Then Sir Beaumains bade the damosel go from him; and then they put their spears in their rests, and came together with all their might that they had both, and either smote other in midst of their shields that the paitrelles, surcingles, and cruppers brast, and fell to the earth both, and the reins of their bridles in their hands; and so they lay a great while sore astonied, that all that were in the castle and in the siege weened their necks had been broken; and then many a stranger and other said the strange knight was a big man, and a noble jouster, for or now we saw never no knight match the Red Knight of the Red Launds: thus they said, both within the castle and without.
"Le Morte D'Arthur, Volume I (of II) King Arthur and of his Noble Knights of the Round Table"
Thomas Malory
Horse-collecting parties went out all over the country, taking with them head-collars, head-ropes, bits, reins, surcingles, numnahs, horse-blankets, and nose-bags.
"The Invasion"
William Le Queux
We'll make bridles an' Injun surcingles out o' Marvin's rope, an' we'll toss for his saddle.
"Paradise Bend"
William Patterson White