I recently asked for your help understanding the text of an old stud
card and you were very helpful with it. I now have another question,
regarding this old poem by English poet Edward Thomas from the time of
WW I:

http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/show/16164-Edward-Thomas-As-the-Team-s-Head--Brass

It begins with

"As the team's head-brass flashed out on the turn
The lovers disappeared into the wood..."

Is the "head-brass" the poem mentions indeed a brass decoration on the
horses' bridles, like in that photo on the web page?

It's just that I find it a little much to believe that countryside
people would bother with brass decorations on their horses' heads in
everyday work at their farms (in wartime, no less). But maybe that's
either poetic license or indeed normal at the time...?

Many thanks for any comments,

Paula Jantunen

Hi paula

Yes the head brass is as you described. Brasses originated as a
decoration but also as emulates to ward off evil. Some brasses would
have been handed down from family to family - also the 'poor'
ploughman did not own their horses or their horses tack, which would
belong to the farmer they worked for. Brasses could also be attached
to the breast collars of harness horses .

ClareB