Heavy horse sized driving bridles

[philg9]

This pic is the above pairs set on the horses being driven at show in the traditional English brewery turn out style.

[Ferryman]

Great work Phil

My grandfather used to plough with horse in Kent back in the day.

May I ask where in the UK you are located

[Scoutmom103]

Those look wonderful on the pair.  What a beautiful Harness set.

 

[philg9]

20 hours ago, Ferryman said:

Great work Phil

My grandfather used to plough with horse in Kent back in the day.

May I ask where in the UK you are located

Cheers Ferryman,     thankfully there is still a strong ploughing fraternity in the UK,  mostly at ploughing matches and Demo's at working days but there are still folk out there who plough,  seed and crop land with horses but sadly we are reaching the last generation of plough men and women who worked the land when working horses were a common sigjht on most farms.

I am based and work out of North Essex of which East Anglia is still a strong hold for heavy horses. 

Edited April 4, 2020 by philg9

[rodneywt1180b]

Thanks for the additional pictures!  You do some truly beautiful work!

[Bert51]

I remember my father using horses when I was young, I used to sit and watch him all day and I can still sit and watch them work today, shame we do not see them like we used to in Australia.

I know there is still some working, but not like they used to be in my area.

Bert.

[philg9]

On 4/5/2020 at 1:32 AM, Bert51 said:

I remember my father using horses when I was young, I used to sit and watch him all day and I can still sit and watch them work today, shame we do not see them like we used to in Australia.

I know there is still some working, but not like they used to be in my area.

Bert.

That is a common story Bert, folk reminiscing about how they used see their Dad's and Grandads out working with the horses when they were young but dont see it now. It's always fond cherished memories. As you say, there are pockets where it still goes on as here in the UK with folk farmiing small holdings and small farms with horses but more often than not it is at ploughing matches and working shows which are still a traditional strong hold that is alive and well.  There is a strong heavy horse community in Australia, but again, its the showing and working weekends where they are seen out.  I have customers and freinds out there,  one set of freinds who emigrated out form the UK in recent years took their Shires out there and are running the same business as they did here in the UK doing weddings and tours with their heavies, they are doing really well as it's popular.

[Bert51]

What used to fascinate me as a kid was the bullock teams pulling big logs out of the bush, near our banana plantation, you could hear them coming for miles.

Bert.

[Smartee]

They show beautifully!  Thank you for sharing!

[zuludog]

I know next to nothing about horses and their leatherwork, but here's something that might interest you, and my apologies if you know it already

My Grandfather served in the British Army on the Western Front during WW1, when they still used a lot of horses. He said they had two sets of bits and other brassware. One would be in use on the horses and they would put the other set into a canvas bag with a shovelful of sand, and tie it across a wheel. As they travelled the brass would be tumbled and polished, and they would swap the sets every few days - even in wartime they were expected to keep up the standards

He also said that horses had one big advantage over lorries -- you could eat them

Edited April 6, 2020 by zuludog