Leather Care for Horse Tack

Leather cleaning is a very important part of tack maintenance. Inspection of all tack should be

done regularly to check anything that needs to be repaired or cleaned. Leather needs to be

kept in the right conditions and needs a few extra things done to it to keep it in workable

condition.



The first step in leather care is making sure that you buy quality leather. Some products can be

found cheaper, but have poor quality leather that is more likely to become brittle and

break, which can put you and your horse in danger. Nice leather should be solid, but

flexible, with no cracking when you bend it. It is also important to be aware of the many

stitching and hardware options when buying leather tack.



Leather gets dirty just like everything else we use around horses. Dirt, sweat, and hair can get

on the leather and cause problems. The leather should be cleaned after every use if

possible. Use a product like Lexol Leather pH cleaner, which can be bought at your local

tack store. This will clean the leather without leaving the residue that most saddle soaps

create. Put the cleaner on a damp towel or sponge, create a lather and clean the entire

piece of tack (this may require disassembling or use of brushes to get to the hard to reach

spots). Rinse off any remaining lather, remembering to remove it from the holes that are

punched into the tack.



Some areas, especially in the warmer months, or places that are humid need to keep an eye

out for mold growing on the leather. If you have moldy tack make sure to clean it

outside, this prevents spreading the mold spores onto other pieces of equipment.

Use a product like Leather Therapy Wash: (http://www.unicornproducts.com.au/

leathertherapy_shop/Leather-Therapy-Equestrian/Wash-Equestrian), which is a water-

based, pH neutral, "spray on–wipe off" that is meant to help with moldy leather. Another

option is to use one part ammonia to seven parts water. Place the tack in a lighted area

to help kill the mold, and make sure to oil afterwards because mold has a severe drying

affect on the tack. To prevent mold from occurring try to keep an even temperature in

your tack room, around 68 degrees is best. Make sure you clean your tack frequently and

use the correct type of cleaner. In the "Leather Care" article Jim McGowen talks about



his Harness Honey Leather Conditioner and says, "It controls mildew, because it keeps

water from penetrating the leather. Mildew can't feed on leather unless it's damp."



The next step is conditioning your leather. Even if you clean your tack every day, it will start to

get brittle and unconditioned. If the leather is starting to feel dry it is telling you it needs

oil. Conditioning your tack every day is not necessary, depending on how often you

ride, what type of leather it is, and what your weather conditions are will determine the

frequency of conditioning. Lexol Leather conditioner or Bickmore’s Leather conditioner

are good options because they do not have petroleum in them, which could cause

damage. Some conditioners can darken leather, so check a small hidden area, or a sample

piece before you apply it all over your tack. Make sure to read the directions on each

conditioner bottle, as each one could be different.



Reasons to clean your tack:



Saves Money. Buying good quality leather can be expensive, so it makes sense to take

care of it as well as you can. The cost for a cleaner and a conditioner is a lot less than

having to replace a saddle or a bridle.



Safety: Spending an extra $100 on a new bridle because you didn’t take care of your

last one and it snapped when you took it off the shelf can be annoying. But even more

important consider the possibilities of your bridle breaking when you are in the middle of

the cross country course, or your saddle being too stiff causing your horse pain and you

ending up on the ground. A little bit of work now is way better than being in the hospital

or paying for huge vet bills later. Clean and check your tack regularly, you will be much

safer in the long run.



Extends the Life and Makes the Tack look Great: Just a few extra minutes here and there

checking on, cleaning, and conditioning your tack will not only make your tack look

better, but it will also extend the time period that you are able to use it. Once you find

tack that fits you and your horse, it is a lot of work to re-place it and find things that work

again. People that see a horse with dirty tack will automatically draw conclusions about

the owner. If you are running a barn, or at a show trying to impress people, dirty tack is

not a good way to show off your horsemanship skills.