[Illustration: BRONZE HARNESS-RINGS FROM POLDEN HILL, SOMERSETSHIRE NOW IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM SCALE ¾ LINEAR] Under the head of horse-trappings are included a large number of miscellaneous objects, such as bridle-bits, harness-rings, -buckles, and -mountings, pendants, head ornaments, etc. In fact, the term has been much abused by museum curators, who, when in doubt, say horse-trappings. Much the most important finds, consisting in each case of a large number of objects, have been those made at Polden Hill, Somersetshire, in 1801; Hagbourne Hill, Berks, in 1803; Westhall, Suffolk; Stanwick, Arras, and Rise, Yorkshire; all the objects being now in the British Museum. The specimens from the Saham Toney find, which was equally important, are to be seen in the Norwich Museum. Other smaller finds are preserved in the museums at Edinburgh and Dublin. Nearly all the big finds of horse-trappings have included several bridle-bits. These are usually quite plain, but there are, at least, four highly ornamented examples known (1) from Rise,[191] Yorkshire, now in the British Museum; (2) from Birrenswark,[192] Dumfriesshire, in the Edinburgh Museum; (3) found near Tara,[193] Co. Meath, now in the Dublin Museum; and (4) from Kilkeeran,[194] Co. Monaghan, also at Dublin. These bridle-bits are formed of three or four separate pieces linked together, as in a modern one, and the decoration, which is concentrated on the terminal rings, consists of the usual Late-Celtic trumpet-shaped expansions and coloured _champlevé_ enamels. [191] _Magazine of Art_ for 1885, p. 456. [192] Dr. J. Anderson’s _Scotland in Pagan Times: Iron Age_, p. 124. [193] Sir W. Wilde’s _Catal. of Mus. R. I. A._, p. 605. [194] _Journ. R. Hist. and Archæol. Assoc. of Ireland_, N.S., vol. i., p. 423. In nearly all the finds of horse-trappings rings of various shapes and sizes are of frequent occurrence. They were probably used for passing the reins or other parts of the harness through, and perhaps also to act as strap buckles. Most of the rings are round in cross-section, except a segment separated from the rest by projecting flanges, the cross-section of which is made rectangular, apparently to enable the ring to be more rigidly fixed to the harness. The decoration of the rings usually consists of curious projections of various shapes, some resembling pairs of mushrooms placed with the convex tops together and the stems inclined at an angle; whilst others are more like segments of an orange. Many of the rings are ornamented with engraved patterns composed of lines and dots, or are enamelled. The best specimens in the British Museum have been derived from the finds already described at Stanwick, Yorkshire; Polden Hill, Somerset; and Westhall, Suffolk. [Illustration: Lower ends of Bronze Sword-sheaths from Hunsbury Now in the Northampton Museum]