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.

A few egg-shaped stitches can be put inside the outer stitches through the body and points of the dock to keep the last in place; trim the edges, and black, rub, and tallow them, and do the same inside the edges of the slits.

Cut two chapes to hold the buckles in front for fastening the crupper to the collar straps; bend the chapes down about 4 in., shave one end and point the other. Cut a hole for the buckle and prepare the chapes for stitching; then, having two loops ready, about 1½ in. wide, tack them in their places, keeping the outside of the buckle exactly level with the end of each slit and the chapes right in the centre. Stitch them down, put a cross stitch on each side of the buckle, and shape and crease the loops. Now cut the crupper lay 1 ft. 3 in. by 3 in., and turn it down for about 1 ft. at the good end; shave the end of the short turn thin, and round the other end; then edge, crease, and black the lay.

Cut two hip straps H (Fig. 102) 2 ft. by 1½ in., and turn them down for 3 in. at the heavy end; then shave the turn down, point the buckle end, and crease and black the straps. Attach them to a 3-in. japanned or tinned dee, one strap on each side; stitch four rows in the double of each, and rub and finish the edge. Prepare two more straps in the same manner, each 2 ft. 10 in. by 1¼ in., and stitch them in the middle round part of the dee between the two other straps. These are the carrier straps L (Fig. 102) for the stretcher; the hip straps are for carrying the traces.

The straight part of the dee is now put in the bend of the lay and placed on the centre of the crupper body at the same distance from each side, the extreme point of the dee being within 8 in. from the points of the tail slits. Tack down and stitch two rows ¼ in. apart all round, eight per inch, with three-cord thread; then stitch the lay coarse, or spot it across just to the dee. Some makers put a pad under the crupper as with the cart-saddle crupper, running it from the end of the tail slit to 1 in. beyond the point of the lay.

Hip-strap tugs K, must be made to buckle to the hip straps running from the dee, and for hooking in the traces. Having a pair of 1½-in. hip-strap chains (Figs. 103 and 104), cut the tugs 10 in. by 1½ in.; bend them so that the points meet in the centre, and cut a hole for the buckle in one end. Stitch the points together and put in two narrow loops, one to be used to hide the joint, or have one single broad loop for the same purpose. Place a safe underneath the same as on the bridgeband fore tugs, but stitch it instead of nailing.

In the next place make the tugs for the stretcher carrier strap M (Fig. 102), and a strap 1¼ in. by 1 ft. 2 in., and in the last bend a chape, and cut a hole for the buckle. Stitch the buckle on with a loop and make a running loop and a hole 1 in. from the point of the strap.

When placing the carrier straps in position, fix a loop on each end of the stretcher and nail the ends of the latter, leaving space for the strap to pass. Run the strap down through this loop, the runner loop having previously been put on the strap; then pass it through the runner loop to the buckle, where it is fastened. Secure the carrier straps to the same buckle over the carrier straps, bringing their points down into the loop. Keep the runner loop down by the stretcher to tighten the tug and to produce a neat finish.

The hip straps must now be buckled in the tug buckles, the hook fastened to chain traces, and the collar straps buckled in the fore-slit buckles. Whether the dock is put under the tail is optional, because the hip straps, when fastened in the dee, suffice to keep the crupper in place.

The back-band A, to carry the traces, is the next part of the harness to be made. It must measure about 4 ft. 4 in. from tip to tip, including the terminal chains or the eye, to which the traces are hooked. If pipe, the leather must be made 6 ft. 4 in. by 5 in. Mark a cross-line 1 ft. from each extremity, and another 6 in. from each line, so that there will be 3 ft. 4 in. between the two middle marks. A piece of lining is required for the part between the two lines at each end; this should be of the same width as the back-band and 1 ft. 3 in. long. Shave thin both tips of the lining and also the ends of the turn-in of the back-band; crease, black, and rub the back-band, the crease being made from the extreme lines right along. Prick the piece from the outer cross-line at each end as far as the double will run, making five rows with two on each side; then put the lining under the space between the two lines so that it is 6 in. over one and 3 in. over the other.

A narrow piece, shaved at the inner edge and about 6 in. long, is now placed on both ends at each side of the 6-in. space to strengthen the eye. Stitch the four rows in the 6-in. space, between the two lines, with three-cord thread, eight per inch; turn the edges of this part and black and rub them. Now turn down the ends, bringing the cross-lines dividing the eye exactly opposite each other; flatten the eye so as to bring the parts with the lines close together, and tack it in this position. Take two 1-in. dees and place a piece of leather inside them, on the flat side, for about half their width. Put both on each side of the back-band, one in each end between the double close to the eye and low enough to stitch through the piece of leather inside, when stitching the outer row.

Fig. 103. Fig. 104.

Figs. 103 and 104.—Hip-strap Chains.]

The dees must be tacked down as well as the double; fasten it right along both sides. The four rows at both ends and sides are stitched to the top of the double from the cross rows. If desired, a fancy wave or pattern can be made instead of the two inner lines of stitching. Then stitch or spot with lace across the back-band along the cross-lines near the eye; open out the last by placing a thick piece of wood, etc., inside.

Two straps must be cut 10 in. by ¾ in., a buckle and loop being adjusted to one end, and four or five punch holes made at the other for the dee fixed at the side of the back-band to pass through a link in the trace, and thus secure the back-band.

Some harness-makers line back-bands from one end to the other and stitch them; others line the inner part of the eye with sole leather, and place a safe under the eye. This safe is about 1 in. wider at the bottom, and narrows down to the same width as the back-band at the top; the lower corners are rounded, and then it is stitched in from the eye upwards.

For the belly-band D, a pair of 3-in. chains is required, and the leather must be cut 3 ft. 4 in. by 3 in. Turn in 4 in. at the ends, and shave, edge, black, and crease them; then put the leather into the openings in the chains, stitch four rows along the double part, and spot or stitch across near the chain.

The set of shaft and chain gear, as described in Chapters V. to VIII., is now complete. The chains are attached to the shaft harness or jambles to pull from the shaft, while the leader harness has only a hook for hitching the chain traces.