The parts next to be made are a leading rein, a 1-in. strap with a billet and buckle at one end and a chain with a spring hook, called a cheek, at the other. Black and crease the rein, and then stitch on the buckles, billet, and chain.
The billet is the piece of leather stitched under or behind the buckle for fastening this particular end to any object. Make the billet 1 ft. long. The full length of the rein must be about 8 ft. 6 in.; the chain by which it is fastened to the horse’s mouth is put through the near ring and secured with a spring hook to the opposite ring. The billet end is fastened to the crupper of the leader or the shaft horse. This is very useful when horses take fright, as the driver may then be able to catch the rein and pull them in, though unable to reach their heads.
The 1¼-in. hame straps are simple straps with a buckle and loop at one extremity, the other end being pointed with holes. Their length is about 1 ft. 8 in.; they are employed to secure the hames at the top.
Some harness-makers, for the purpose of ornament, make, for cart horses, a breast-plate which extends from the bottom of the hames and collar to the fore girth of the saddle or to the belly-band of a leader. It is made of leather, bound with red or yellow leather or American cloth, and the sides are scalloped, and have two or three face-pieces placed opposite the swell in the scallop, these face-pieces being a little narrower than the leather. A narrow strap runs from underneath through a hole, catching a loop at the top of the face-piece, and then down through another hole, and so on to the next.
When the strap is run all along, fasten the end at the bottom, the other extremity being secured by the billet, and buckle to the hames at the top. Run a strap about 2 ft. long from the base of this scalloped part, and furnish it with a buckle. Put it on the reverse way and bring the other end through the buckle, fastening it thereto; stitch the end to the bottom of the scalloped part, the other end being furnished with a loop through which the girth may pass. The part underneath the face-pieces may, before being bound, be covered with coloured leather to give it a good appearance.
Now cut the cart belly-band 3 in. wide and 3 ft. 8 in. long; narrow it down to 2 in. along a length of 6 in. at both ends, and, without bending the band, cut a buckle hole about 3 in. from the point. Make two billets 2 ft. 2 in. long and 2 in. wide, and edge, crease, and black everything. Two loops must also be made about 1¾ in. wide. Prick the billet, six per inch, for about 6 in. from the shaved end, and adjust the buckle and billet, making the latter lap over the buckle for 3 in. lower down. Place the loop about 1 in. from the buckle, tack all down, and stitch with a six-cord black wax thread, twice waxed; then make two or three stitches in the centre of each end. Having opened and creased the loops, make four holes in the billets; finally, give them a coat of Harris’s liquid or composition.
CHAPTER VIII.
FORE GEAR OR LEADER HARNESS.
The bridle and collar for a fore gear or leader harness must be made in the way described in the previous chapters, and will require no further explanation here.
The back-band A (Fig. 102), long crupper F, and belly-band D, still need description, however. Cut the crupper from good leather 3 ft. 8 in. long and 5 in. wide, and make a split 9 in. long at the light end and another, 7 in. long, at the tail end, leaving the points of the slits in front of the full width, merely cutting a little out of the corners. Narrow the points at the tail end gradually to about 1⅛ in., and cut a little from the sides of each slit. A piece of leather must be cut to line a foot or so of the tail end, and a piece of soft leather 16 in. by 3½ in. for a dock. Damp the dock well and turn down both edges in such a manner as to overlap deeply along the centre, the ends having been previously shaved thin.
Now bring both ends together, making both sides meet flat, but not with the flat sides together; then, taking hold of the piece on the flat in the centre, turn the lower edge inwards and upwards, still keeping the points together with the other hand. Nail each point to a board and keep all parts in shape until dry, when the dock will be firm. Edge, crease, and black the body, making two rows all round, rubbing the edges well and hot-creasing the lines. At the tail end prick the second line as far as the double runs; if the dock is dry, put it between the lining and body at each end of the slit. Tack it down around the lining, and stitch.