Iron Bits for Cart Horses

These old iron bits are an extraordinary collection of odd bits with various types of port. the wide port might have been designed to trap the horse’s tongue. They are very heavy and I would think most uncomfortable for the horse to manage. Their age is considerable. Notice two have rollers which would have spun round. This idea is more common today. The top one is a form of gag.

Provenance: south Hatch Museum, Pitt collection.