A frentera is a part of some halters and bridles, usually on a horse. It is a cord, strap, or chain on the face of the horse that is attached to the crownpiece or browband and runs down the horse's face to the noseband or bit rings. A frentera can be split at the top to pass on either side of the forelock, or on either side of the ears. In the latter case, the frentera usually substitutes for a browband. A frentera can also be split at the bottom into two or more parts to support and stabilize a heavy noseband or bit.
Frentera on bridle in the British museum, Etruscan, c. 700-650 BC
Look up frentera in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
The known history of the frentera dates back to Ancient Greece, possibly earlier, and the frentera is in use today in Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America. When it includes a disk or sheet of metal, often silver, it is known in English as a testera (Spanishloanword), chamfron (Frenchloanword), or faceplate.
Equipment with a similar purpose of stabilizing a bit or noseband include the forelock hanger (North America), bit lifter (Australia), and cheekers (Australia). The frentera is not to be confused with a similar appearing piece of tack, the overcheck.
In the Alexander Mosaic, circa 200 BC, both Greek and Persian horses wear frentera, in two different styles. Some horses of the Terracotta Army (China, 210 BC) wear a bridle with a split-top frentera. Stiff, padded and studded testera have been found in Scythian tombs.[1]
More recently, in the 19th century frentera were used on cavalry horses of several nations, including Germany, and today are used in cavalry ceremonies in Argentina.
Current useedit
Cheekers
Today, the frentera is seldom seen in English speaking countries but widely used elsewhere in the world. It is used in Spain and Portugal on serreta bridles, in Hungary on similar bridles, and in Argentina and adjacent countries on both halters and bridles.[2]
In Argentina, the frentera is an integral part of both utilitarian halters and parade bridles. The parade bridles often are chapeado, even made entirely of chains of sheet metal (often silver) heavily decorated with repoussé and chasing work. The frentera may be attached to the browband, passed between the ears to the crownpiece, or passed below (outside) the ears to the cheek pieces or fiador. If a halter and bridle are worn together, typically only one of them will have a frentera. In the English-speaking world, an ornamental frentera is seen occasionally on some parade horses.
Related equipmentedit
Several items of specialty horse tack of a utilitarian nature are related to the frentera. On an Australian polo noseband bridle a frentera-like strap supports a heavy noseband attached to the rings of a snaffle bit. Also in Australia, two items involve a forked strap suspended from the browband or crownpiece of the bridle, that help to maintain the position of the bit. These are the bit lifter and its variant cheekers, a rubber bit lifter with an integral pair of bit guards. Both bit lifters and cheekers are approved for thoroughbred racing in Australia.[3] In the United States and Canada, a leather thong or string is sometimes attached to the top of the crownpiece of a headstall and used to support a bosal. It sometimes is tied to the horse's forelock rather than the headstall and then may be called a forelock hanger.[4]
Frentera on horses of the Badisches Dragoner 2nd Regiment circa 1830 (illustrated 1835)
^online catalog in Argentina 2007-12-13 at the Wayback Machine showing a bozal (muzzle) style halter with a 3-part frentera and a fiador.
^Dion Villella. "Register of Nationally Approved Gear" (PDF). Racing Victoria Limited. Retrieved 2010-12-27.
^Bennett, Deb (1998). Conquerors: The Roots of New World Horsemanship (1st ed.). Amigo Publications Inc. ISBN0-9658533-0-6. Page 61.
January 01, 1970
frentera, frentera, part, some, halters, bridles, usually, horse, cord, strap, chain, face, horse, that, attached, crownpiece, browband, runs, down, horse, face, noseband, rings, frentera, split, pass, either, side, forelock, either, side, ears, latter, case, . A frentera is a part of some halters and bridles usually on a horse It is a cord strap or chain on the face of the horse that is attached to the crownpiece or browband and runs down the horse s face to the noseband or bit rings A frentera can be split at the top to pass on either side of the forelock or on either side of the ears In the latter case the frentera usually substitutes for a browband A frentera can also be split at the bottom into two or more parts to support and stabilize a heavy noseband or bit Frentera on bridle in the British museum Etruscan c 700 650 BC Look up frentera in Wiktionary the free dictionary The known history of the frentera dates back to Ancient Greece possibly earlier and the frentera is in use today in Europe Asia Australia and South America When it includes a disk or sheet of metal often silver it is known in English as a testera Spanish loanword chamfron French loanword or faceplate Equipment with a similar purpose of stabilizing a bit or noseband include the forelock hanger North America bit lifter Australia and cheekers Australia The frentera is not to be confused with a similar appearing piece of tack the overcheck Contents 1 History 2 Current use 3 Related equipment 4 See also 5 ReferencesHistory editIn the Alexander Mosaic circa 200 BC both Greek and Persian horses wear frentera in two different styles Some horses of the Terracotta Army China 210 BC wear a bridle with a split top frentera Stiff padded and studded testera have been found in Scythian tombs 1 More recently in the 19th century frentera were used on cavalry horses of several nations including Germany and today are used in cavalry ceremonies in Argentina Current use edit nbsp Cheekers Today the frentera is seldom seen in English speaking countries but widely used elsewhere in the world It is used in Spain and Portugal on serreta bridles in Hungary on similar bridles and in Argentina and adjacent countries on both halters and bridles 2 In Argentina the frentera is an integral part of both utilitarian halters and parade bridles The parade bridles often are chapeado even made entirely of chains of sheet metal often silver heavily decorated with repousse and chasing work The frentera may be attached to the browband passed between the ears to the crownpiece or passed below outside the ears to the cheek pieces or fiador If a halter and bridle are worn together typically only one of them will have a frentera In the English speaking world an ornamental frentera is seen occasionally on some parade horses Related equipment editSeveral items of specialty horse tack of a utilitarian nature are related to the frentera On an Australian polo noseband bridle a frentera like strap supports a heavy noseband attached to the rings of a snaffle bit Also in Australia two items involve a forked strap suspended from the browband or crownpiece of the bridle that help to maintain the position of the bit These are the bit lifter and its variant cheekers a rubber bit lifter with an integral pair of bit guards Both bit lifters and cheekers are approved for thoroughbred racing in Australia 3 In the United States and Canada a leather thong or string is sometimes attached to the top of the crownpiece of a headstall and used to support a bosal It sometimes is tied to the horse s forelock rather than the headstall and then may be called a forelock hanger 4 nbsp Frentera on horses of the Badisches Dragoner 2nd Regiment circa 1830 illustrated 1835 nbsp Frentera on Alexander the Great s horse Bucephalus depicted in the Alexander Mosaic nbsp Four horse chariot team of the Terracotta Army nbsp Frentera on the bridle of a horse depicted in the 4th century BC nbsp Frentera on a double bridle GermanySee also edit nbsp Look up bit lifter or chamfron in Wiktionary the free dictionary nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Frentera tack References edit Bennett 1998 page 48 online catalog in Argentina Archived 2007 12 13 at the Wayback Machine showing a bozal muzzle style halter with a 3 part frentera and a fiador Dion Villella Register of Nationally Approved Gear PDF Racing Victoria Limited Retrieved 2010 12 27 Bennett Deb 1998 Conquerors The Roots of New World Horsemanship 1st ed Amigo Publications Inc ISBN 0 9658533 0 6 Page 61 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Frentera amp oldid 1138929716, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
