The Heavy Horse, its Harness and Harness Decoration

Beschreibung

Author: Terry Keegan

Published 1973, 217 pages, pictures

In recent years there has been an increase in the interest taken not only in the heavy horses themselves, but also in the harness they wore and the various decorations used to show off both horse and harness. This is evident in the growing use of harness to decorate our inns and also in the growing number of collectors of both the harness and the brass decoration.
For the first time, here is a book which sets out to cover the whole subject of the harness and its decorations with particular emphasi on the local variations found throughout the country.

There are chapters on the history and development of the heavy horse harness; the country saddlers who developed the local harness patterns; the horsemen who created the wealth of language and lore connected with the horses; the Walsall manufacturers who made the myriad patterns of fittings and brass decorations for the harness; the horse brasses, with much information from old manufacturers catalogues; the floral and ribbon decorations still used in Scottish harness decoration; the canal boatmen who were a breed on their own; the shows, parades and ploughing matches which produced the decorated horse at its best; as well as a chapter on the heavy horse breeds. This book should appeal not only to the horse lover, but also to collector and historian alike.
The book is copiously illustrated with both line drawings and photographs to supplement the text.