Featured in this lot is this Deer Lodge Montana Prison hitched horsehair headstall and reins, circa late 1900's. The headstall is very finely hitched and shows exceptional workmanship. The headstall features geometric patterns woven into the hitched horsehair sections with a sixteen plait cored reins. In the western United States, the history of hitching is intertwined with the history of territorial and modern day prisons in the western United States. It was the first hobby at Montana State Prison, dating back to the territorial prison in Deer Lodge. Charlie Russell, the famous western artist, wrote about men down at Deer Lodge “twistin hairs”. Other commonly known prisons for horsehair were located at Yuma and Florence, Arizona; Rawlins, Wyoming; and Walla Walla, Washington. The condition of this headstall is good, with no obvious signs of damage. This is a full size headstall and single rein. The headstall features a D-ring correction bit attached.