The Norman horse bit

Ros Ereira, cameo producer
Alan Larsen, horseman
Gail Brownrigg, horse-bit expert

Ros Ereira, cameo producer

I got quite excited when I was told that one of the best finds to have come out of this site on a previous dig was a Norman curb bit for a horse. I have a longstanding love of horses and am very interested in equestrian history. When I saw the bit that had been found, I began to wonder whether we should make it at all, as I was worried about ever putting such a horrific-looking thing in the mouth of an unsuspecting horse. However, I was convinced that it was worth a go and thought we might find out something about why such a bizarre contraption was used.

My first surprise came when I measured the bit, and realised that it was so narrow it could only have fitted a small pony. I wondered briefly about whether this meant it belonged to a child, but then John Clark at the Museum of London assured me that this was a standard size for a Norman bit. This meant that Norman horses in Britain were all very small – a view that would appear to be backed up by contemporary artwork such as the Bayeux Tapestry.

Hector Cole, our blacksmith, was able to make us two beautiful replicas of the bit. One was made in the actual size of the original and one was made to a larger fit so that Alan Larsen, our horseman, could try it out on his horse, Salome, to find out more about how it worked. Interestingly, when the grooms at the polo yard where Salome lives saw the bit, instead of looking horrified by it, they recognised it immediately as very similar to one used today in polo stables in Uruguay and Chile. They showed us that it is worn the other way around from what we had supposed. This meant that the 'stops' on the hinge allowed the bars of the bit to rotate through well over 90 degrees before any action was felt by the horse at all, instead of forcing the curve of the bit up against the roof of the mouth. This meant that, contrary to its appearance, the bit was in fact extremely gentle.

We could also see that the bit was designed for riding with one hand. This could be seen by the positioning of the reins, which were very central, and meant that the horse could only be steered through 'neck-reining' or pressure on the side of the horse’s neck to tell it which way to turn – much like the way a modern cowboy rides.

The Grafton Pony Club were able to bring along a selection of ponies for us to demonstrate the bit on an actual-sized Norman pony, and the endlessly patient pony, Murphy, allowed us to fit him with a replica bit – as well as permitting Phil to demonstrate his inexperience of riding!

One of the replica bits is now in the possession of English Heritage, and so can be seen in use at various displays around the country.

Alan Larsen, horseman

Once again Time Team's cameo team has chosen an innovative and challenging project. The Anglo-Norman curb bit reconstruction carried out for this programme really did advance academic and practical working knowledge in a specialist but very important field. It is reasonable to say that until this project our knowledge of early medieval war bits had been largely theoretical. Perceptions of their effectiveness and severity had also I believe, been overly influenced by modern standards.

I must admit to some trepidation when first viewing the drawings of the apparently draconian device. The bit did appear, at first glance, to have a savage curb action. Furthermore, it seemed to be of such dimensions as to make it potentially uncomfortable for the horse.

In practice the bit proved to be a well-thought-through and designed piece of equipment. It was accepted by our horses without undue fuss, whilst the hinged action of the cheek pieces was a clever feature that made it difficult for the rider – accidentally or otherwise – to wrench the horse's mouth. This was well demonstrated during the filming of a very vigorous mounted combat sequence.

Equestrians who watch the programme will be impressed, I think, by the extent to which we were able to ride 'on the buckle' in that sequence whilst manoeuvring a large kite shield in the same bridle hand. Everybody else will no doubt enjoy watching Phil Harding run for his life as 'a bloody great horse' and javelin-armed rider bear down on him at the gallop.

Gail Brownrigg, horse-bit expert

Though clearly designed for one-handed riding, the action of the reconstructed horse curb bit was not as severe as would seem at first glance. This was because the joint in the long cheekpieces allowed them to rotate as the reins were pulled, giving the horse a warning before any pressure was put on its mouth.

I had been concerned that the high, curved centre of the mouthpiece might be uncomfortable, or even cause injury. Yet even in the midst of a fight, when the rider had to manipulate the reins with the same hand that held his shield, the bit seemed to work perfectly to guide his horse, without hurting it at all.

Especially interesting was Hector Cole's reconstruction of the bit, including the missing bar that had formed part of the original mouthpiece. Not only did this encourage the horse to roll it around with his tongue, resulting in increased salivation and a 'soft' mouth, but it also meant that the whole mouthpiece lay flat on the tongue, instead of rotating to press on the roof of the mouth.

The experiment certainly showed that the early medieval bit was not an instrument of torture, but a well-designed piece of military equipment admirably suited to its purpose.

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