Are You Taking Care of Your Horse Tack?

After a long day of work, taking care of general household duties, caring for your dependants (horses 🐴 dogs 🐶 children 🙈 etc.) the last thing many of us want to do is then think about cleaning our tack! 💤

All those buckles to undo, leather to clean and oil, saddle cloths to wash, bits to clean, the list goes on….. 🥱

But cleaning your tack is a key part in the welfare of your horse and also your own safety ⚠️

As an Equine Massage Therapist, as previously mentioned in some of my posts, I take a holistic approach ✅

I am not here to just turn up, treat the soft tissue of your horse and leave 😐

I want to empower you as horse owners and riders to do the very best for your horses in any way that I can 🤗

Now, I do not profess to have the answers to everything, this is why I also encourage you to have a good team around you and your horse of specialists in their own field 👩‍⚕️ 👨‍⚕️

And I am happy to give recommendations of other therapists, nutritionists, saddle fitters, farriers etc should you require them ✅

However I do like to be able to give some well rounded knowledge to help you help your horse be the best version of themselves they can be ♥️

And I believe looking after your equipment is a key part in this ❗️

So what should we be doing to make sure our equipment is in good working order❓

Your tack is one of your major investments in your horse 💰

Firstly you should buy the best quality tack you can afford and ensure the tack you purchase is the best possible fit for your horse (and you if it is your saddle) ✅

Sometimes the particular brand you would like is not always the one that is best for your horse❗️

Then we need to look after it❗️

Most of our tack is still made out of leather 💼

Here are some key points to get the best out of your leather tack:

▪️Don’t put it off! It’s tempting to leave your tack and think ‘I’l clean it later’ but the best time to clean it is immediately after riding, just a wipe off with a damp sponge and some leather cleaner

▪️Schedule some time to do a proper clean regularly, where you actually take the pieces apart and do a proper clean and inspection of the stitching

▪️Avoid mould eating away at your horse’s tack and causing potentially dangerous equipment failures by making sure it is clean and dry before putting away, and keeping in a damp free environment. If your tack room gets damp put a heater in there or take your tack home with you

▪️Take extra care with your tack in sudden changes in temperature such as very hot weather, cold weather or wet weather which can be very drying for leather. Take extra care in these times to condition your tack after cleaning

▪️Check with the manufacturer - The wrong product, or a product used in the wrong way, could do more harm than good. You can usually easily check the manufacturer’s guidelines to find out what they recommend for your specific piece of equipment.

🔺Top tip 1: Get your bits, spurs and stirrup irons sparkling by washing them in the dishwasher

🔺Top Tip 2: Each time you give your saddle a clean swap over your stirrup leathers to prevent them from stretching unevenly

Looking after your equipment will not only help it to last longer, and stay looking good but also keep you safe and your horse comfortable 😊

I hope you find this post useful⁉️

As always, if you think your horse could benefit from Equine Massage Therapy please do get in touch to find out more or to book an appointment 📲