The main collection of the Sheltozero Veps Ethnographic Museum named after Rurik Petrovich Lonin features a bit (suič ed) — a part of a horse’s tack which consists of iron rods attached to the bridle straps and placed in the horse’s mouth. The object consists of four parts connected to each other — two rings and two bars. Unfortunately, the name of the creator is unknown, but the item is thought to date back to the end of the 19th century. The founder of the museum, Rurik Petrovich Lonin, donated the bit to the museum.
The bit first appeared in the Bronze Age, from the beginning of the domestication of horses. It is assumed that the very first bits were soft. They were made from tendons, inserted into the horse’s mouth and were limited with bone cheekpieces. The bit is designed to exert physical pressure on the toothless edge of the animal’s mouth. During movement, when the pressure is applied on one side, the animal bends its head and turns in the direction of the impact. The animal stops when the pressure is applied from both sides simultaneously. The bit is used both for riding (when controlling the reins) and in harness (when controlling the bridles). If a saddled horse gnaws and bites the bit, it becomes practically uncontrollable and can bolt.
The horse (hebo) is an animal revered by the Veps, endowed with remarkable strength. In Veps embroidery, the horse is represented as double-headed. Folklore, through riddles, proverbs and sayings, emphasizes its symbolism.
