The pieces need not be so wide as the side-piece; half its width or a little more will do. Make three rows of stitching, and join them together at the lower part along the lined part; the distance between the rows should be about 1 in., with nine stitches per inch. Rub the side-pieces and blacken them; crease two rows with a screw-crease all round the outer side not stitched. When cutting, take care to have the best part under draught. Join the two sides together at the top with stitch after stitch from one to the other, thus drawing them close end to end.
Crease and prick a 1¼-in. piece of leather, cutting it to the same length as the joint, and thinning it towards the collar end; the other outer end must be shaped to the point of the joint. Now tack the piece and stitch, keeping it quite over the centre of the joint, and making the stitches exactly at the same distance on both sides; it is well to put a bit of thin lining underneath the stitches. Damp the side-pieces well in water, and have a long lace ready to run the side-piece in; damp and grease it, and have it long enough to go all round the collar if possible, with sufficient to spare for fastening.
Take out the side-pieces, beat the water from the leather, and fasten the pieces to the centre on top with a big strong awl or seat-awl. Pull them together as tightly as possible from top to bottom; let them overlap about 3 in. at the bottom, shave the leather down a little here, and fix the pieces in place with the awl. Then see that they are in the right position, not too near nor too far from the forewale; put an awl on each side near the draught to keep them in position there.
Begin lacing them in at the throat-piece, making the stitches 2 in. or 2½ in. apart, at about the same distance from the edge all round; be sure to catch the lining underneath with each stitch. Then take another long lace and pull it in at the throat; draw it close to the forewale all round till the point of commencement is reached, running a stitch over the edge of the side-piece, and catching the leather everywhere by the forewale; the stitches should be about 1½ in. apart.
Some harness makers run a piece of leather about 13 in. under the draught, fasten it with a few stitches to the collar body in the lower part, and spot with lace to the side-piece all round the top part; coarse flock, or anything which will keep the chains from the horse’s shoulder when pulling, being employed for stuffing; but this will not be necessary if the body of the collar is well made. Others make the side-piece without lining, using instead a round piece of leather with canes round the rim, covering them with leather stitched on both sides to protect the shoulders and collar from wet. They are stitched with lace to the collar.
Experience, however, has demonstrated that neither the horse nor the collar is any the worse without such a device. In other localities the housing and side-piece are cut in one piece—a poor imitation of a Scotch collar—and stiffened all round with cane; this involves a great waste of leather, and is unnecessary.
CHAPTER VII.
CART SADDLES, REINS, ETC.
The saddle is another important part of cart harness. To make a saddle for a horse about 15½ hands high will need a tree (Fig. 98) measuring 14 in. across the board right through the centre. It may have an iron plate for the back chain covering entirely the top of the tree, or only partially covering it, but with plates at the point and one in the centre of the groove. The plate can be removed from the first kind of tree when making the saddle, but the partial plates are permanently riveted with an iron pin. If the board across the tree is very long it may be sawn off at each end, but never at one end only. Saw off the same length at each end; a 1-ft. board is always long enough.
The tree can be obtained also in the pattern required for nailing housings (leather covers) on the bridge of the tree at the top, or with a projection running along both sides lower down for nailing. If the housings are nailed at the side, the width need not be so great as when nailed on the top; the part of the tree above must be covered with thin leather, nailed under the housing at the lower edge, damped and rubbed down close to the tree and nailed at the very top.
The panel (Fig. 99) can be made when the tree is ready. From the middle of each side cut the panel-back about ½ in. longer than the boards and 2 in. wider than the central width of the board. Leave the space between the middle lines of stitches about 2 in. wider in front than at the back to prevent the shoulder-bone of the horse being caught when carrying a weight. Cut both sides alike, reversing the pattern to pair them. Then whip them together along the centre and shorten the panel-back in front by cutting from the point, slanting inwards and upwards in the fore part.