Does your tack loo like this?
Or like this?
Cleaning your tack the night before an event is something that most of us do but why not think outside the box and clean your tack more for yourself rather than the dressage judge!
For lots of part-time riders or even full time riders (who don’t have enough help) cleaning tack comes quite low down on the list of priorities.
“I hardly have enough time to work my horse let alone clean all the gear I use and I’m not worried if it’s not clean,” is often the cry of ‘time short’ riders and although clean tack will not make you a better rider it can make the difference between being safe and being put in a dangerous situation.
In the Australian summer leather gear can get hard and brittle which can lead to it cracking, whilst the wet weather can have the same effect if the leather isn’t treated after the rain.
The likely spots for tack to become weak, crack or split include:
Reins and cheek pieces, where they attach onto the bit.
The buckle that attaches the reins together where the hole can stretch and split leading to the buckle coming undone.
Stirrup leathers in the bend where the stirrup sits.
The stitching on the stirrup leathers.
The buckles on girths and girth straps.
One of the potential areas of risk - the stiching on stirrup leathers
In many professional yards the horses are worked in the morning and tack is cleaned in the afternoon and that happens just about every day. But for most riders this would be an impossible task. However by cleaning your tack once a week you are likely to pick up any areas that are showing wear and tear before it becomes a problem.
There are several products out on the market that can be used to clean leather but there is nothing wrong with a bar of glycerine saddle soap!
If you want to add that extra shine try well tested recipe
Melt a bar of glycerine Saddle soap together with some milk in an old saucepan. (Approximately one bar of soap to ¼ pint of milk – butter-milk is ideal but not essential). Bring the mixture slowly to the boil and simmer for a few minutes. Cool a little and then pour into a container. It’s ready to use as soon as it is set.
Whatever product you decide to use it is important to remove the dirt and sweat from the leather first using warm water and a sponge before you use the saddle soap.
A second sponge should then be dampened, not wet, and used to apply the saddle soap. Rub some saddle soap into the sponge and apply to the leather. If your sponge is too wet the saddle soap will lather up and clog up the holes in the bridle.
As you apply the saddle soap your leather should start to shine however sometimes you will need to use a second coat of saddle soap if the tack has not been cleaned for some time.
Cracks in girths are not only dangerous but could lead to a sore on your horse from pinching
If your tack has been affected by the weather, heat or rain, or if it is new it is a good idea to apply some Neatsfoot oil (or something similar), which will penetrate into the leather more than the saddle soap. Apply with a cloth or soft brush and allow to soak in before saddle soaping, which will bring out the shine and ‘seal’ the leather.
Elastic is used in quite a lot of equipment – i.e. martingales, breastplates and it is not always easy to tell when elastic is going to break. Keep a look out for elastic that is losing its spring and becoming wrinkly and replace it before it breaks.
All metal like bits and stirrups should be washed in water and then polished with metal polish wadding (avoiding the area that comes into direct contact with the horses mouth.) When cleaning stirrups remove the rubber treads and clean separately.
So know you know what to do and when to do it why not take a cup of tea over to the tack room and make a start.
