Keychain - Hitched Horsehair - Indian Paintbrush

Artist: Erika Rogers

Hitched horsehair keychain

Indian Paintbrush design on the front

Braided horsehair loop with half-hitched horsehair needle knots to cover the ends

6" long

3/4" wide

Hitched horsehair is an intricate, centuries-old Western craft.  It involves using two knots (open and closed hitches) to create durable geometric patterns from horse tail hair.  The items are highly collectible.

The craft was famously practiced by inmates in Western frontier prisons (like the Wyoming Territorial Prison in Laramie) who had plenty of time and access to horse tails. Today, the tradition is kept alive by specialized artists, who have not spent time in prison, but enjoy keeping the time honored craft alive.  Authentic hand-hitched gear is highly valued.

1 1/4" split key ring

From the artist:

I make most of my pieces from the tail hair from my own horses. Any natural colors are the color of the tail hair. I dye white hair to get the other colors such as teal, orange, blue, purple, green, yellow, pink, red (unless the unicorns donate some of their hair when they pass through my area).

I also enjoy making personal mementos for people who have sent me hair from one of their own horses.

Please note, these are hand crafted items by the artist, with a slight variation between each piece