A 1915 Steel Military Elbow or Portsmouth Bit - Bit721 american The buckles on the curb

The buckles on the curb headpiece and the neck rope are not the same as the rest

This is a matched pair of large spurs made of silver plated iron or steel

It is lined in cream doeskin or chamois and has an internal partition

Each arm of the heel band ends in an engraved disc with a scalloped and two rectangular slots for straps

All the buckles were once covered with very finely stitched leather this has come off one of the D ring buckles - there is also a split in the leather that holds this buckle

A 1915 Steel Military Elbow or Portsmouth Bit - Bit721 american The buckles on the curbThis is an old military Portsmouth or Elbow horse bitIt is made of steel which is dark in places but could be burnished back to a shine. This design was used by the military because it was a "universal" bit they often had reversible mouthpieces and the choice of rein slots made it suitable for many different horses. Each cheek has two slots for the curb rein. One cheek is stamped with a a large "L" possibly "Q" a broad arrow or ordnance mark and "15".