365
Days in Horse Country – The Importance
of Clean Tack
It’s not the
most fun thing to do, but it’s a requirement of all equestrians: tack cleaning.
The majority of horse tack, bridles, saddles, and the many accessories that go with them, is made of leather. Because leather is a natural product, made from animal hide, it must be regularly cleaned and conditioned to retain its strength and luster. Nothing is worse than stiff, dry, cracked leather. It’s not only unpleasant to work with, but it can break easily, at the most inopportune moments. Few things are as scary as being out on a trail ride in the wilderness and having your bridle break.
Set aside a day to get your tack clean. You can purchase all the supplies you need at your local tack and feed store. You’ll need tack sponges, leather cleaner, leather conditioner, a bucket of warm water, and a clean towel.
It’s a good idea to take your bridle apart first so that you can get into all the nooks and crannies, but remember how it looks before you disassemble it so that you will know how to put it back together again.. Use the sponges, leather cleaner, and water to scrub all the leather parts on your bridle and saddle, dry with a clean towel, and then follow up with your leather conditioner.
Michael