121. This includes saddle equipment, harness, holsters, leather belts, mounted leggins, shoes, gun slings, and instrument cases, such as for field glasses, etc. The care of equipment, especially that of leather equipment, is important and officers and noncommissioned officers should be familiar with the methods involved. All men should receive instruction in this subject, and the cleaning of leather equipment should be done habitually under the supervision of a commissioned officer. Leather equipment must always be cleaned after being used. A mounted duty is not complete until horses, harness, saddlery, arms, and equipment have been put again in condition.

Leather properly cared for will remain soft and pliable until absolutely worn out; but if not cared for or improperly cared for it soon dries out, becomes stiff and brittle, its fibers are then easily broken, and the equipment rendered useless in a comparatively short time.

A cleaning agent and an oiling agent are necessary to keep leather equipment in first-class condition.

Neat's-foot oil is an animal oil used to soften and preserve leather. Apply with a moistened cloth to the flesh side of moistened leather. Unit of issue, pint.

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Castile soap or an alkaline soap is used in cleaning leather equipment. Apply as a lather on a moistened sponge. Unit of issue, pound.

The cleaning agent, either castile or ordinary harness soap, is used to remove all dirt, sweat, and other matter which ordinarily accumulates in the surface pores of the leather, preventing the penetration of oil. Castile soap is a powerful cleanser, frequently containing an excess of free alkali, which renders it an active agent in removing dirt. However, castile soap has no tendency of itself to soften and preserve leather. Good harness

1 When published.

soap, on the other hand, contains no free alkali, but frequently contains a certain percentage of uncombined fatty substances available for softening and preserving purposes. White soap may be used in place of castile soap. The oiling agent penetrates the pores of the leather and saturates the fibers, making them pliable and elastic. Dry leather is brittle; leather excessively oiled will soil the clothing and accumulate dirt. The condition to be desired is sufficient oil to obtain softness and pliability without exudation due to an excess. Neat's-foot oil has been found by long experience to be the most satisfactory and is issued for this purpose by the Ordnance Department.

Daily, or as often as used, leather equipment should be wiped off with a cloth slightly dampened in water to remove mud, dust, or other foreign substance. (It should never be cleaned by immersing it in water.) This takes but a few minutes and maintains the appearance of the equipment, but is, however, insufficient of itself to properly preserve it. Bits and other metal parts of harness should be wiped off with a rag slightly moistened with oil.

At intervals of from one to four weeks, depending upon climatic conditions and the use to which it has been subjected, it is essential that the equipment should be thoroughly cleaned. To do this properly, all parts of the equipment should be separated and the entire equipment reduced to its simplest elements. All surface dust and mud should be wiped off with a damp sponge. The sponge should then be rinsed out, moistened in clean water, and squeezed out, and a thick lather formed by working the sponge vigorously on the castile soap. When a thick creamy lather is obtained each piece of the leather equipment should be thoroughly cleaned, working the sponge upon every portion and drawing each strap its entire length through the lathered sponge, so as to thoroughly remove the salt, sweat, or dirt from each leather piece.

After the leather parts are made fairly clean with castile soap the sponge should be rinsed again and a thick lather be made with the saddle or harness soap. This should be thoroughly worked into every part of the equipment in order to obtain a fine surface dressing and finish.

When the leather has been allowed to become partially dry but not hard, it should be rubbed vigorously with a soft cloth to give it a neat, finished appearance.

If the foregoing instructions have been carefully executed the appearance of the equipment should be perfect, and if the leather is thoroughly soft and pliable nothing further is re

quired. In general, however, it will be found desirable to apply a small amount of oil from time to time.

It is not practicable, owing to different conditions of climate and service, to prescribe the frequency of oiling. It has been found that during the first few months of use a set of new leather equipment should be given at least two applications of oil per month. Thereafter it is entirely a matter of judgment as indicated by the appearance and pliability of the leather. Frequent light applications of oil are more valuable than occasional heavy applications.

The necessity for a light application of oil before use, when new equipment is received, is that leather frequently remains a considerable period of time in storage in an arsenal, thus drying out. Upon issue of the equipment this oil should be immediately replaced. As new equipment is clean, no application of soap is necessary. All that is necessary is that the leather be slightly moistened, and that the oil be lightly and quickly applied.

As far as practicable the oil should be applied on the flesh side, as it penetrates much more readily from this side than from the grain side. Leather which has been cleaned should still be damp, or about "halfway" at the time of oiling.

The oil should be applied with a rag or with cotton waste moistened in it to prevent an excess being used. The use of an excess of oil will do the leather no injury, but it will continually ooze out and will soil clothing. The tendency is to use too much oil; about 1 ounce is enough for a set of harness.

After leather equipment is oiled it should, if possible, remain · in a warm, dry place for 24 hours, and then be rubbed thoroughly with a coarse cloth to remove any unabsorbed oil. The following cautions should be observed:

Keep the leather clean.

Keep leather pliable by frequent light applications of oil. Use only materials furnished by the Ordnance Department. Shoe polishes, etc., are almost invariably injurious.

Dry all leather wet from whatever cause in the shade; never in the sun or close to a steam radiator, furnace, or boiler.

Leather should habitually be stored in a cool, dry place, without artificial heat.

In active campaign or on the march, advantage should be taken of such opportunities as the situation affords to keep the equipment out of the mud and protect it from rain, dust, and heat. Racks can be improvised with forked sticks and crossbar, or advantage taken of a neighboring fence. A piece of

canvas, a poncho, or a manta affords considerable protection. When shelters are provided for animals and forage, provision should also be made for the horse equipment.

When any of the leather equipment becomes badly worn or is torn or broken, the articles should be turned over to the troop or battery saddler for repairs. Repairs should not be allowed to accumulate but should be made as damages occur.

The saddle is the most expensive article of horse equipment and should not be thrown about or left where horses may step upon it or where it may be otherwise abused. Breast collars should not be subjected to rough treatment, or they may be bent out of shape and rendered unfit for use. Breast collars may be kept in a pliable condition by opening the folds and placing therein a small amount of dubbin as issued, rubbing the folds gently by hand. Too much dubbin should not be used.

All metal parts, except bits and spurs, need ordinarily only to be wiped clean with a cloth slightly moistened in oil; they are purposely issued dark, and it is desired that they be kept in that condition. The use of warm water on the bits, stirrups, or similar portions to remove hardened saliva, sweat, mud, etc., is frequently advantageous. The bit, chain, and spurs may also be polished, but all dark metal should be cleaned and oiled only, and should never be attacked with corroding agents.

WEB AND CLOTH EQUIPMENT

122. Brush the cloth equipment thoroughly to remove all dust and mud before washing. Spread the blanket, belt, etc., on a clean board or rock and apply the soap solution with a scrub brush. When a good lather appears, wash off with clear water. The saddle blanket should be kept clean and soft and free from wrinkles. In campaign and on the march saddle blankets should be thoroughly brushed at least once daily. They should never be folded wet and left in that condition. When necessary the blanket may be washed as above described, or be cleaned by repeated immersions in tepid soapsuds and hung over a pole or line to dry, without wringing or pressing.

AMMUNITION

123. It is highly important that all ammunition be kept dry and free from dirt under all circumstances. In storage it should be in a dry, closed room or building. Containers should be at least 3 inches off the floor and there should be an air space around each box. The containers should never be opened

except as contents are to be used. When the contents of a broken container are not all used at a firing, this ammunition will be the first used at the next firing.

Any ammunition taken to home stations from field training, and not used before the next field camp, will be taken to camp and be the first used in that period. A new supply will be requisitioned and taken to home station each year. (See also N. G. R. 76 and 85.)