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CIVIL WAR CAVALRY
OFFICERS YELLOW ENAMELED LEATHER BREAST STRAP AND
MARTINGALE – A RARE SET:
This rare offering of a Yellow Enameled Breast
Strap and Martingale Assembly is a
key piece to complete the display of a Civil War Cavalry
Officer’s Saddle.
This assembly serves a dual purpose – the breast strap
preventing the saddle from shifting to the rear and the
martingale limiting the upward movement of the horse’s
head with the reins passed through the two rings – both
real concerns when the horse was ridden into the chaotic
environment of the battlefield.
The body of the breast strap is highlighted with yellow
enamel and is surmounted in the center by a brass heart
shaped shield measuring 2 ½” wide and 2 ½” high. The
brass heart is mounted on a heart-shaped black leather
safe, trimmed in yellow enameled leather and measuring 5
½” high and 4 ¾” wide. The strap measures 26” long on
each side and is 4 ½” wide at the widest point,
narrowing to 1 ¼” at each end which are mounted with a
brass buckle for attaching the strap to the saddle.
Exhibiting a high quality of workmanship, the strap is
very well made of a double thickness of leather.
The martingale is fitted with two brass rings through
which the reins on each side of the horse’s neck would
pass. The lower single strap of the martingale passes
through the heart-shaped safe of the breast strap and
finishes by folding back on itself to engage a buckle
and leather standing loop which would secure the
martingale to the girth under the horse.
There is a second heavy leather strap attached only to
the breast strap, issuing out of the bottom of the heart
shaped safe, that engages the same buckle at the lower
end of the martingale and when assembled, secures both
the breast strap and the martingale to the girth.
There is some wear to the yellow enamel on the body of
the breast strap – points where the yellow color has
been rubbed and some isolated spots where the enamel has
been completely worn away, evidence of the use to which
the strap was exposed. There are two points on each
side of the strap as can be seen in the photographs
below where the outer surface of yellow colored leather
is missing, however the underlying layer of leather is
still present and the strap is still solid. There is
little doubt this breast strap was used and saw some
heavy service, however given the rarity of these cavalry
officer’s saddle accessories, this level of wear is
really inconsequential.
This Cavalry Officer’s
Breast Strap and Martingale Assembly is the type of
horse equipment that was not produced in large
quantities to begin with, and those few that did survive
field service and years of storage rarely appear on the
market today, the majority resting quietly, and
unattainable, in museums or in private collections.
This set would be a stunning addition to your saddle,
and make it a center piece of a Civil War Cavalry
Collection or a display of US Military Saddles.
SOLD
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