Tack cleaning - how often?

Tack cleaning, how often?

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The Fuzzy Furry

The Fuzzy Furry

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Honestly - how often do you clean your tack?

Only asking as when I was doing mine at the yard on Sunday, I was asked by a visiting friend why I did it so often.

I dunk my bit or pop it under the yard tap every time I ride.
Saddle cloth or numnah gets changed every 2 rides max (every time in summer or on sweaty-betty days)
Tack gets wiped over most days & a full strip down weekly, checking stitching etc for safety.
(sometimes more than once a week strip, if out hunting etc).

Am I an odd-ball? According to my local friends I am as most seem to do theirs once a month or less!

What do you do?
 
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Arizahn said:
Every day! Childhood riding instructor would hunt me down otherwise :D
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Did I teach you? :biggrin3:

To me, tack cleaning is a satisfying time & love seeing it all hanging up clean & tidy.
It comes under same umbrella as grooming daily, sweeping yard, tidying muckheap... oops, reading that back, perhaps am too tidy-minded? Or just horseminded.......... ;)
 
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The Fuzzy Furry said:
Did I teach you? :biggrin3:

To me, tack cleaning is a satisfying time & love seeing it all hanging up clean & tidy.
It comes under same umbrella as grooming daily, sweeping yard, tidying muckheap... oops, reading that back, perhaps am too tidy-minded? Or just horseminded.......... ;)
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Nope, completely normal!
 
I love tack cleaning.

First thing I did when I took on the share horse was book half a day off work so I had some daylight time to sit down and clean his tack. Coffee, radio, horse outside chomping on a hay net, the smell of saddle soap in the air. I was in heaven :D

It hadn't been done for months either so it was even more satisfying!
 
After every use - so most days (when horse is not broken & busy being a field ornament - then the tack cleaning happens every week or two!). I do a thorough check once a week to make sure everything is as it should be. Bit cleaned straight after every use. Numnah after every use or two depending on the state of it!
 
Well I do have people to do it but often do so myself bridles are cleaned most days saddles twice a week .
The smart dressage saddles are cleaned every time they are used .
Of course before a show clinic or hunting and after .
 
I'm an other....

Leather cleaned...
Before a show
Before a lesson
If very dry

Bit cleaned every time used

Saddlecloth changed when has got sweaty (nearly every time as work hard)

Boots once a week, or very sandy
 
When it looks grubby, so every 2-3 times it will get a good clean but without taking apart. Always taken apart and cleaned before a competition/important clinic or lesson. But bit cleaned and leather girth wiped off pretty much every time. And saddle cloth changed at least every other time. Sorry that's too complicated for your poll! :redface3:
 
I strip clean mine once a week,and mostly remember to wash my bit. Numnahs are changed once a week unless ultra sweaty, so it was a clean one every day in summer. Overreach boots for turnout taken off and cleaned at night.
 
I love having clean tack. It just feels wrong to put dirty tack, saddlecloths and bandages on so I clean it every time I ride unless I'm really not well. And it's a good excuse to have tons of saddlecloths etc. I have ordered a big saddle stand for tack cleaning and can't wait for it to arrive :0)
 
2 or 3 times a week but not after every ride (I clean tack more than I ride!!). Unfortunately this is because after my operation I wasn't able to ride, despite it being the warmest summer on record the tackroom must have been damp (new yard) and by the time I was allowed back in my saddle it looked like this:
1004490_10151497189490810_2030196737_n.jpg


:eek3: :rolleyes3:

Now I can't stop it going rank :(
 
Before a show/clinic/ when it looks minging. My horse doesn't sweat very much, except in the height of summer when doing XC fitness work - so winter in the school my saddlecloths only really get damp if it rains!! (I can even do an hours jumping lesson and he barely sweats... Sometimes I worry!)
However have a plan to do a major tack clean on Thursday as have spotted some mould on my good dressage bridle!! It's been so damp, but a bit gutted the only bridle I actually clean after every use and store clean is the one that's gone funny...:(
 
At this time of year I wipe it down after every ride, and take it apart and clean and condition it once a week.

Bit gets cleaned after every ride, and taken off and sat in boiling water for a minute or two once a week (whilst I'm cleaning tack).

I know lots of people who rarely clean their tack, which is their call, but I can't stand dirty tack and especially hate billets that haven't been cleaned enough as they're a nightmare to undo.
 
depends on lots of things: how dirty/sweaty/wet it is, and which bit of equipment it is.
Bits - washed every single time after use - an absolute rule in this household
Girths - cleaned every time at least on the 'horse-side'
Saddle cloths - changed every one or two rides
Leather tack - checked over after each ride, cleaned as necessary, could be each time or not....


can't see the point in not looking after it - and I hate riding with stiff reins.
 
I don't, well very rarely, I ride in synthetic saddle and synthetic bridle so just wipe over and rinse bit. With Cairngorm weather it has to make sense! I do have lovely leather tack but rarely use it. bridle is lime green dark green and white so VERY lurid on my Haflinger with my pink hi viz!!
 
Bit ducked after every ride.
Bridle usually wiped over weekly, stripped monthly.
Girth - Wiped most days.
Saddle whenever I remember - checked for wear and tear when used.
Numnah/saddlecloth - washed weekly in summer, as and when in winter.
 
I have no idea how you guys find time to clean tack everytime you ride or 3/4 times a week! I only just find time to ride, feed and muckout most days so I'm sorry but my tack gets cleaned as and when I have time - probably twice a month. Bit dunked in water bucket after each ride though. That's the beauty of having a Wintec saddle, doesn't need the care a leather one needs.

The only exception to my 'only when I have time rule' is if I've ridden in the pouring rain - I spend 2 seconds to spray my bridle with conditioning spray to stop it drying out when it dries out from the rain. That doesn't count as a clean I know! ;)
 
Every day, without fail. It's wiped down after every use and then conditioned, and stripped once a week for a proper scrub and soaking of all metal work.
I spent a lot of money on my tack, which took me a long time to save, and I am not going to let it fall apart because it isn't properly cared for.

I HATE seeing dirty, dry, brittle tack on horses.
 
Gloi said:
When I've been caught out in the rain and got soaked, going to a show, or when I'm shamed into it.
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^^^^^ This!!!
I would love to do it every day, but in between working for money and working my horse, the tack comes a poor third. My "horse time" is best spent on quality time and training actually with my horse. My horse is happy and content, the tack is good quality and cleaned enough to keep it in good condition. Surface grease is less relevant to me. Sorry!
 
Chunkie said:
I'm a very bad person & only clean mine the night before a show :(
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This - although I do compete fairly regularly so it's probably about once a month on average. Sometimes it's more often, sometimes less, particularly in winter. I always do it immediately after a trip to the beach as well as years of pony club beach rides have made me terrified of salt water getting into the leather. I rinse the bit off after every ride and change his numnah when it gets greasy - about every 4-5 uses.
 
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