Historical information

The early settlers of Victoria depended on horse drawn vehicles to farm, make roads and railways, deliver produce and transport people. Horse harnesses were an important requisite for all drivers and could be found wherever there were working horses.

Horse Harnesses have played an essential role in different cultures throughout history. Simple, utilitarian horse harnesses made of leather straps and iron rings were being used in early China before AD 500 as well as ancient Greece and Rome allowing horses to pull chariots and ploughs. The Greeks and Romans were the first to use a "horse collar" which distributed the weight of the harness evenly across the horse's chest rather than relying on a "throat harness" that could damage a horse's throat or choke them. During the medieval period, European horse harnesses became more elaborate and decorative. Variations of different horse harnesses were also found in Native American and Middle Eastern cultures.

Horse Harnesses usually have four basic components which include -
1. Communication - the bridle, bit and reins allows the driver to communicate instructions and commands to the horse, guiding its movement and direction.
2. Draft - the collar, hame straps, hames, traces and chains enables the horse to draw and pull the load efficiently by distributing the weight and transferring the pulling force to the vehicle.
3. Stopping - the breeching band, pole straps and breast strap helps to control or stabilise the horse and vehicle when moving downhill or stopping.
4. Support - the back pad, backband, belly band and back saddle keep the harness in the correct position and proper alignment.

This dray harness is a plain, basic harness and reflects its working class origins. It was used by Mr. Oswald (Jack) Bourke with his horse and dray to firstly deliver drygoods from Sunbury to Melbourne in the 1930's and later (through the 1940's and 1950's up to 1961) when he worked on the garbage round for the Springvale City Council.

Significance

This horse harness is a significant example of the equipment that was needed wherever horses were being used - particularly in the early years of Victoria's settlement by white settlers. Harnesses such as this example were used with drays, farming equipment, delivery carts and personal transportation.

Physical description

A leather and metal horse harness used with a horse and dray circa 1930's to the early 1960's. It is made up of a number of components.
1. A leather bridle with metal buckles and rings, blinkers and a metal single jointed, snaffle bit that has the initials M B stamped onto the leather.
2. A leather bridle with metal buckles and rings and a metal "straight bar" Eggbut snaffle bit. It has an elongated X design (with 4 dots) stamped onto the leather strap holders near each buckle.
3. A blue and white vinyl halter with one leather patched strap. The nose band and a chin strap are covered with woollen padding.
4. A pair of leather shaft protectors. They have lacing holes along each edge and a repeating design of small shapes (flowers, wings, crosses and arrowheads) which run along the front of each protector.
5. A leather strap with a stainless steel chain and catch and a maker's mark for "Glenn's Leather Goods, Pearcedale Victoria" stamped onto the end.
6. A wide leather strap covered with a webbing sleeve. It has two large metal rings and each end and one ring has a rope attached.
7. A leather strap comprised of three separate sections (two shorter and one longer) joined with two metal rings. The longer section has notches along its length and the shorter section at the other end has a buckle. It also had a maker's mark stamped on it but the mark is very worn and the writing is difficult to read.
8. An adjustable leather horse collar with two buckles and straps at the top opening and two "B's" stamped into the leather. The top of the collar is made from treated leather pieces stitched together and the underneath of the collar is untreated leather. It has a padded indentation running all the way around the collar for the hames to sit in.
9. Two pairs of long leather traces - each having a buckle and notched section at one end and each one is made with three lengths of leather spliced together.
10. A leather strap (with one spliced join) belonging to a horse harness with two shorter straps (each ending with a metal clip) attached to a steel D ring at one end.
11. Three assorted short leather straps - the top one has clips at each end and a buckle (for adjusting the length) in the centre, the middle strap has notches and a buckle and the bottom strap is white with notches and a buckle.

Inscriptions & markings

Bridle with blinkers -
"M B"
Bridle -
design showing an elongated X with a dot in each section stamped onto strap holder
Shaft Protectors -
stamped design of flowers, wings, crosses and arrowheads
Strap with chain -
"Glenn's leather goods / Pearcedale / Victoria"
Leather Strap (with two metal rings) -
Maker's stamp - "name indecipherable / SADDLER / ...OURNE"
Collar -
"B / B"
Leather strap -