saddle soap and milk????!

[ponypatter]

I have a vague memory of a yard I was at a s a kid melting down saddle soap and mixing in milk, letting it solidify and using this to clean our tack.

Is my memory playing tricks on me or does has anyone done this - or something similar? It does seem quite bizarre, but the tack was always gleaming....

 

[asbo]

remember doing that too

also melting a bar of lard, some veg oil & some tea tree oil, let it set then use as hoof moist

 

[k9h]

Yes we use to do that too!
Strangly I was thinking about it the other day!

 

[Maesfen]

I still do it! It's great for show tack too.
Remember not to do too much at a time if it's only you using it else it will go off. If you use water instead of milk it lasts longer especially if you use an old ice cream tub.

 

[KatB]

Yep the yard I worked at used it! Makes the tack lovely and soft. Effax cream soap does the same though

 

[amandaco2]

i did too!works great!

 

[ponypatter]

Blimey, I was convinced I was going mad....!

might get out a saucepan tonight....

 

[louiseallen]

Yep we still do it for side saddle turnout - I always thought it was the milk protein that gave the leather a real shine, and my neighbour frequently uses bar or tub ends to make it....

 

[Nudibranch]

Yes it is the milk, people used to use it to make the leaves on their houseplants shine too. Slightly random...

 

[sillygillyhorse]

Make sure you use full fat milk.

 

[PennyJ]

This sounds interesting, how exactly do you do it? Do you melt the soap down in a pan like you would butter, how much milk do you add?

 

[*hic*]

Yes recipe please!

I was also told that beating the white of an egg until it's frothy and then painting it on damaged / scuffed / marked areas would help. I thought the idea was daft but when my daughter managed to forget to tighten her girth and after dumping her the pony ran though a mile or so of young woodland with the saddle under his tummy decided that the damage was sufficient to warrant a desperate attempt. On with the egg white! Whilst it didn't fully repair the damage it really did improve it a heck of a lot. Worth a try when you're desperate.

 

[disco]

1 standard glycerine bar plus 1 pint of FULL FAT milk.

My last lot went a bit watery so the next time I do it I shall use 3/4 pint milk.

PS DONT let it Boil, just keep stiring on a low heat until all of the glycerine has disolved!

 

[ponypatter]

ohh, how long do you leave egg white on for?

 

[JenHunt]

how random.... i was talking to someone about that today at work... i remember it too, but have no idea why saddle soap on its own wasn't good enough.

 

[honisoit]

Animal on Animal Leather is skin ,milk is animal fat.