346 Harnessing the Colt 



purpose but not so coarse as to injure the grain of 

 the leather. It is important that the straps be 

 rubbed with the grain, which lays down the fiber and 

 gives a smooth edge. Next, the harness should be 

 taken apart and cleansed with a sponge dampened 

 with soapsuds, using only as much water as is neces- 

 sary. When cleansed, wipe dry and oil with a little 

 neat's-foot oil applied with the sponge, then apply 

 some good harness blacking, and polish. Harness 

 treated in this way will neither turn red nor become 

 gummy, and if often sponged with white castile 

 soap, can be kept looking like new. 



When not in use, the harness should be covered 

 with a sheet and hung in a room constructed espe- 

 cially for it, as dust, dampness and vermin tend to 

 injure the leather and tarnish the fixtures. It 

 frequently happens that the harness is hung on 

 hooks just back of the horse in the stable. This is 

 very objectionable. In the first place, gases escap- 

 ing from the manure are very destructive to the 

 leather, and in the second place, the harness is 

 often knocked down under the horse's feet and 

 becomes soiled with manure. It is much more de- 

 sirable to have a harness-room convenient to the 

 horse stable where all harness can be kept, as it is 

 much less difficult to keep in order, and if we have 

 a hanger for each horse's harness and hang it there 

 each time, the work will be much lighter than other- 

 wise. 



