Tack Cleaning when sharing

[SaddlePsych'D]

Just wondering what other sharers/owners do regarding tack cleaning? I've not been asked to do it yet or shown how owner likes it done, but I was thinking of offering to do it over Christmas. The noseband straps are getting a bit stiff and girth and martingale can get muddy on hacks now it's so wet out. Seems only fair to do my bit - is a wipe off with a damp cloth ok to get the worst of the mud off after each ride or is it worth getting some tack wipes?

 

[Gloi]

If you get it muddy on a ride it's only fair to clean it, and clean it properly not just with a damp cloth or tack wipes. Ask the owner what they want you to use on it then do it on a regular basis when you've ridden especially if you've been out in the wet.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

It’s a nice thing to offer but I don’t allow my sharer to clean any of my tack. It’s just my preference but it means I know all the straps, billets and stitching are 100%.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Everytime I ride I rinse off the bit and wash any mud off the girth as soon as I've finished putting horse away. I'll wipe any mud off elsewhere if necessary too. Proper strip down at least once a week for safety checks and proper clean

Yes, I'd clean tack when done if it wasnt mine, check what owner uses.

 

[Lots of Gift Bags]

I expect my bit to be rinsed off and any mud wiped off after every ride, and if I had a sharer that's the least I would expect, any less and I'd be annoyed.

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

Sounds like I need to get on it and ask owner what she'd prefer I do with it and what product/s I need to look at getting. I don't mind doing it at all, it's not come up yet but I did think after my last hack I really ought to find out because it had got muddy but wasn't sure best thing to do with it.

 

[Cob Life]

my owner leaves a selection of tack cleaning products in the tackroom for me to use as needed.
I give everything a proper clean weekly (taken apart, wiped with water then leather balm, put back together) and it’s wiped over with leather balm every use

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I think there is a difference in wiping the tack down after use and cleaning it properly. My sharer washes the bit after each use but I strip it down weekly to clean it thoroughly.

 

[TPO]

For the whole 5mins (?) that I had a sharer for one of mine I asked that she look after my horse and my tack "like her own" and to wash bit/wipe girth after every ride.

I had/have enough cleaning stuff to open my own shop but she insisted that she wanted her own stuff so I left her to buy whatever she wanted.

Long story short when she had let me down yet again I decided I'd just start riding that horse again. I went to get the tack (as new saddle and was a new expensive bridle) and it was filthy. Bit was dirty, saddle was green from her putting it away sweaty & greasy and the bridle had all dried up and cracked.

So my expectations of a sharer are that the tack is cleaned and checked over after use then put away clean and tidy. Washing the bit and wiping the girth as an absolute minimum.

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

For the whole 5mins (?) that I had a sharer for one of mine I asked that she look after my horse and my tack "like her own" and to wash bit/wipe girth after every ride.

I had/have enough cleaning stuff to open my own shop but she insisted that she wanted her own stuff so I left her to buy whatever she wanted.

Long story short when she had let me down yet again I decided I'd just start riding that horse again. I went to get the tack (as new saddle and was a new expensive bridle) and it was filthy. Bit was dirty, saddle was green from her putting it away sweaty & greasy and the bridle had all dried up and cracked.

So my expectations of a sharer are that the tack is cleaned and checked over after use then put away clean and tidy. Washing the bit and wiping the girth as an absolute minimum.

Oh no that is a pain! I definitely don't want to let that happen.

 

[Splash2310]

As a minimum I hose off the girth and also clean any mud/sand off the stirrups.

My owners really aren’t particular, but every couple of weeks I will properly clean the tack with the products left in the trunk.

Found the girth muddy and I could have left it after I’d used it, but it literally takes a few seconds to give it a spray with the hose or go over it with a damp cloth. No brainer IMO.

A friend of mine let a woman share her horse for free, and I know it really irked her when she’d spent time cleaning her tack and the sharer used it and left it muddy/sweaty!

 

[SOS]

I would expect a sharer to always quickly clean tack after riding. It takes minutes to wipe over a hot cloth and some leather balm. I’d be very annoyed to find tack left dirtied, muddy or sweaty as it ruins it and would not be happy about someone expecting to use that on my horse and potentially cause rubs etc.

Ask the owner how they want you to clean the tack after you have ridden.

 

[mossycup]

As a sharer, I rinse bit/wipe girth after each ride and I've taken the tack home to do a full clean a couple of times.

 

[mavandkaz]

From your posts, you have a very supportive owner. Just ask what she would like doing.
I have 2 sharers and haven't told/asked them to tack clean. If they want to, great. I may ask them to wipe any mud off - haven't actually thought about it.
I have however ordered a nice new bridle, so when that arrives I will be asking them to keep it clean. Current tack is very cheap, so not overly fussed.

 

[Kat]

You really need to ask the owner what they want you to do. I don't have a sharer but I would rather my tack was left dirty than covered in glycerine saddle soap or oil.

I think rinsing the bit, and removing any mud with a damp cloth is probably a good idea.

Much of it will depend upon the standards of the owner, some people clean their tack after each ride others only once in a blue moon.

 

[Keith_Beef]

You really need to ask the owner what they want you to do. I don't have a sharer but I would rather my tack was left dirty than covered in glycerine saddle soap or oil.

I think rinsing the bit, and removing any mud with a damp cloth is probably a good idea.

Much of it will depend upon the standards of the owner, some people clean their tack after each ride others only once in a blue moon.

I think a good rule for anything is to hand it back in the condition it was in before you used it, whether it is tack, books, hand tools or anything else. But people can have very specific and sometimes peculiar ideas and often preferred brands of cleaning products; you really need to ask.

I really wish more time and money was spent on tack maintenance where I ride. I've taken home a pair of reins to repair them when a horse bucked me off then stepped on the reins as he galloped around the arena, and I've replaced the occasional Sam Browne stud on a gogue, but I'm not prepared to take home and repair a girth or a bride.

 

[HashRouge]

I would ask what the owner prefers. My first sharer was OCD about her tack - I used to ride both weekend days and was asked to clean both saddle and bridle on the Sunday after I'd ridden. I would wash the girth and numnah too when I had time. I like tack cleaning so it suited me fine - the owner provided the cleaning stuff and I just got one with it. That share lasted a year and a half until the horse was sold. The second and third horses I shared (neither lasted long as the horses weren't quite my cup of tea, though very sweet) the owners weren't bothered about tack cleaning. One said she never did it so I didn't need to bother either, and the other one I only rode once a week so she said she would do it as was riding more often. Current boy I use the owner's saddle, which is about 50 years old and never gets cleaned, and my bridle, which I do when I remember! I've been sharing him for about 18 months now. So it does differ depending on the owner. Either way, I'm sure she'll appreciate you asking

 

[cremedemonthe]

I'll send you my tack cleaning article,
Oz

 

[ITPersonnage]

please can you send it to me as well TIA.

 

[Auslander]

I clean my bridle every time I use it, and everyone who rides him knows that it's the law! I strip clean it every week, and clean my saddle a the same time, but don't expect anyone else to do that!