WHO likes to clean tack?!?!?

[ducks4you]

ME!!! LOVE IT!!
I think it's because I waited until I was almost 30 to get my first horse. Then, we didn't buy one--we bought 6, and ALL of the tack that you need to teach lessons with them. I've never bought any expensive tack. I knew it was cheap--a LOT of leather from India--but it was new AND stiff. There is NOTHING (besides petroleum oil) as good for your hands as dipping them in Neatsfoot oil, then rubbing any excess (on my leather work gloves.) We use a LOT of old equipment, in fact, many of our McClellan's have their original trees, circa 1860--no joke!!! The DON'T have their original quarterstraps, coat straps, stirrup leathers, etc. however.
I once had some stuff called, "Saddle Food". It was great, but EXPENSIVE!!
Now, I use generic or Murphy's oil soap to clean and a hose to rinse off. If my leather isn't dry, I like to put on saddle soap. If I've let it go, I soak it in Neatsfoot oil, and let it drip-dry for a week. If it isn't soft by the next day, I KNOW it's gone! I like to work on my tack in 2 shifts, because I own about 20 saddles and bridles and extra stuff. There aren't enough hours in the day to set aside 2 days to clean it all!!!
How about you? Do you LIKE cleaning your tack, or is a necessary evil, because you'd rather be riding?

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I love cleaning tack. I used to have to do it all the time before shows back when I was big into that. My favorite part was shining up the silver on the saddles and bridles! My show halter was always beautiful after a good cleaning! I also love when the brown leather gets nice and dark from the oil I put on it.

Another favorite thing for me is cleaning up my boots. I've never had a pair of boots go bad on me! I've only had about two pairs of boots throughout my horse riding years, which is close to about fifteen years now! My dad bought this really nice boot wax from australia at a horse expo and I've been using that on my boots now. Its gives them a nice dark color and really softens them up a lot. It also makes them water resistant which is great in the rain! I forget the name of the stuff though.

 

[patandchickens]

OK, well, then, party's at my house. All you can eat, whatever ya want, just clean my tack for me! LOL

I *do* quite enjoy cleaning stalls. Although I don't think most horses should ever be *kept* in stalls, and my own only go in there when the farrier is here or on the one or two worst winter-storm nights of the year. I kind of miss, back before we bought this place, when I used to work off part of my board bill by cleaning stalls...

Pat

 

[LauraM]

OMG.......we're supposed to CLEAN the tack??

 

[sterlng&sierra]

Mmmm, I love the smell of good saddle leather and saddle soaps. I also love sitting in front of the TV and scrubbing for HOURS on bridles, saddles, reins, etc. Saddles are the most fun to clean, and the results are great.

You can't go wrong with Murphey's Oil Soap! It makes the leather feel so good! However, beware of using it on light colored tack: it darkens everything with repeated use. So I always use it sparingly on my hunt gear. My trail stuff, however, gets a good dose because I don't care if everything is mismatched.

My favorite way to clean reins is to roll them up in a coffee can and dribble oil over them, then let it soak for a few minutes, wipe off and hang in the sun for a day or two. The reins get so supple and soft...

 

[michickenwrangler]

I don't mind doing it, reminds me of back when I was 13-14 yrs old and helping at Class A horse shows. I just don't have a lot of time to do it now.

My tack is a mash-mash of materials: leather saddle, wool pad and breastcollar, climbing rope bridle and halter, neoprene cinch, it's a lot of steps and different agents to get everything clean. Usually I just take everything to the car wash and power wash it.

 

[lupinfarm]

Like Pat, I like cleaning stalls In the dead of winter and its freezing outside but its wonderful inside and after 10 minutes you have to whip off your coat

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

I'm with Pat too, I'd rather do the stalls, and I'd trade anyone for tack cleaning.

I could shovel manure for hours and imagine all the bad things in my life represented in that, loved flinging it into the wheelbarrow and taking it out the pile. Love to see it compost into something useful. Therapeutic! Many days it was just mindless too, just something to do physically while mentally resting.

I love the leather smells, and the saddle soap feel and smell, but not the work of cleaning tack. I leave it way too long, so it needs way too much work and it's a big job. That's my fault in it. Like right now I have 6 saddles that have not been cleaned in as many years probably.

 

[lupinfarm]

I won't try to cover it up, when I was a kid mucking stalls at the barn I took lessons at/boarded at.... we used to have poo-ball fights LOL. Kind of gross when you think about it, but all of a sudden halfway through cleaning someone would whip a fork of poo at you... or (with gloves on) pick up a ball and hurl it across the aisle at someone.

 

[goodhors]

I use Lexol to clean leather with, the orange bottle. We clean LOTS of leather with driving horses, and it can get tiresome. Has to be perfect for showing, you get marked on it. I would MUCH rather clean a saddle or two. We do have synthetic for everyday harness, goes into the washing machine, hang to dry, love it.

I also used to have "fun" cleaning my tack when there was only enough for 1-2 horses. Cleaned stuff when it didn't need it! But an evening in front of the TV got every leather item I owned cleaned and conditioned. Now it takes days! I must have a HERD of cattle in leather goods.

I used to use only Lexol for conditioning after cleaning. Kept my leather goods soft and flexible for many years. However I have discovered Harness Honey, which does a super job. Works like the Lexol but needs less coats and doesn't take off your callouses with softening. I have never liked Neatsfoot oil, just felt nasty on my hands. Saddle soap didn't clean like I thought it should, which is when I found the Lexol Cleaner to use, which does a great job. Harness Honey is a conditioner, is not cheap, but goes a really long way and turns the stiff to flexible with small amounts. Does darken the light leathers a bit, but worth it to me for the good feel when leather is done. Stays nice even on sweaty animals, hard use.

Not sure which I prefer, stalls or tack cleaning. We put horses in daily, so there are always stalls to clean. Both clean stalls and clean tack are rewarding when you get done though. If anyone wants to come to Michigan to clean tack, you would be WELCOME here!!