When we stop to think about all the items we keep in our horse tack rooms, it becomes quickly apparent that these items represent a significant value, especially when we are talking about high-quality saddles and saddle pads. You aren’t just spending money on horse tack, you are making investments in horseback riding that are beneficial and long-lasting, but only if you make a commitment to taking good care of your tack.
We know that the most expensive saddles feature as many natural materials as possible; we are talking about leather, sheepskin, cotton, wool, and felt in some cases. These materials are the best for both riders and horses, but they are not durable enough to last a lifetime. The wear-and-tear of going on long trail rides can be felt by both animals and riders, but it is mostly absorbed by saddles and other pieces of horse tack. Imagine having to ride without this level of shock absorption and weight distribution; in such a scenario, both riders and horses will be left to deal with the wear-and-tear, which will in turn bring about health issues for the human and animal kind. This reason alone should prompt all riders to render proper maintenance to their horse tack, although we can also say that keeping saddles looking nice and protecting your investment are also pretty good reasons.
If you are the kind of horse owner who takes pride in the health and appearance of your animals, taking good care of horse tack is something that you can easily assimilate and get into; it requires additional time and effort, but it is definitely worth it because you may be able to pass saddles and other items onto children and grandchildren.
Daily Care of Horse Tack
Before we get cleaning and maintenance techniques, we should discuss the issue of frequency. Let’s say you are a casual rider who enjoys taking the horse out for a ride a few mornings each week, at least when weather conditions are mostly dry. In this scenario, a full washing of the saddle is not required after each ride; however, the following should be completed at a minimum:
- The horse bit should not be dunked along with the bridle into water buckets or sinks. Rinsing and wiping off the bit separately is the best technique.
- The saddle needs to be dusted off and wiped down. The idea is to not let the combination of trail dirt and sweat dry and congeal into an unpleasant substance that works its way into the porous leather.
- The buckles and other metallic pieces of horse tack should be at least brushed off.
- Saddles should never be stored on a flat surface. Saddles should be stored on proper racks when not in use so they maintain their shape and integrity. Use racks that properly support the weight of the type of saddle you own. Racks should also be used after cleaning a saddle or if you have been riding and get caught in bad weather so that they can dry properly and again, maintain their shape and integrity.
If you are not riding on a daily basis, you should keep in mind that dust and moisture can be present in a tack room; this is more than often the case when the tack space is in a corner of a barn or right next to the stables. To this effect, you should make it a point to either dust off or wipe down saddles hanging on the rack on a daily basis. During periods of dry weather, you can simply use a brush or a duster. During the humid summers of the American South, you will have to use a sponge or a rag. Even if this cannot be done on a daily basis, you should try to work it into your weekly schedule at least three times. It goes without saying that a clean tack room can go a long way in helping you keep saddles and other horse tack items in good shape.
When storing your tack between use, take the extra step to invest in saddle covers and bags as well as halter/bridle bags. These protect your tack from dust and debris that shorten the life of your tack, especially items made of leather. Store saddle pads and blankets on racks and cover them and protect your expensive show pads and blankets in pad bags. Make sure you always cover or store tack that is completely dry so it does not promote any growth of mold and mildew. Pad bags are ideal when they are constructed with vents to allow the fabric of the pads to breathe when stored.
When storing your tack between use, take the extra step to invest in saddle covers/bags as well as halter/bridle bags. These protect your tack from dust and debris that shorten the life of your tack, especially items made of leather. Store saddle pads and blankets on racks and cover them and protect your expensive show pads/blankets in pad bags. Make sure you always cover or store tack that is completely dry so it does not promote any growth of mold/mildew. Pad bags are ideal when they are constructed with vents to allow the fabric of the pads to breathe when stored.
Thorough Cleaning of Horse Tack
Start off by taking apart all the items that can come off the saddle and bridle, but be sure to take note of the cinch adjustment by counting the number of holes on the straps; this will avoid having to readjust the saddle and other pieces of tack. There is absolutely no need to dunk any tack item into water buckets. Even if you have seen this done at riding academies or ranches, it is completely unnecessary. You only need to clean the items using saddle brushes and sponges, which should be damp instead of dripping wet.
Having a set of saddle sponges and brushes of different sizes will help you get into smaller sections and crevices. Any saddle soap with glycerin will do; it is fine to wash tack with soap that includes conditioning agents, but this should not preclude you from applying conditioning separately.
Leather materials can clean up better when they are initially brushed and wiped off. Try to get as much grime and dirt off before switching to sponges that are damp with soap, but they should not be soaking wet. Do not use hard brushes or abrasive sponges because they can weaken the integrity of the leather. Be sure to cover all areas by not forgetting to get into the folds, creases, and crevices.
Saddle soap should not remain on any tack surface; it should be wiped off with a slightly damp cloth. If you do not plan on applying conditioner at this time, the saddle and accessories should be completely dried off before the saddle goes on the rack.
With so many different types of saddle pads and saddle blankets, and because of the variety of textiles used to make them, you should always refer to manufacturers’ suggestions on cleaning and care. Pads/blankets made of 100% wool require very specific care and should never be dried in a machine. Many pads are made of Cotton and Cotton blends and can be machine washed then re-shaped and air-dried. Pads with intricate embellishments may require specialty cleaning such as you would find at a dry cleaning facility or they can only be spot-cleaned with mild soap and water on a sponge. When washing pads on your own, ensure you are using commercial products that are safe for the fabric or you could experience disasters such as color bleeding or bleaching/damaging of the fibers.
Applying Conditioner to Horse Tack Leather
The correct cleaning and conditioning sequence should be as follows:
- Brushing off.
- Wiping down with soap.
- Wiping down to remove soap.
- Conditioning.
Applications of conditioner should be done whenever possible. If you become proficient and fast with cleaning tack, this step should not take too much time; besides, the best time to apply saddle oil or leather conditioner is when the surfaces have not fully dried off.
Saddle conditioner should not be dripping from the leather. You do not want to use too much oil on every conditioning session because you will be increasing the chances of weakening the leather over time. Always wipe off excess oil after conditioning tack. It should never be dunked in a container of oil or conditioner or be left dripping. This introduces all kinds of unfavorable issues and could compromise the integrity of the tack. Always wipe off excess oil after conditioning tack. It should never be dunked in a container of oil or conditioner or be left dripping. This introduces all kinds of unfavorable issues and could compromise the integrity of the tack.
Caring for Synthetic Tack
There are a few advantages related to the use of synthetic materials in horse tack manufacturing, and one of them is that they are very easy to clean. You do not even need to purchase saddle soap; instead, you can use mild dish soap or detergent that produces foam, suds, and bubbles. Although dunking synthetic tack into water buckets will not damage it, there aren’t good reasons for doing so.
With synthetic tack, you can skip the conditioning altogether. The only special care needed for materials such as nylon and biothane is making sure they are not stored soaking wet. Now that we have discussed the care and maintenance of synthetic tack, we should point out that the “real deal” leather and sheepskin combination will always be superior in terms of saddles and other tack pieces; their advantage is related to equine health and comfort, which are reasons enough to prefer natural materials.