Snaffle Bit
Unknown Artist
If the Vikings are mostly known for being talented sailors, one may forget they were also horse riders, and as in all the Germanic cultures, horses had great importance in their society, in both its social and religious aspects. Equestrian equipment, like stirrups, spurs and bits, are regularly found in Viking burials, among the goods warriors wanted to bring with them to the afterlife. The elite would sometimes even be accompanied by sacrificed horses, a meaningful practice at that time, considering the high economic value of horses.
The snaffle bit is the simplest type of horse bit, and has an effect on the bars (part of the horses’ jaw without teeth) and the corners of the lips. The rings on the sides would serve to hang the bit on the headstall, attach the reins, as well as hold the mouthpiece in place. The clover-shapep ring is a later addition.
This bit is said to have been found on the site of Dolkheim, today in Northern Poland.
Credit: Gift of Stephen V. Grancsay, 1942