ann
Trainee
Posts: 26 
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Post by ann on Jun 13, 2015 12:08:29 GMT -5
Thought I would give you all a bit of a laugh. This is me and my pony in the fancy dress class at our local riding club show today with our take on miner and pit pony - we won first prize! For the harness to be correct Ollie should also be wearing a collar but bearing in mind that that breeching with the chains is very heavy and he doesn't normally wear blinkers I thought he had enough to contend with - and he took it all in his stride. I suspect granddad and great granddad (he was the pony keeper) will be looking down on me and laughing!
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Post by tygwyn on Jun 13, 2015 12:50:05 GMT -5
Nice turnout Ann, Here`s a few photo`s of a Smallmine in the Swansea Valley showing how Pit Ponies are tacked up. www.ingr.co.uk/pentwyn.html |
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Post by John on Jun 13, 2015 13:11:17 GMT -5
Nice pony Ann!
Our "osses" were a lot smaller!! They also wore a "helmet" thick leather to protect the pony's head.
When I was doing my underground training, we had to do a few days on haulage, training was standard to all new juvenile recruits, whether engineering apprentices of mining trainees.
Part of the haulage training was harnessing a pony and taking him out for the shift. This was in a training pit, not a working colliery. It was an old pit, linked to several working collieries, so no dangerous distractions.
We'd just got off the cage and our instructor led us to the stables, our eyes nearly popped out of our heads and our jaws dragged on the floor, "That's a bloody big elephant "mester" " someone said... It was a bloody dray horse!!! Well it was as big as one!!
Anyway, the Instructor, a big feller we had to call Mister, can't recall his last name now, pulled down some of the harness equipment from a nail and went through all the names of each piece of gear, Collar, hames, can't recall the names of the other bits now.
Nows the time we had to put all this stuff on the horse, one of the lads started to tighten the belly straps, the horse was a mean SOB!!! Turned around and tried to bite the lad, he retreated, so our instructor pointed to another lad, YOU, your turn, "Not bloody likely, that "oss is dangerous"!!
I refused, other lads refused, "Gerr owt way, bloody bunch of sissy's" he said And started to tighten the belly straps, horse turned his head and grabbed the instructor by the elbow... Jeeze the air went blue from all the expletives, horse let go of him. We were all rolling around laughing and shouting "he won't hurt you"
I never realized how much an elbow could swell up, his was as black as coal. He did teach us a load of new swear words that morning...LOL I think he had problems with that elbow for a few weeks after, that horse was a mean animal.
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Post by John on Jun 13, 2015 13:18:59 GMT -5
Nice photos Jim, different tackle to what ours had, there used to by a large tubular device the pony stepped into, we'd lift it up and secure it to the tackle, I'm sure it was called "hames", two parallel tubes, joined with a semi circular tube at front and rear, welded together, it was what the pony hauled a tub with, at the front end were chains that hooked to the collar. At the rear was a metal piece that hooked onto the tubs tow point, can't recall the names of all this stuff now, just too many years back.
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ann
Trainee
Posts: 26
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Post by ann on Jun 13, 2015 13:35:37 GMT -5
I think Ollie would have had a fit to be properly tacked up - probably scared I'd got him a job lol! - and as has been commented he's a bit big but this was just our take on it, it wasn't intended to be completely authentic. I bought the bits of harness to have as decoration and as a bit of acknowledgment to my granddad and great granddad and then decided we'd have a bit of fun dressing up. I suspect granddad would be amazed to learn that harness like this seems to be a collector's item now - there are pit pony bridles selling on eBay for £225 at the minute!!
Love hearing about people's experiences working with the ponies!
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ken
Trainee
Posts: 46
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Post by ken on Jun 13, 2015 15:12:48 GMT -5
Hames (pronounced yems in Durham) are metal pieces that fit onto the collar to take the strain of pulling the tub. They are attached to the metal device attached to the tub which were called limmers in Durham. Could any of you horsey people tell me the advantage of blinkers being fitted to horses. They were not just used on pit ponies but on the surface as well.
Ken
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ann
Trainee
Posts: 26
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Post by ann on Jun 13, 2015 15:23:21 GMT -5
Blinkers are basically just to ensure that the horse can only look forwards. A horse's field of vision is forwards and backwards and when they are pulling something - a cart or whatever- then they could be spooked by something coming along behind them so the blinkers are just to blot that out.
