Horse Tack Cleaning Tips

We all know tack cleaning isn't the funnest part of horse ownership but it is something we should take seriously as it is an important part of riding horses, after all, tack is one of the most important pieces of equipment we have.

Not regularly maintaining your tack can put you and your horse in discomfort or danger. Tack that becomes too greasy and dirty or not conditioned enough can wear down or even snap. 

Looking after your tack also helps with saving money as the longevity is increased. 

Clean Tack Little and Often

If you are one of those people who cleans tack after every ride, then full applause to you! Cleaning your tack after each ride definitely helps to keep the grease and oil left from sweat from sitting on your tack and creating a build up. 

If you do have 5 mins after every ride to give your tack a quick clean then this will really help make the deep cleans quicker and of course it helps the longevity of you tack. 

Deep Clean

If your bridle is used regularly, we recommend doing a deep clean every 2-3 weeks. Taking all the parts of your bridle and martingale/breastplate is a must as you aren't able to get to this with daily cleans. 

Tack Cleaning Equipment

Clean Cloth

Scrubbing brush - an unused hoof brush is good to use

Clean warm water in a bucket

Towel

Tack Cleaner 

For Leather you will also need:

Leather conditioner/Balsam

Neatsfoot Oil 

Hoof Oil Brush

How to Store Tack

If you have the luxury of keeping your tack in a warm, dry location then this is ideal to keep away mould and damp. If you won't be using tack for a while, correctly storing your tack can help preserve when not in use. There are great storage bags available for tack storage. Make sure your tack is clean, dry & well moisturised before packing away. 

Useful tips for Cleaning Tack

If doing a deep clean, take a picture of the bridle before dismantling as putting all the parts back together can feel like you have a puzzle to complete!

Is your tack real leather or synthetic material? Check which cleaning & conditioning products suit the material best before purchasing.

Don't get your tack too wet. It feels like human nature to soak your tack and give it a good wash off but actually making your tack too wet can make it more difficult to get rid of the oil and grease. You can end up with dirtier tack than when you started! It is also bad for your leather to get too wet and in the long run can lead to cracks and breaking. 

Using a warm cloth that you have rinsed out well (remember to keep as much water off as possible) can help lift grease from the tack and make it easier to wipe off the deeper dirt.

Give your tack time to dry before conditioning it. Appling a moisturiser to your tack when wet can mean it sits on your tack rather than seeping in and conditioning it like you want it to do.

Rinse your bit after every ride. Rinsing or dunking your horses bit is something we all have time to do as it literally take 3 seconds after a ride and really saves you time in the long run from scrubbing!