Romano-British enamelled bronze harness terret ring

A terret is a metal loop on a

horse harness Horse harness is a device that connects a horse to a vehicle or another type of load. There are two main categories of horse harness: (1) the "breaststrap" or "breastcollar" design, and (2) the collar and hames design. For light work, such as ho ...

, guiding the lines and preventing them from becoming tangled or snagged on the harness. The lines run from the hands of the driver, through the terrets, and then attach to the

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million y ...

bit The bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communications. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a logical state with one of two possible values. These values are most commonly represente ...

to guide the horse. Most harnesses have two pairs of terrets, one on the

harness saddle A harness saddle is an element of horse harness which supports the weight of shafts or poles attaching a vehicle to a horse. Like other types of saddle, it lies on the horse's back directly behind the withers, often has an internal supportive fr ...

, and one on the hames of the

collar Collar may refer to: Human neckwear *Clerical collar (informally ''dog collar''), a distinctive collar used by the clergy of some Christian religious denominations *Collar (clothing), the part of a garment that fastens around or frames the neck ...

(or on the neck-strap of a

breast collar A breastplate (used interchangeably with breastcollar, breaststrap and breastgirth) is a piece of riding equipment used on horses. Its purpose is to keep the saddle or harness from sliding back. On riding horses, it is most helpful on horses wit ...

). Terrets are commonly made of

brass Brass is an alloy of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), in proportions which can be varied to achieve different mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. It is a substitutional alloy: atoms of the two constituents may replace each other wit ...

steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

, and they may stand up stiffly, or they may consist of a hinged ring. They are usually circular, but may be U-shaped or square. Where a horse is driven behind another (such as in a team of four or more, or in

tandem Tandem, or in tandem, is an arrangement in which a team of machines, animals or people are lined up one behind another, all facing in the same direction. The original use of the term in English was in ''tandem harness'', which is used for two ...

), each terret on the rear animal's harness may be divided into two, allowing the lines for the forward and rear animals to be kept separate. There may also be an additional pair of ''head terrets'' on the rear animal's bridle, taking the reins for the forward animal. The word terret may also be used for other metal loops for attaching ropes or chains, such as the ring on a

dog collar A dog collar is a piece of material put around the neck of a dog. A collar may be used for restraint, identification, fashion, or protection. Identification tags and medical information are often placed on dog collars. Collars are often used i ...

. The word derives from the

Old French Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intelligib ...

''toret'' or ''touret'', meaning small and round.''

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a com ...

'' 1933: headword "Terret" Because the terret was often decorated and has the same mounts as harness bells and plumes, sometimes in combination, the word often extends to include these even when the guideline function for the reins is itself missing. The purpose of bells, for example, was to give audible warning of the approach of a team, as the weight of a load requiring four or more horses in hand makes rapid stopping very difficult. Fly terrets were intended to discourage flies from bothering the horses, especially during the summer. While they were somewhat successful in dissuading flies, terrets also assumed a decorative role during the last half of the 19th century. The use of brasses and fly terrets was most popular from 1850 through 1910 when they were mass-produced by either stamping or casting.

Bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...

terrets from horse harness are a common archaeological find from the European

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...

, sometimes with decoration.

References

See also