Extremely rare hitched horsehair bridle made at Florence Penitentiary, Arizona. 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 page ii of the book “HORSEHAIR BRIDLES, A UNIQUE AMERICAN FOLK ART”, by Ned and Jody Martin.

The brilliant and dazzling desert colors of red, pink, orange, blue, yellow, turquoise, cream and black are bright and dazzling, reflecting the Arizona landscape where it was made. The brilliant combination of colors seen here are typical of Florence bridles.

It shows the unusual flat, wrapped, woven, braided technique used on the oval-shaped side cheek strap of the bridle.  The suspended horsehair tassel on the classic Florence high-domed needle knot rosette is most unusual. The bit is an antique iron curb bit.

The bridle is in its original configuration and 100% complete and includes the headstall, horsehair reins, and antique iron bit.