Is this a bridle of some type

[HAPPYCAMPER]

Found at homesite in Massachusetts that was active for a good part of the 1800s,found ox shoe and horse shoe there also

 

[cowboy7450]

being that big looks like a brest strap for a ox

 

[HAPPYCAMPER]

being that big looks like a brest strap for a ox

What would be the purpose/use for pieces/handles that come off round parts?

 

[BosnMate]

Not a bridle, it's a bit for a horse. That style of bit is/was used with work horses in teams. That said, there is always an exception, but they were mostly for driven horses. The army
might have use that style as a "watering bit," but I'm not sure about that. The bars coming off the rings were supposed to keep the bit from being pulled through the horses mouth
if one needed to pull hard to get the critter to turn.

 

[BosnMate]

I just googled "watering bit." This is what came up.

Draft horse watering bit. Straight concave bar with rings on either end. Rings have spatula-like extensions.​

 

[HAPPYCAMPER]

I just googled "watering bit." This is what came up.

View attachment 1035266

Draft horse watering bit. Straight concave bar with rings on either end. Rings have spatula-like extensions.​

Thank you for your help,always interesting learning about the items we find that are long discarded or lost...the side of my shed has lots of these items and people enjoy looking at them.