece which is slightly
curved at its free end one extremity of a curved spring V is secured in a recess, the
other extremity thereof being secured to a rod or bar E extending to the upper part
of the vertical support and formed to receive the end of short reins leading to
the bit in the animals mouth. This rod or bar E works between two rollers & H
situated in the vertical support.
The apparatus so constructed is supported upon the saddle or pad so as to incline
slightly to the rear and is retained in this position by a fork shaped piece of leather
the upper ends of which are each provided with a ring held by hooks B fixed to the
vertical support. The said fork shaped piece of leather is at its other end secured to
the crupper buckle. According to the description of horse with which the apparatus
is to be used and according to various circumstances understood by horse-trainers the
power and degree of movement of the spring must be regulated by raising or lowering
the aforesaid sliding parts 0 and P at the foot of the supports. It may also be
desirable to provide a supply of springs of different strength so as to substitute one
for another if required. This apparatus being quite independent of the ordinary
harness if it is desired to remove the former for any purpose this can be doue very
quickly. It is only necessary for this purpose to unfasten the short reins C unhook
the forked shaped leather piece and unscrew the vertical support. This being done the
borse stands with the ordinary harness upon him. I provide a screw threaded stopper
which is screwed into the aperture in the saddle bow when the apparatus is not being

page_text: used the object being to prevent the said aperture from becoming obstructed by the
entry of dirt or other matter.
Figure 4 represents a modified arrangement which, although not so practical as the
one hereinbefore described, may in some cases be used. In this modification the
spring V employed in the above described apparatus is replaced by a helical spring Vi
located in an inclined tube S which is carried in any suitable manner by the vertical
support A of the apparatus.
This spring is set in action by any motion of the rein C, its object being the same
as the spring V in the first described apparatus.
This tube S can be either mounted so as to be stationary upon the support A, or
provided externally with a suitable pivot which enables a certain amount of play
so that it can slightly incline to follow the motions imparted by the rein.
In order to keep the apparatus in place, the support A terminates at its lower end
in a foot a which is fixed to or integral with the support and fits exactly to the shape
of the saddle bow; this foot is secured by means of two holes a' below the saddle
keys.
The advantages of my apparatus are as follow
First. It breaks in or trains the horse in ordinary harness, whereas the breaking in
apparatus heretofore used is only applicable for the stable or outside, when the horse
is led by hand and at a walking pace, which has the disadvantage of completely
paralyzing the freedom of movement of the horse.
Second. It can be adapted to the most costly harnesses and be removed at will,
without causing any injury to such harness. Its small bulk does not render it
objectionable in appearance.
Third. One or more horses can be provided with it and put to any carriage.
Fourth. It develops in the horse all the grace and elegance required for the better
kind of equipages and enables the driving to be effected with great facility. It also
obviates the chafing of the mouth of the horse.
If the horse is not to be put to a vehicle the pad or saddle is put upon him and
he is either left in the stable or led about by hand. It may be observed that in the
two latter cases or when put to a vehicle, the horse is free in his movements and can
bend his head to the right and left.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to
me by my foreign correspondent, I declare that what I claim is
First. The apparatus comprising a support A fixed upon the saddle, in which are
fitted to slide two pieces O and P, the latter carrying a single spring V which
operates under the action of the movements of the horse's head, substantially as
hereinbefore described and represented in figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings.
Second. The apparatus comprising a support fixed by a foot upon the saddle, and a
tube in which is located a helical or other spring which acts in the direction and under
the action of the movements of the horse's head, substantially as hereinbefore described
and represented in figure 4, of the drawing.
Dated this 17th day of December 1887.