Horse wagon/cart equipment?

[snowflake]

A year ago someone did tell me what these were called. I should have written it down because I just can't remember. My husbands family had an old livery stable out back. They also ran the only taxi business, by horse and carriage. Delivered the mail, as well. I am hoping these would be something they had used for it.

Does anyone know how old they might be? Their use and what they are called? What should I do to take care of them? I want them to last.

Thank you!

[JoshandLila]

the bottom picture is a horse collar, and I believe they would have sat in front against the shoulders on either side of the head. just google horse collar and youl find it. I have a couple sets. they usually have cast brass balls on the bottom, but they're often broken, lost, or someone puts it on their cane. I have a set thats all metal and a set thats wooden with a metal frame which I believe are older. I have the bottom section of your top pic as well, not sure how it was used exactly but I believe it held the horses to each other on a carriage. not much as far as value ( as far as I know ) but they make great wall decorations. hope that helps

[mart]

Its a singletree and bottom is a set of hames !! Would have went with a collar !!

[snowflake]

Thank you Josh/Lila! I'll never part with them anyway. I would like to keep them because they are so much a part of family history. Do you think it would harm the wood to shellac it? They do make great wall art but they are heavy suckers! I'd have to make sure I used heavy duty screws! Maybe deck screws...

So glad to have a name.  

[snowflake]

Ah, Thank you, mart! Just looked it up and found this great site:
http://www.engelscoachshop.com/single%20trees.htm

Any idea how old they might be? Would it be 1800's? or no?

[JoshandLila]

I mean, ya what Mart said.. I guess the collar was the leather peice that when inside the hames   if it where me id clean the wood really well and give it a coat of Tung oil finish or a polyurethane clear coat. the metal parts just clean up and oil them well, or poly coat them as well. Dont know if thats right but thats what id do. Mine I got just for decoration so I put all the metal parts through the wire buffer and got them down to the mill scale finish, then just oiled them.

[snowflake]

LOL! Thanks so much, both of you. I'm pretty excited about these pieces and now when I hang them I will be able to use the correct names, instead of saying horse equipment!
While looking up the names you gave, I found an amazing historic preservation site:
http://www.douglas.co.us/historic/museum/vex5/toc.htm

[mart]

If you are only going to use it for decoration you can poly it and oil the metal once or twice a year if you want !!  As far as date,, the styles havent changed on those in the last two hundred years or more !!  Chances are they are around 1900 but could just as easily be before !!  They are still used today !!