Nose band for heavy horse
Leather harness part, possibly nosepiece
Name/Title
Nose band for heavy horseEntry/Object ID
2025.1.273Description
Leather and brass harness part, possible noseband for a heavy horse. Also known as a 'Swelled Nosepiece' - referring the widening of the leather in the middle to accommodate the nameplate.Context
The bridle is an important part of the horses harness as it is through this that the rider communicates to the horse whilst riding. The tension that is applied to the reins that affects the noseband and therefore the bit is important for control and guidance. The Sedgleys were a very large family of saddlers from Stow on the Wold and Oddington, a village 5 miles away. Thomas Sedgley may have been the first saddler in the family in the early 1700s. It is notable that two women carried on the business until the end of the 1800s. Dinah, widow of Thomas Sedgley, son of the first Thomas, was still making saddles at the age of 62 in 1851 and Elizabeth Sedgley was making saddles in 1879 in Stow on the Wold. The town of Stow on the Wold had always had a variety of industries from silk- winding to locksmiths, nail makers to tanners. Numerous trades that would require horses to transport the goods for sale. (Many thanks to John of Horse Draw Occasions for helping to confirm the identity of this noseband).Category
Horse Welfare and Farriers, Business
Animal Husbandry