1912 Experimental Picket Pin Shovel

In 1912, the Cavalry Equipment Board convened and introduced a variety of new equipment for use. One of which was an experimental shovel that saw very limited use – the picket pin shovel. This consisted of a shovel blade with a bracket on the top of it with a small hole that the end of a picket pin would fit into. A chain attached to the shovel blade would be secured to the picket pin by inserting a cotter pin into a hole located near the end of the picket pin. Both pieces were painted black.

The picket pin was originally intended to be hammered into the ground and used to tie the horse to. The top of the picket pin could also be used as a hammer or a claw to nail or loosen horseshoes. The Cavalry equipment board decided that a picket pin could also be used as a shovel handle, and it seemed to have worked well but was never fully adopted. The shovel was carried in a shovel cover which could be attached to the belt or the saddle.