Horsehair Bridles, A Unique American Folk Art

This book traces the origins of the folk art of hitching horsehair, and how it flourished in the prisons of the west between 1890 and 1930. In this large format book with about 500 stunning images, the reader will learn to identify the distinct styles of each of the 12 prisons, and appreciate some of the individuals who influenced the creation and sale of these beautiful pieces.

It also illustrates the preparation, dyeing and hitching of the horsehair, and differentiates between hitching and braiding, or plaiting, the fibers in order to make cheek straps, brow pieces and reins of a bridle.

Most of the book is focused on prison-made pieces, but the last two chapters deal with those made elsewhere. Winfield Coleman authored a chapter on the Indian Uses of Horsehair which go far beyond the creation of bridles. The final chapter describes and pictures the work of talented, often self-taught, contemporary makers of hitched horsehair items.