Horse Hood: Two-Piece Cloth Hood With Ear Covers, Bound Edges and Jaw Strap (Hasluck, Saddlery, 1904)

"A hood is needed to complete the suit. A suitable shape is shown by Fig. 29. The hood must be cut to the shape of the horse's neck and head, from a point about 5-1/4 in. below the eye on the nose, then along the ridge of the head and neck to the shoulder, where it should cover the front of the sheet well."

Cut the hood in two pieces, one for each side (he says sometimes four, with pieces added to the side flaps for size), shaped to the horse from about 5-1/4 in below the eye on the nose, along the ridge of the head and neck to the shoulder, covering the front of the sheet well. Under the neck, cut all round the throat and down under the head so the two sides meet exactly in the centre. Making a paper pattern on the horse first is our suggestion.

Cut the holes for the ears, and two holes right opposite the eyes. Put the front cut of the cloth opposite the front of the ear.

Make a cover for each ear: the front part about 1 in larger than the face of the ear all round, the back part large enough to pass round the back of the ear and let it go in easily. Whip the edges together and stitch round the hole at the bottom, all the stitches on the outside.

Whip the edges together level along the top of the neck and over the head, down the front of the face. Join any other piece the same way, and always bind the joint, stitching on both sides.

Cut the binding cloth 1-1/4 in wide (cloth, patent or Newmarket binding) and turn it round the edges just enough to catch the first row of stitching, about 1/4 in from the edge. Draw it as flat as possible and stitch another row along the inner edge. Where it puckers too much at a sharp turn, as at the throat, cut the puckers out and stitch edge to edge. Put a strip along the joint on the top of the neck, its ends under the binding, then flat strips 1/2 in wide along the side joints and the points of the ear pieces, and round the bottom to cover the ends and the joint. He notes this work can be done by machine.

Fasten the hood under the jaw with a small strap and buckle. Run cadez strings (ties) from this point to about half-way down the neck on each side, to tie together.

From **Saddlery**, edited by Paul N. Hasluck, David McKay, 1904 (archive.org saddlery00hasl), chapter IX, "Horse Clothing", hood, pp. 70-74, Fig. 29; every fraction was read on the scan. He gives no overall sizes: the hood is cut to the horse. He does not say what cadez strings are made of; cotton string is our choice. The sheets and breast cloth of the suit are not made here. Kersey, the paper pattern, tools and metric figures are ours.