Tack Cleaning - soap/oil

[Ravenwood]

What is your ratio to using saddle soap to oil and which do you think are the best saddle soaps and oils to keep your tack in tip top condition?

 

[Bert&Maud]

Personally would only use oil once or twice a year if it's been very wet. I use Carr Day & Martin glycerine saddle soap, or sometimes their leather conditioner. Remedial saddler told me that the reason why some saddles have lumpy panels is that oil has been used on them which has been absorbed by the flocking and made it go lumpy. Makes such sense when it's explained to you!

 

[CrazyMare]

I use soap most of the time, leather conditioner after hunting as we are on clay here and it gets really disgusting, and generally only oil if tack is new, going to sit around for a while, or has been sitting around for a while.

 

[Ravenwood]

I am really surprised you oil your tack so little and am now worried about the flocking absorbtion on my new (secondhand to me) saddle. I oil my tack regularly but it is used everyday (ie I don't have an exercise bridle) it is so damp here on Exmoor that my tack seems to get stiff quite quickly but it really does face all the elements, particularly after hunting!

Perhaps I should use a really good quality saddle soap more often - what do you recommend?

 

[CrazyMare]

I use Belvoir soap, just the normal stuff, and their leather conditioner. When I oil it I use Flexelan.

All my tack has become really supple and nice.

I have two bridles but both get used frequently, just too lazy to change bits about.

 

[S_L_J]

Belvoir or Carr Day & Martin saddle soap. Bridles are wiped over every time we ride (usually at the end of the day as we have so many to ride & get through) and saddles wiped over every two or three times they are used - simply as it's easier and quicker to wipe a bridle than it is a saddle! Bits are washed religiously after each use.

We 'properly' clean tack less often, usually somewhere between once a week to a fortnight - but will get done if used in heavy rain. We tend to use oil for the same reasons as CM - if its new, hasn't been used recently or it just needs it doing.

Sophie x x x

 

[PapaFrita]

I seldom oil. Will oil new bridles and under saddle flaps if stiff, but not on the panels. Use dilute solution of soda crystals (tip from Spaniel I think!) to get rid of greasy ickiness, then saddlesoap (SN has a great recipe for homemade saddlesoap) I always rinse bridles under tap after riding as horses here get very sweaty and it's so hot they dry out quickly anyway.

 

[polaris]

We use to use a fabulous product called Effax after normal saddlesoap and all tack was stripped down and cleaned every time it was used.

 

[spotty_pony]

I only oiled my tack when it was new (just to soften the leather) and now atm I use Carr&Day&Martin steps 1 and 2 for cleaning it. But I wouldn't recommend it as it doesn't remove the grease very well and seems to make it even harder to get off!

So think I am gonna go back to the saddle soap and water method!

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

I give a serious oiling to new tack & very rarely use it if ever after the initial; soaking. The tack is cleaned regularly though using Belvoir Tack Cleaner spray & finished off with NAF Leather Feed. This gives a really deep sheen & keeps the tack looking great & very supple.

 

[Ravenwood]

Thanks for all your replies - I think I am definately oiling too frequently. I give my tack a quick clean or wipe down most days (if time allows) and really thorough clean before and after hunting which nearly always includes oiling! I currently have a tub of Lincoln saddle soap (bit hard) but would be very interested in anyone's home made recipes - particularly SN's if recommended.

PS: Haven't seen SN on here for ages

 

[Emily99]

I clean all my tack using Nettex stuff before we go out anywhere, or if its particularly dirty etc. Then i take all my bridles apart and soak them overnight in a bucket of neatsfoot once/twice a year makes them all nice and supple... like new!

 

[SpruceRI]

I never oil any tack - perhaps I should? Clean with the Carr & Day & Martin saddle soap or the liquid equivalent and then use either their leather Balsam or Renapur which gives the tack a lovely shiny finish and keeps it supple. It does tend to darken the leather though...

 

[flyingfeet]

New bridles - only oil English leather, not German, as there is enough stuffing in German leather to keep it supple.

New saddles - may oil under the flaps to stop it squeaking, however never oil outer flaps as don't want dirty jods. Seldom oil straps, as generally you end up with horrible slimey straps.

I use hydrophane oil to darken leather (I recently ordered an autrialian nut trim on my wow, but ended up with newmarket tan, so I am slowly turning this darker shades!)

For everyday I try and only clean when necessary and use Nettex leather product. This feeds and cleans and doesn't leave tack slimey.

All my tack should be nice to the touch and I prefer it drier than slimey!

 

[Law]

Snap Polaris! I use the yellow Effax leather conditioner with avacado oils and something else nice sounding. I oiled my new bridle in pieces for a few days, neatsfoot oil on the inner sides only. Effax does a brown tub of cleaner/conditioner stuff and the yellow one. It's the yellow one i use to clean my tack every week or two. I was really impressed with NAF leather clense stuff - I used it after XC and it cleaned my tack up lovely (that was clay soil too).

 

[Tia]

I never oil English tack. All my English tack is cleaned with Stubben leather cleaner and then I rub in the Hammamol cream to keep it supple. My English tack is probably cleaned once every 20 times it is used.

My western tack, obviously is generally only ever oiled as saddle soap is not the correct stuff to use on western tack, although I will do it if the tack gets dirty and won't come off with just water. For my western tack I use a top quality neatsfoot oil, not anything like the rubbish you are sold over there in England (I don't think I could bring myself to using that on anything). But it is only the underside of my tack which is oiled except for when I first buy a rawhide saddle which of course has to be oiled before use. My western saddles are probably oiled once or twice a year, so I do it much more than most people. Once a year when I know I won't be riding for a spell all the western saddles are taken apart and thoroughly cleaned with saddle soap (I know I shouldn't but I do) and then they are rinsed down, neatsfoot is smothered on, the fenders are re-set and they are left for a couple of weeks to settle before being used again.