Farm Tool?

[OilyRascal]

I'm prepared once again to show my age.  This (unknown to me) contraption was something that my great grandparents left behind INSIDE the house we live in.  It was hanging on the wall.

My guess was it was used to collect eggs.  It's been suggested to me that it may be a early muzzle.

Is anybody able to educate me on this thing and what it might have been used for?  I'd sure like to know why it would be inside the house.

[johnsironsanctuary]

Oily, It is a wire egg basket. The hook lets you hang it from your belt to free up your hands for egg hunting. Yes, back when I was a boy, we did use them as a muzzle for the family's pet T-Rex.

http://www.google.com/search?num=10&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=952&bih=377&q=egg+basket+wire&oq=Egg+basket&gs_l=img.1.1.0l2j0i5l7j0i24.9594.23474.0.26612.10.10.0.0.0.0.300.740.9j3-1.10.0...0.0...1ac.1.Qk9YLcGu5jQ

[OilyRascal]

The problem is - if you search for wire horse muzzle you get this.

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&biw=1280&bih=709&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=wire+horse+muzzle&oq=wire+horse+muzzle&gs_l=img.3..0i24.61112.64653.0.64730.17.13.0.4.4.0.161.1098.8j5.13.0...0.0...1c.1.K8PD1Z6Z60M

[johnsironsanctuary]

I see that some of the horse muzzles have wire bails, but I don't think that a hard wire would stay on long if the horse didn't like it. Straps would seem to be a better idea.

[john k]

You went and found something I've never seen before.   Our egg baskets were baskets, but can see where this would work. 

[OilyRascal]

I was visiting with my grandmother today in her greenhouse as she was working.  I notice on the wall a smaller version of the same device in the original post.  I say, "Please tell me what this thing was used for"; knowing she would know or the thing wouldn't be in her greenhouse.

Her reply, "We used it to muzzle the calf so it wouldn't milk". 

hmmmmmmm, - "So what is the larger version for that I found in your parents house?"

"The HORSE", she replies.

Whether it was designed and intended for that use or not - it was certainly used that way on this farm.

[keykeeper]

I was gonna say cribbing muzzle for a horse. Allows them to eat grass/grain, but not chew up the wood in the barn.

[OilyRascal]

I was gonna say cribbing muzzle for a horse. Allows them to eat grass/grain, but not chew up the wood in the barn.

The only information I can find on cribbing muzzle's is a bar design such as that show in the attached. 

[clovis]

I, too, think it is a cribbing muzzle for a horse, mule or donkey.

The wire bales would fit onto the horses head, and the square bales would allow the muzzle to be strapped to a bridle.   

[rusty]

Perhaps this?

[clovis]

I still think it is a muzzle for horses and mules.

My uncle once owned a horse that would literally bite people if they had their back to the horse. That horse would mostly bite people on the shoulder, often leaving a pretty bad mark and bruise.

That horse was sold to a packing plant buyer.