Storing unused tack

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now_loves_mares

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Can anyone give me any hints? I lost my bigger mare last year so her full size bridles are in the house. They were cleaned and treated with leather conditioner and wrapped in a towel, then kept in an (unheated) part of our house. But they went mouldy :( I've cleaned and conditioned them all. Don't really want to sell them as they're lovely and will come straight back in to use when I buy a bigger horse again. Any tips on how to store them? I've just bought some 100g packs of silica gel to absorb any moisture.
 
Store the tack in something that breathes, like a cotton pillow case, keep the tack in a dry, room, best temperature for leather is 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
Leather loses moisture everyday, whether old or new, used or unused so you'll need to keep an eye on it to make sure it's not drying out too much, it's better to have it indoors in a place that is heated (very slightly heated) anywhere that's not heated will have a lot more moisture in the air and the mould will develop on the tack.
 
If you have to store in less an ideal conditions try soaking strips of cloth in neatsfoot oil and wrapping that around the leather before putting in the pillow case (I use a jute bag - but same thing.) It is also a good way to bring back over dry leather.
 
Shay said:
If you have to store in less an ideal conditions try soaking strips of cloth in neatsfoot oil and wrapping that around the leather before putting in the pillow case (I use a jute bag - but same thing.) It is also a good way to bring back over dry leather.
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Neatsfoot oil is one of the worst things (on it's own) for leather.
Any substance/product (leather conditioner/food) with tallow, beeswax or lanolin or all 3 if possible is by far the best thing for leather. If oil is used it tends to make the fibres of the leather go soggy which weakens the cell structure, it can rot out certain types of thread used in stitching too. Oil will not conditioner leather either, fat and grease does.
Oil tends to darken leather too, another reason you shouldn't use it if you have a lighter coloured leather.
As the OP has said they have already conditioned the leather then the best thing in my experience is to simply check it now and again and re apply the leather conditioner as it's needed.
 
Thanks everyone, I'll use a pillowcase, keep the dessicant packs, and pay a bit more attention to it. The conditioner I used does have Lanolin in it.

I read recently that once a tack has mould you never actually get rid of it. :(
 
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