242 CARE OF HARNESS CH. XI 



should be thoroughly wiped with a cloth, no dust 

 being left under the buckles, or in the loops, every 

 strap being unbuckled and cleaned throughout its 

 whole length. The inside of the collars and parts on 

 which sweat has lodged must be well cleaned with 

 water, and dirt on other parts which the cloth will 

 not remove must be washed off, without wetting the 

 leather more than is necessary. The mountings 

 should then be polished, using as little powder as 

 possible, care being taken not to smear the leather 

 round the mountings, or to scratch it with the powder. 



The harness-maker usually furnishes thin plates 

 of metal which fit round the monogram, or crest, 

 and protect the leather from the cleaning powder. 



The leather should then be blackened and pol- 

 ished. Much the best thing for this purpose is the 

 black preparation of wax and turpentine sold by 

 harness-makers, or by shoemakers for polishing kid 

 shoes. It is expensive, but protects the leather 

 from the effects of wet, gives a good surface, and 

 does not rub off upon the hand or glove ; ordinary 

 shoe-blacking is dirty. The same preparation, with- 

 out the black ingredient, is the proper application for 

 reins and for whatever is of russet leather, such as 

 saddles and boot-tops, and is usually called saddle- 

 paste. It must be applied sparingly, and well pol- 

 ished by rubbing, or it will be sticky. 



Every now and then, and especially after a wetting 

 in the rain, harness should be oiled thoroughly with 

 neat's-foot oil, well rubbed in and well rubbed off. 



