Found in a Barn!

[jwelch66]

I found this in a barn about 20 years ago. Does anyone know how old it is?

 

[Mackaydon]

Have you identified it yet? Is it horse tack?
Don.......

 

[jwelch66]

It is horse blinders. I am guessing WWI era.

 

[Mackaydon]

Like these:
http://www.icollector.com/19TH-CENTURY-US-MILITARY-HORSE-BLINDERS-AND-FLASK_i10562143

Also here (on Treasure Net two years ago):http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php?topic=300708.0

 

[Havilah_Springs]

They look like blinders with a "Breaking Bit." I am pretty sure that the breaking bit was outlawed, you may want to check on when, and that may give you a date.

H_S

 

[kuger]

They look like blinders with a "Breaking Bit." I am pretty sure that the breaking bit was outlawed, you may want to check on when, and that may give you a date.

H_S

Outlawed by who?Its a snaffle bit,and still used today

 

[BosnMate]

The US Army used horses up to the 1940's. I used to shoe horses for veterans that were in the horse cavalry and horse pulled artillery in the late 1930's.

 

[kuger]

The US Army used horses up to the 1940's. I used to shoe horses for veterans that were in the horse cavalry and horse pulled artillery in the late 1930's.

Marines still do,and little known fact but so are the Navy Seals as we speak

 

[tomjiggy]

Erm, the U. S. Cavalry still have shows put on during ceremony with horses in full military regalia(usually dressed in Union type CW clothing and tack including saddle). Just saying, as I'm still in the service and was cav for 12 1/2 years.

 

[Havilah_Springs]

They look like blinders with a "Breaking Bit." I am pretty sure that the breaking bit was outlawed, you may want to check on when, and that may give you a date.

H_S

Outlawed by who?Its a snaffle bit,and still used today

I stand corrected! I excavated one of these at an old stage stop in Pharump, NV and the director of the dig explained to me that breaking bits were outlawed. I researched this after your comment and found this NOT to be the case. What is one supposed to believe when the instructor teaches you something that is incorrect?

H_S

 

[kuger]

They look like blinders with a "Breaking Bit." I am pretty sure that the breaking bit was outlawed, you may want to check on when, and that may give you a date.

H_S

Outlawed by who?Its a snaffle bit,and still used today

I stand corrected! I excavated one of these at an old stage stop in Pharump, NV and the director of the dig explained to me that breaking bits were outlawed. I researched this after your comment and found this NOT to be the case. What is one supposed to believe when the instructor teaches you something that is incorrect?

H_S

No worries......thats not the only time an "instructor",has been wrong.

 

[BosnMate]

Erm, the U. S. Cavalry still have shows put on during ceremony with horses in full military regalia(usually dressed in Union type CW clothing and tack including saddle). Just saying, as I'm still in the service and was cav for 12 1/2 years.

Right: But the army isn't using teams to pull artillery or wagons. This headstall is for harness that has not been used since the 1940's. The last mounted combat charge by the U. S. Cavalry was in January of 1942, against the Japanese on Bataan in the Philippines. They won that engagement, but were then dismounted, and their horses fed to the troops. There are no more mounted combat units. The mounted troops the army has now, is what, a platoon or company size, which, by the way I totally agree with, used for show, not combat. Lets face it, just because the Marines and Army have small mounted ceremonial units now don't count, because the army hasn't really used horses since the 40's. Our army has no mounted cavalry units, intended to be used in combat, no pack artillery, no teams pulling artillery, and although there were pack mules used up to the time of the Korean War, there are none now, unless that is, special forces are using Afgan horses to pack, and for this discussion that doesn't count, we are attempting to date a workhorse headstall found in a barn in America. As far as I know, the only army vehicle that uses a team to pull it, is the caisson used at Arlington for funerals. So logically the headstall in this case must date at least to the late '30's, early '40's, or before. Obviously the small ceremonial units aren't using workhorse headstalls with blinders. The item in question is an army work horse headstall with a snaffle bit. As a part of the ceremonial units, if they happen to have a wagon or artillery piece, I sure don't know about it, but if that is the case, I don't think one of their head stalls is what we are looking at.

 

[kuger]

Bosn...you are incorrect in that the Marines are only using livestock in ceremony.They are still using pack mules(check into the Pickle Meadows Mountain Warfare Traing Center)but your right it irrelevant to this discussion

 

[tomjiggy]

@ Bosun Mate I stand corrected. I opened my mouth and inserted my foot before thinking about the type of tack being discussed. BTW, old shoe leather doesn't taste very good