332 Among Men and Horses. 



and the aid of that admirable mechanician, Mr Weston, I 

 brought out a new kind of leaping-head, which I have 

 patented and which I believe has a big future. I need only 

 say that it answers its purpose, and that it greatly increases 

 the rider's strength of grip, without any disadvantage to 

 neutralise in the slightest its usefulness. Having fully tested 

 it, my wife thinks that it quite doubles a rider's firmness in 

 the saddle. It is as much my wife's invention as mine ; for 

 without her counsel I could not have thought it out. I may 

 explain to those of my readers who are not conversant with 

 saddle gear, that the leaping-head is the horn or crutch which 

 is made to take the pressure off the rider's left leg, just above 

 the knee. Not to be behind hand in the inventing line, my 

 wife devised an admirable safety skirt, which she has had 

 patented, and has given it to Messrs E. Tautz & Sons, of 

 485 Oxford Street, to sell. It possesses the great advantage 

 of looking like an ordinary skirt when the wearer is on foot, 

 and being absolutely safe when the lady is in the saddle. 

 She and I thought, at first, that its graceful and decent 

 appearance when on foot would be a great charm in the eyes 

 of ladies. We begin to doubt this on seeing the popularity 

 enjoyed by certain safety skirts which, when the wearer is 

 dismounted, give a very liberal view of the limbs, especially, 

 when viewed from behind. Can it be that there are ladies 

 who like to afford this gratuitous show to the public ? My 

 wife, in conjunction with Messrs Hampson & Scott, who 

 are large wholesale manufacturers of bits, stirrup-irons, saddles 

 and harness at Walsall, has also patented a saddle with a 

 movable upper crutch, over which the right leg is placed. The 

 invention was the result of my wife's idea and of Mr Scott's 

 mechanical skill. As there is only one place in which a rider 

 can sit comfortably in a side-saddle ; it follows that the length 

 of the rider's leg will determine the distance of the upper 

 crutch from it. Hence, a saddle that will fit a tall woman, 

 will be uncomfortable or altogether unsuitable for a small one, 

 and vice versa. In England it is easy to get a saddle made 



