Tack cleaning?

How often do you clean your tack?

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The Fuzzy Furry

The Fuzzy Furry

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So - come on, how often do you clean tack?
Just rinse the bit?
Wipe it over?
Strip it down?
Throw it in the car/tack room till next time...

By this I mean the everyday tack (not everyone has 2nd, 3rd or even more sets, so we'll leave that aside for now :p )

Only asking, as was asked this morning why I was doing mine, when I was going to be riding tomorrow...

Sorry for lots of options, got carried away....:o

Poll coming up.....
 
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I rinse the bit every time, and take apart and clean any tack I've used during the week at the weekend, including extras I may have used like lunge canvesson, side reins, chambon, etc. I also use a clean numnah or pad each time and wash those at the weekend. As I have several Wintec saddles I don't have to clean those. Don't think I have since I got them :o
 
always wash off the bit and wipe over tack after exercise unless really late. I very rarely take the whole bridle apart though (with the exception of taking off the actual bits) as all I is undo everything and put it up a hole when cleaning, then down again when finished. From time to time, the bits and stirrups do find their way into my dish washer too! Girths are leather so cleaned at the same time and I change all boots/fly or summersheets /sponges and numnahs at the weekend and wash them then. I bought one of the big laundry bags to keep all the dirty stuff together which was a very sensible buy for me too!
 
My bits get dunked daily, tack gets cleaned either before a show of if it gets wet. My "posh bridles" are kept in the house and treated with leather care cream if they feel dry.
 
I am slovenly. I never put a dirty bit in my horses mouth but my everyday bridles probably get cleaned once a year max.

Saddle gets a bit more as I clean that before shows and clean 'good' bridle at the same time.
 
I wipe mine over just about every time.

However, I did put a small fuzzy on loan in my yard - shared between 2 mums for their cumulative 3 children. Gave them 2 sets of tack, suited us all.
When I terminated the loan with a months notice as children growing too big & pony elderly & not up to what they wanted to do, one set came back pristine - really looking lovely & a small repair had been done to the buckle in the centre of the reins.

The other set? :eek: was filthy, disgusting, bit caked in crud, girth solid, saddlecloths caked in grime/sweat & hair, the leather was in terrible condition & there were several repairs that were needed due to rotting stitching. :mad:This 'was' a show set of tack! Loaner merely said when asked ' oh, we didn't have time this week'..... they hadn't ridden that week! :rolleyes:

Memo, pop this in any share/loan agreement!
 
Wipe off bit and brush off girth daily (well, after use), strip down and clean with saddle soap and water once a week, and tack conditioner whenever I feel it needs doing. Saddle cloth is generally washed once every week or so xx
 
Having been bought up working on showing yards and then on to college (where at the time in 1st year they were very strict on tack, that has fallen by the wayside now but less about that said the better) where tack was cleaned every time you rode.

Nowdays I wipe the down and rinse the bit everytime I ride and will fully strip it when I have time or feel it needs it. When I do strip it I oil as well. Saddle gets a thorough clean and saddler has said he's never seen one in such good condition (he sold it to me as well!). Stirrups get dunked and girth gets washed in water (plastic wintect type one)
 
I rinse the bit after every use and clean my tack before every show. I find tack cleaning boring to only clean it when I know I'm going away anywhere or unless it starts to look very grubby. lol
 
I wash the bit every time it's used and tack gets wiped thoroughly with leather wipes every time it's used . . . . but that's only about once a week at the most! I'm not into riding, I get bored after 10 minutes .. . . . . also have a leather headcollar and that's cleaned with leather wipes every time it's used (sad, aren't I?)
 
I have a Libby's synthetic bridle I use most days, just stick it in the washing machine inside a pillow case, comes up great, if I go in the school he wears his leather bridle with snaffle, which I clean when I think is necessary I'm not religious about it, but do clean the bit every use.

My saddle was pinched in March, I have a borrowed one I keep a cover on as its not mine I don't want it to get damaged, so I clean it and put the cover back on and wipe exposed leather say weekly

So none of the above options in the poll sorry
 
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