Care and Feeding of your new hood

Thank you *so much* for letting me make you your new hood; I love pony play, and making pony gear. These instructions should help you get the most out of your new pony hood!

Fitting your Hood

Take your time achieving a good fit the first time you put the hood on. If you rush, you will not get a very good fit and you will be unsatisfied with how it feels and looks. Once you have a good fit, it will be easy to put the hood on and take it off quickly!

When properly fit, your hood should be comfortable and not restrict your breathing. It should not press against your face or rub overly much.

Your hood has two sets of laces; once you have a proper fit, you should leave one set of laces tied, and use the other set of laces when putting the hood on and taking it off.

  1. Loosen the lacing on both sides, and adjust the halter to the loosest holes.

  2. Holding the nose of the hood in your left hand, place your face into the mask, with your chin going in first.

  3. Holding the nape of the crest with your right hand, pull the hood down over your head.

  4. Adjust the hood so that you can see out of the eyes as well as possible. Just like a real horse, you might have to turn your head a little bit to see things right in front of you.

  5. Begin tightening the lacing on each side a little bit at a time, switching back and forth. Continue until you have a good, comfortable fit.

  6. Select the side that will be left alone; typically, this is the side which lays beneath the mane. Tie this side tightly.

  7. The other side will be loosened to remove the hood, and tightened to hold it on.

  8. Now, tighten the halter straps so that they are tight enough to keep the halter in place, but do not deform the hood. You may or may not need to loosen the halter when removing the hood, it depends what is comfortable for you.

Putting on your hood

  1. Loosen the laces on the chosen side, and the halter if need be.

  2. Holding the nose of the hood in your left hand, place your face into the mask, with your chin going in first.

  3. Holding the nape of the crest with your right hand, pull the hood down over your head.

  4. Adjust the hood so that you can see out of the eyes as well as possible. Just like a real horse, you might have to turn your head a little bit to see things right in front of you.

  5. Tighten the lacing on the chosen side and, if need be, the halter.

Removing your hood

  1. Loosen the lacing on the chosen side and, if need be, the halter.

  2. Holding the nape of the crest with your right hand, lift the hood up off your head.

Caring for your Hood

  • Your pony hood is made from leather. As you would expect with a new pair of leather boots, it will take time for your hood to 'break in'. Expect it to be a little stiff to begin with.

  • Also like a pair of boots, you will want to "feed" the leather every so often with something like neatsfoot oil. You can also apply wax to protect the leather and to give it a good shine!

  • The mane (and tail, if you ordered one) is make from a Kanekalon-based synthetic hair. It is hand woven and hand stitched, so it should not pull out. You can brush it like you would normal hair. If it gets tangled, you will want to use a conditioner made specifically for synthetic hair!!

DO NOT USE SHOE/BOOT POLISH ON YOUR HOOD!!

DO NOT USE NORMAL CONDITIONER ON YOUR MANE OR TAIL!!

IMPORTANT

I most likely discussed this with you when we discussed the commission, but because it may be life or death, it bears repeating:

  • LEATHER PAINT USES A LATEX-BASED FLEX AGENT TO REDUCE CRACKING.

  • If your hood uses leather paint, and you have a latex sensitivity, DO NOT WEAR THE HOOD.

  • If you have friends who admire your hood and they have a latex sensitivity, DO NOT LET THEM WEAR YOUR HOOD.

  • PEOPLE SENSITIVE TO LATEX SHOULD NOT PUT LATEX-CONTAINING THINGS ON THEIR HEADS.