Saddle mounts

These bronze objects are from the Roman fort at Newstead in Roxburghshire. Only when a virtually complete Roman saddle was found in Holland was it realised what they were - mounts to stiffen projections at each corner of a saddle.

All the mounts bear scratched inscriptions, identifying the owner and his unit. The outside of the mounts would probably have been covered with leather to grip the leather of the saddle more effectively.

Roman cavalry horses were fitted with heavy leather saddles with horns, ornamented with a variety of metal fittings and pendants. Few examples survive, but they are pictured on gravestones and other Roman carvings.

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