Page 10 - AEF-AlbertaBits_Winter-2025

REMEMBER ME
FROM STYLISH TO SENTIMENTAL
By Caitlin Hart
Images supplied
Photo by Carla Lehman Photography
HORSEHAIR HAS LONG been a popular material for textiles and
furniture making, reaching a peak in the 19th century. Today, horsehair
plays a more sentimental role in handicrafts — it’s not used as often in
manufacturing upholstery or hairbrushes, but to create memorial pieces
for horse owners, crafted from their own horse’s tail or mane.
From bracelets, keychains and necklaces to leather belts, bolo ties
and hat bands, horsehair jewellery has evolved, incorporating the textile
into Western style for shows, as well as everyday wear. Some creators
have even incorporated horsehair into pottery and other crafts.
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Alberta Bits Winter 2025