Tack cleaning - how often?

Tack cleaning, how often?

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Fourteen horses at my stud, currently 8 ridden every week more than once. Tack cleaned once a week, girths more often if dirty. If bridle looks dirty it is cleaned more often.

Numnahs and webing girths washed every week.
 
Bit gets cleaned after every ride, and numnahs and girths get wiped off/ stuck in the washing machine. Then Al does it all about once a week- there are 5 horses on the yard so it's an epic undertaking! You know that you're a groom when your best Burghley purchase was a special honeycomb sponge for better tack cleaning... Bless her!
 
I wash the bit after every ride and my bridle is cleaned once a week but if it gets wet or muddy while out, I will give it a wipe down when I get back to yard. Girth wiped after every ride, saddle cloth changed as necessary.
 
all tack synthetic so just gets dunked in warm water when needed (in this weather every ride) takes a minute at most. Clean Numnah (sheepskin) at least every week and girths kept very clean. Was made to clean tack for hours as child- hated it.
 
As little as I can get away with but usually about once a month. Numnah and girth cover get washed at least once a week and I wash bit every ride , thinking about it it's at least 2 months since I last cleaned it :o . My horse is just not very dirty, hairy or sweaty so his tack doesn't need cleaning very often. When I do clean it I take home and take it all apart and really condition it and it is supple, doesn't rub and I've never a breakage.
 
God knows when I last cleaned my saddle ... bridle was Christmas.. amazing its lasted 8 years really only ever being cleaned for Pony Club really !

At work I do it once a week.. keep meaning to do mine more regularly..
 
A bit lazy but probably every fortnight or so. Often my daughter does it superbly for a bit of extra pocket money!
Now I finally have a new saddle (well a second hand quality saddle) it will get cleaned more often.
Out of interest does anyone use Renapur leather balsam? If so is it any good?
 
Weekly when riding often (4-5 times a week for me) I cleaned it afte I last rode (in August) and cleaned the bridle again last week, and left it in pieces. I need to put the nice Stubben leather conditioner on it as its winter and I feel the tack needs more looking after in case it gets sodden and filthy. That said I likely won't ride until the new year now. Bridle cost me over £250 so I make sure it's looked after.

Jump saddle is on loan to my bf, and I think she cleans it more often than me, dressage (treeless) saddle probably needs better looking after though. I don't wash the saddlecloth as often as I should as its a faff and takes ages to dry, I should buy myself another pad really! :)
 
I love cleaning my tack and tidying my tack room I just love to touch it and smell it, look at it...

Dunk and clean bit after every ride, numnahs, saddle pads, every other unless it's jock then usually every time as he is a sweater.

Wipe tack down with dry cloth usually before and after every ride.

Strip down and clean once a week.
 
When I get new tack I oil it every day for about a month. Then I basically never touch it again. Maybe a quick wipe with a damp cloth before a show. My tack is in fabulous condition. Really it is!
 
minimilton said:
When I get new tack I oil it every day for about a month. Then I basically never touch it again. Maybe a quick wipe with a damp cloth before a show. My tack is in fabulous condition. Really it is!
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Does this really keep it supple? Sounds like a good idea would safe a fortune!
 
What I really hate about cleaning tack after each ride is that its never really cleaned properly, just more saddle soap pit on top of dirt until it gets all sticky.

I used to use horsemanship one step. Amazing stuff that actually cleaned the dirt off and conditioned at the same time. But I would only do it once a week at most with a full strip of the tack.

I currently share and have been asked to clean after every ride, which I do as its not my tack. But it's all sticky!! Even after a strip. Need to buy some more one step!!
 
I have good quality tack, a stubben bridle that I've had for 10+ years easily, cleaned only before shows /lesson/ saddle fitter visit!! It's lovely and soft and supple and cleans up beautifully - I think it would be damaged by constant cleaning - unless by cleaning every day people mean a 1 min dust
 
Wiped over after every ride and bit washed to. Giod proper clean every week(2 weeks if nit ridden much) but always always always left properly hanging with riens through throat lash etc .
 
Only when I absolutely have to :* It all actually looks fine, despite my cleaning efforts being half-assed at best :p
 
Hate dirty tack!! My boss' shed full of tack all gets cleaned whenever I have a free minute, so satisfying seeing them all hung up and shiny!
 
The irony is that I have just finished cleaning my everyday bridle - last time cleaned was for stressage so about 2 months ago and even then it was a wipe over with baby wipes.

Bridle is about 15yrs old and has always been 'mis-treated' - soaked in neats foot when first bought, rarely cleaned and when done is normally with what I have to hand if I have forgotten the saddlesoap. Tonight was done with wipes and shoe polish. And it was a cheap, imported leather :D
 
Hardly ever until I finally got the tack of my dreams now once a week, and I do it way more than everybody else at my yard
 
When I bought my new western saddle, David Lloyd who sold it/fitted it was shocked when I said I was going to oil it. He told me that western saddles mustn't be soft and floppy. The leather has to keep its shape to support the rider. Just a wipe over with saddle soap if I really must, he said, and not too often mind. Well that suits me just fine.:p So in answer to the survey....twice a year??
 
haven't ridden for a year but still clean the tack when it looks a bit manky! have just cleaned and put away my mares bride as I doubt ill be light enough to ride her again now she's 28 and hasn't been in work for a year!

defo don't clean it often enough when I am riding though! will find out how often once my youngster is backed in March :)
 
Wash my bridle and saddle down every day 😛 and strip and soap every week, they both cost me a fortune so I look after them 😄
 
once every two weeks but they pretty have winter off due to no facilities ! Numnahs when they start to look even slightly grubby, bits after every use especially as i have rollers so dont want anymore grass stuck under there like is already. boots.. When they are white not black Im sorry :/ but they dont get used much.
 
This thread got me thinking.... does anyone use those tack cleaning wipes you can buy?? wondering whether they'd be worth having.
I don't clean my tack often enough, that's true!
 
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