THE CARE OF HARNESS AND SADDLES. 523 



THE CARE OF HARNESS AND SADDLES. 



Harness, although not requiring the immediate care 

 which the other parts of an equipage demand, should be 

 properly cleaned and hung in place within a few hours after 

 use. Leather that is kept in good condition should bend 

 with much the same "feeling " as that produced by twisting 

 soft copper wire. Under ordinary circumstances the leather 

 will only require sponging off, and when dry the application 

 of a soft, thick-bristled polishing brush to renew the lustre 

 and from time to time washing of the harness with soda and 

 water, and the use of a similar, but harder, bristled brush 

 on which some Jamieson harness composition has been 

 evenly and sparingly rubbed. When the harness is " com- 

 poed " every strap should be undone and blackened. At no 

 time should the composition be so thick on the harness as 

 to form little streaks or lumps, and after the leather has been 

 polished it should, upon being handled, leave little or no 

 stain on the hand. When the harness is brought in muddy 

 and wet it should be washed with soap and warm water, but 

 not soaked. The water should be applied with a sponge, 

 which must be constantly rinsed out in clean water. All 

 surface moisture should then be removed with a chamois, 

 and the harness hung up until thoroughly dry before being 

 " compoed " and polished. Now and then both black and 

 russet harness will have to be thoroughly cleaned with a 

 brush and soda and water. When dry the leather may be 

 softened with a little neat's-foot oil. It is advisable to apply 

 a thin coating of beeswax, by the use of a brush similar to 

 the one used for the " compo," and by passing the bristles 

 lightly over a cake of beeswax and then going over the 

 leather, the latter is rendered more impervious to the inclem- 



