Florence State Penitentiary Horsehair Bridle circa 1910s. An amazing complete example of a rare Florence State Penitentiary (Arizona) bridle with diamond shaped browband and cheek pieces, headstall, horsehair reins, and original antique August Buermann hummingbird bit.  Among collectors, Florence bridles are the rarest of the rare and the most highly sought after of the prison made horsehair bridles of the early 1900s.  This bridle is pictured on the cover of the book “HORSEHAIR BRIDLES, A UNIQUE AMERICAN FOLK ART”, by Ned and Jody Martin.

The desert colors of pink, orange, yellow, cream and black are bright and done in a very tight diamond pattern, reflecting the Arizona landscape where it was made. The brilliant combination of colors seen here are typical of Florence bridles.

The unusual shape of the browband, utilizing the diamond pattern as a design motif, and the numerous crimped horsehair tassels are what makes Florence bridles unique. Horsehair bridle tassels made at the prison in Florence, Arizona, were unlike any produced elsewhere. They used shocking brilliant-colored dyed horsehair combinations, in which the hair was crimped. This crimp in the tassels is another easily identifiable characteristic of Florence-made bridles. The bit is an August Buermann hummingbird bit with a half breed mouthpiece and is a collectible piece on its own.