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A horse twitch, which would be fitted to the mouth of an unruly horse during shoeing. It consists of two beech 'handles' which are jointed at one end, with a leather strap fixed to one of the handles at the other. It is inscribed 'Butters Horse Twitch'. It came from the forge at Uffington, Oxfordshire, where the donor’s husband, Henry E. J. Packer, who retired circa 1970, was the third generation of the Packer family to work.

1 twitch: leather, beech wood

MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Institute of Agricultural History) – 'Recorder: DJE // Date: 7.1.82 // Description: Horse twitch consisting of two ‘handles’ of beech which are jointed at one end. A leather strap is fixed to one of the handles at the other end, and carries the inscription ‘BUTTERS HRSE TWITCH’. // Dimensions: length of strap 65 cms (aprox) // overall length 35.5. cms // Associated information: From the forge at Uffington. Fitted to the horses mouth to subdue unruly horses during shoeing.’, Notes from interview with Mrs Packer, 1 December 1981 – ‘Uffington Forge // 3 generations of the Packer family worked in the forge at Uffington. The first was Henry Packer who came from Sparsholt. His son was John Becket Packer who gave his name to the business. His brother was a wheelwright. He died aged about eighty, and left the forge to this son, Henry Earnest [sic] John Packer, husband of the donor. He died in November 1981 aged seventy nine, but had retired around 1970. The business then closed down leaving Uffington without a blacksmith or farrier. // Henry E.J. Packer employed three to four men and they did a variety of work such as tractor and plough repairs involving welding, and wrought iron work as well as providing the service of farrier. In 1930 at the ‘Annual Farriery Competition, organised by Berks, Co. Co. [Berkshire County Council], Henry E.J. Packer won first prize. A year later at the Royal Counties Agricultural Society Show at Portsmouth, he won the ‘shoemaking novice’ prize. // Around 1969 Henry E.J. Packer donated three account books covering the period 1896–1903, 1925–1942 (Farm Record Coll. BER 39).’

Leather, Wood, beech