Tack cleaning

[GingerTrotter]

What do you use??

I am an old fashioned saddle soap kind of girl with neats foot oil every few months. But I am planning to ride more this winter and I'm doing alot of messy endurance riding now and was wondering if there is anything out there that will protect my leather more...

I must confess I do not clean my tack after every use (slaps wrist) but it does get strip cleaned reasonably regularly but could do with something that keeps the moisture in a bit more.

 

[lottiepony]

I'm like you and just use saddle soap and oil when it needs it. Wash the bit every time I ride as it's a sweet iron one as if I don't they ruin quickly and I also wipe down my leather girth if she's sweated. My tack probably gets cleaned a couple of times a month including one strip down proper clean. It may be worth considering some of the synthetic tack as can certainly see the upside if it's going to be getting muddy and sweaty must be bliss to be able to just chuck it in a bucket or washing machine afterwards

 

[touchstone]

I don't like the glycerine saddle soaps, I find that they actually dry leather out. The 'fattier' conditioners like Jeffries leather care with lanolin get my vote for feeding and nurturing leather on a regular basis.

 

[sbloom]

If you search on here you'll find some pretty comprehensive threads on leather care. No to glycerine soap and no to oil - instead a basic cleaning routine of an old fashioned woven dishcloth, warm water and elbow grease (Effax Ledercombi or Leather Therapy Cleanser if you must), and then condition regularly, not overdoing it but making sure that especially the reverse of the thick leathers don't dry out.

 

[cremedemonthe]

As sbloom says, we have been discussing this in previous threads, I have pm'd you to see if you'd like a fact sheet sent to you, Oz