406 MANAGEMENT AND BREEDING OF HORSES 



ing soda. Then scrub the parts with a scrub brush, and 

 when dry oil with neatsfoot oil to which a small amount 

 of kerosene and a little lampblack have been added. Now 

 hang up to dry, exercising care not to dry in the sun or 

 by the fire. When thoroughly dry sponge with castile 

 soap and buckle the parts together. Common 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. 



Repairing harness. — Where many work horses are kept 

 a harness repair kit should be available. It is convenient 

 as well as economical to be prepared to mend harness 

 whenever needed, as it often saves delay in sending to the 

 shop. To make simple repairs is not difficult, and a 

 repair kit is inexpensive. We should provide a wood 

 clamp for holding the leather while stitching, gauge knife 

 to cut new straps, four-tube punch, a paper of needles, 

 ball of thread, ball of wax, three different size awls, 

 collar awl, rivet set, box of assorted rivets, and a pair 

 of pliers. Such a kit can be obtained for approximately 

 five dollars, and with it one can keep his harness in the 

 best of repair at a very small cost. (Fig. 178.) 



