How to Make a Horsehair Mattress

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By Julia Fuller
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Collect horse mane and tail hair

Do you suffer from chronic back pain and you want a firm mattress for support that will mold itself to your body shape? Consider making your own horsehair mattress. Historically, chiropractors used horsehair to fill the pads on their manipulation tables. This offered firm support, yet a little give for the comfort of their patients. It also last for decades. How do you make a horsehair mattress?

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

6 yds cotton quilted material
Thread
Sewing machine
Quilting frame
Quilting needle
Horsehair

Step 1

Purchase six yards of heavy cotton quilted fabric and matching thread.
Step 2

Collect horsehair to contruct your new firm mattress. Collect the hair from the mane and tail each time you trim your horses and ponies. Ask your friends who own horses, too, because you need a lot of it and if you cut off your horses' entire tails they won't be able to swat flies. Not to mention, a horse's tail adds to its beauty. Keep a clean plastic bag in one hand and brush your horse with the other hand. As you pull or cut the mane and tail, drop the hair into the bag. If you do not have a horse, ask a nearby stable if you can trim and groom the horses, they may truly appreciate your help. Seal the plastic bags once full so any little insect type intruders will suffocate.
Step 3

Cut the quilted material into two-yard lenths. One of these two-yard lenths will be the top of the mattress, one will be the bottom. The other, keep it two yards long, but cut four three-inch wide strips from it.
Step 4

Sew one 3-inch wide strip down one side of a two-yard section using a 1/2-inch seam. Sew another 3-inch wide strip down the other side of the same two-yard section using 1/2-inch seam. Sew another 3-inch wide piece across one end of the same two-yard section, cutting off any extra. Repeat with the remaining 3-inch section on the other end.
Step 5

Stitch your corners together forming corners. Turn wrong side out and sew three sides with your sewing machine using 1/2 inch seams. Stitch about half of the remaining side closed.
Step 6

Turn right side out and begin stuffing with horsehair. Keep it on a flat surface such as the floor or dining room table.
Step 7

Quilt in 5-inch squares

Use your quilting needle and thread to sew through the fabric and horsehair every five inches creating quilted squares. This will prevent the horsehair from moving around and lumping. If you want your mattress to have a more conventional shape and appearance do the following. If you have an old mattress, you can remove the quited top with scissors, utility knife, and thread remover and then hand stitch your horsehair pad on top in place of the part you removed. Now your regular sheets will fit. You could also make several layers of horsehair pads (3 or 4)and stack them on each other. This is more work and a lot more horsehair, but will offer more comfort.

Comments

kaytay said

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on 3/26/2009 I have horses and never thought of using their hair for anything. thanks for the idea

mousepusher said

on 1/10/2009 I used to have a horsehair mattress, and very comfortable it was over a sprung metal base, but it wasn't made from the fur of horses, but from the curled hair of their manes and tails- which gave it a springiness and airiness which I think you would need in a mattress. Are you sure that you have got these instructions correct?