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Post by tygwyn on Jun 13, 2015 15:33:35 GMT -5
Nice photos Jim, different tackle to what ours had, there used to by a large tubular device the pony stepped into, we'd lift it up and secure it to the tackle, I'm sure it was called "hames", two parallel tubes, joined with a semi circular tube at front and rear, welded together, it was what the pony hauled a tub with, at the front end were chains that hooked to the collar. At the rear was a metal piece that hooked onto the tubs tow point, can't recall the names of all this stuff now, just too many years back. Not seen the type of device your describing John,and to be honest find difficulty in how it worked,as seen in the photo`s,our type was a typical U shape,called the Shaft,open at the front were the Tug chains attached to the Hames on the collar,and at the rear the Shaft was connected to the dram by the Gunn,hence the Horse pulling through the collar. Interesting knowing the different names used through the coalfields Ken, Blinkers on the Cap,help as eye protectors and to avoid distractions either side, A horse pulling a dram does`nt turn his head when in motion. |
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Post by tygwyn on Jun 13, 2015 15:38:21 GMT -5
I think Ollie would have had a fit to be properly tacked up - probably scared I'd got him a job lol! - and as has been commented he's a bit big but this was just our take on it, it wasn't intended to be completely authentic. I bought the bits of harness to have as decoration and as a bit of acknowledgment to my granddad and great granddad and then decided we'd have a bit of fun dressing up. I suspect granddad would be amazed to learn that harness like this seems to be a collector's item now - there are pit pony bridles selling on eBay for £225 at the minute!!
Love hearing about people's experiences working with the ponies!
I suspect you know Ann,but the tack you have is a Working Farm Horse tack. Out of interest,have you a link to where on e-bay are the pit pony bridles selling or under what category? |
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Post by John on Jun 13, 2015 16:21:21 GMT -5
Hames (pronounced yems in Durham) are metal pieces that fit onto the collar to take the strain of pulling the tub. They are attached to the metal device attached to the tub which were called limmers in Durham. Could any of you horsey people tell me the advantage of blinkers being fitted to horses. They were not just used on pit ponies but on the surface as well. Ken
I was in the T/G of a face one day shift, supply lads lost their pony. The TG was at least a mile long, with a few low spots and the usual air doors, but at the top of a short steep drift.
Turned out the pony decided his shift was over, how he'd made it all the way back to pit bottom several miles away in mostly pitch black roadways is open to question.
I'm sure if the "Ostler" had found out, those lads would have had a size ten boot print on their rear ends...LOL |
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ann
Trainee
Posts: 26
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Post by ann on Jun 13, 2015 16:21:41 GMT -5
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Post by tygwyn on Jun 13, 2015 17:02:31 GMT -5
Your correct Ann,its not a Pit Pony bridle,its either a working farm horse or a driving bridle.
I have a similar one out the barn,made in Carmarthen,it was used by my Father on the mare we had on the farm when i was a boy,you don`t see fancy brass on Colliery gear.
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ann
Trainee
Posts: 26
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Post by ann on Jun 13, 2015 17:08:36 GMT -5
Get it on eBay and cash in lol!
I just bought a little old driving bridle to get something with blinkers to use as part of Ollie's costume - and it didn't cost me anything like £200! (But then us Yorkshire folk don't throw money around  ) |
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Post by tygwyn on Jun 13, 2015 17:15:20 GMT -5
I think i will,along with the farm harness,i have 2 sets of Colliery harness,one leather and another made from belting including one shaft.
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ann
Trainee
Posts: 26
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Post by ann on Oct 29, 2015 17:47:53 GMT -5
We had a second outing and won first prize again - rosette and a sash! We also got a "goody bag" - the kids at the show got sweets, I got a can of G&T - very civilised!! Now retired the outfit and Ollie is breathing a sigh of relief that I haven't got him a job. Suspect granddad (miner) and great granddad (horse keeper at the pit) are up there shaking their heads in disbelief! 
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Here's the link to what's being sold as a pit pony bridle - I'm not convinced that's what it is but there are those of you out there that know better than me!
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