Southern Plains bridles are rare items which speak to the complex horse trade which occurred therein. Southern Plains groups like the Comanche – who became formidable horse breeders in the 18th Century – adapted their own equipment from Spanish and Mexican prototypes, modifying the latter to better suit nomadic life on the Plains.

The bridle seen here is likely of Comanche manufacture. While the commercial leather straps and German Silver pieces would of course have been traded for, the design work on the metal shows evidence of Southern Plains metalwork from late 19th and early 20th century. An almost identical example - with similar star motifs - can be found in the King Museum in Sheridan, WY.

41” long and 8” wide

#51166