Brand new bridle - what do you do?

If it is dry (maybe it has sat in the shop for a little while) then I wipe it over with some leather conditioner.
I don't use neatsfoot oil unless to revive really wrecked stuff to try and get more use out of it! It encorages leather to stretch, so unless that is what you want, I would avoid it myself.
 
I've always done the neatsfoot thing and can't say I've noticed lots of stretching - a bit perhaps. I'm finally giving up on an old bridle that had the neatsfoot treatment (it's probably about 30 years old!). Mind you, probably not a good idea to neatsfoot the reins the night before going out for a hack...
 
Waffles said:
I like to get mine really soft by coating it with neatsfoot oil a few times. What do you lot do with your new leather things?
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Oh my . . . I coulld be walking right into this, but . . .

. . . I don't use neatsfoot oil (I've been told it's the devil's own handiwork by some reputable saddlers) . . . I just treat any new leatherwork with a reputable leather balsalm (sp?):

- Stubben Hamanal
- KoChoLine
- Albion Swiss Formula Natural Leather Balm

A reasonable coat every other day for a week to "feed" the leather . . . and thereafter pretty much once a week (for me, every time I clean the tack).

P
 
I've often used neatsfoot to soften up new boots and shoes too (mine that is, rather than the horse's). People often comment upon how soft my bridle is though!
 
I bought a cheapy leather bridle last summer, needed one and it was the only one they had in the yard tack shop (shires I think, cost £25).

Anyway I chucked it into a bucket of vegetable oil overnight because the leather was rubbish quality. Now it's like a different bridle, it's really nice and flexible (before it was stiff as a board).

Although I don't know if I would do the swimming in oil business for a better bridle, I would definitely feed it with *some* oil.
 
PolarSkye said:
Oh my . . . I coulld be walking right into this, but . . .

. . . I don't use neatsfoot oil (I've been told it's the devil's own handiwork by some reputable saddlers) . . . I just treat any new leatherwork with a reputable leather balsalm (sp?):

- Stubben Hamanal
- KoChoLine
- Albion Swiss Formula Natural Leather Balm

A reasonable coat every other day for a week to "feed" the leather . . . and thereafter pretty much once a week (for me, every time I clean the tack).

P
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^^this :)

I use Ko Cho Line on dry leather, then leave it to soak in for no less than a week, after that just clean with leather soap.
 
I'm another neatsfoot oil fan, my saddler recommends it, and my everyday bridle has lasted 35 years and still going strong despite being left in a bucket of oil overnight when brand new, and being oiled 2/3 times a year thereafter. I think leather and stitching quality has changed over the years and maybe more modern or cheaper tack can't take it.
 
I've no idea if this is actually true as I have to admit I'm not the best at taking care of my tack :o but I was told by a very old-school pony club instructor when I was a kid, that neatsfoot oil isn't very good for leather as it is a vegetable based oil, while leather is of course an animal product. Anything of vegetable origin will weaken the fibres of the leather and cause them to separate. She recommended a lanolin based product as this is an animal derived product so more compatible with leather.

I'm ashamed to say I've never put this theory to the test as a bit of saddle soap now and again (or some horseman's one step if I've got any) is all my tack gets:o:o:o. It seems logical to me though?
 
MrsD123 said:
Neatsfoot oil, is that not extracted from poor baby calves? weep
Neatsfoot oil used to rot the linen thread we used for stitching before synthetic thread.
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In that case my pony club instructor was obviously wrong, or I've remembered it wrongly, it was quite a while ago now. :(
 
mainpower said:
I'm another neatsfoot oil fan, my saddler recommends it, and my everyday bridle has lasted 35 years and still going strong despite being left in a bucket of oil overnight when brand new, and being oiled 2/3 times a year thereafter. I think leather and stitching quality has changed over the years and maybe more modern or cheaper tack can't take it.
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I think in the old days...... when our tack got really dirty in the winter, and had sweat caked on it, we used to get a knife and scrape all the insides of the bridle really clean, then oil it after. often, my pony loving friend wouldcome round on a saturday, and we'd spend the evening doing that, then she'd stay the night. how times have changed.... we would have been about 13 I think.
 
annagain said:
I've no idea if this is actually true as I have to admit I'm not the best at taking care of my tack :o but I was told by a very old-school pony club instructor when I was a kid, that neatsfoot oil isn't very good for leather as it is a vegetable based oil, while leather is of course an animal product. Anything of vegetable origin will weaken the fibres of the leather and cause them to separate. She recommended a lanolin based product as this is an animal derived product so more compatible with leather.

I'm ashamed to say I've never put this theory to the test as a bit of saddle soap now and again (or some horseman's one step if I've got any) is all my tack gets:o:o:o. It seems logical to me though?
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I don't think that can be true re the putting vegetable oil on leather, as otherwise, putting vegetable based soaps and creams on our own skin would be bad for it too.
 
Waffles said:
I don't think that can be true re the putting vegetable oil on leather, as otherwise, putting vegetable based soaps and creams on our own skin would be bad for it too.
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But our own skin is still living tissue - being fed by our own natural oils (sebum) and with its own blood supply . . . hardly a fair comparison?

P
 
MrsD123 said:
Neatsfoot oil, is that not extracted from poor baby calves? weep
QUOTE]

Neatsfoot oil is made from rendering the shin bones and feet of cows, the best quality is made from calves legs.

Although the modern products can be made from a variety of rendered animal bones.

My grandfather used neatsfoot oil on his heavy horse harnesses for decades - this from the days when his animals and leather work were in daily use on the farm. I still have the harnesses today and neither the leather or stitching has rotted yet.
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Gluttonforpunishment said:
MrsD123 said:
Neatsfoot oil, is that not extracted from poor baby calves? weep
QUOTE]

Neatsfoot oil is made from rendering the shin bones and feet of cows, the best quality is made from calves legs.

Although the modern products can be made from a variety of rendered animal bones.

My grandfather used neatsfoot oil on his heavy horse harnesses for decades - this from the days when his animals and leather work were in daily use on the farm. I still have the harnesses today and neither the leather or stitching has rotted yet.
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Blimey! You learn something every day! I seriously thought until just now (double checked by googling!) that it was a plant oil! How amazing! Wiki reckons it's the shin bones of cattle.
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Depends very much on the initial quality of the leather.

Over oiling is as bad as under oiling - causes the leather to become weak and stretch.

I use I light coating of Hydrophane painted on the back to soften the leather. As I show a lot I use a clear self shine polish on the outside.

When cleaning I wipe clean the outside, and use glycerine saddle soap on the inside, only oiling if needed.

I too was told Neatsfoot Oil rotted stitching but over the years I think it was more likely that the salt from sweat did that and not cleaning properly. To date I've not had anything with rotting stitches.

Amazing to learn that Neatsfoot is made from animals - as they say 'yoou learn something new every day'!
 
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