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TACK & EQUIPMENT CARE
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RUBBER REINS I cleaned my rubber-lined dressage reins with Horseman's One Step and the rubber has gone sticky. I've tried rinsing, but it isn't helping. I may have ruined these reins, but how do I look after rubber reins in future? You’ve found out the hard way that you have to be very careful with rubber reins! Rubber reins are commonly used for jumpers, event horses, racehorses, and foxhunters – four sports in which it is pretty important not to have a rein failure! In your case, I would try gently scrubbing the rubber with lots of water, using a nail brush or vegetable brush (or similar). If you can remove the stickiness, allow it to dry, then apply a conditioning cream to the leather side. In general, when cleaning rubber, or rubber-lined reins, wipe the whole rein with a damp sponge, then (if necessary - i.e., if the rubber is coated with dried sweat) ‘scrub’ the rubber using your nail or vegetable brush, with water only. After it dries, you should apply glycerine soap, or a cream conditioner, to the leather parts only. You have to be careful not to condition too much, as the leather may stretch. The rubber parts have to be protected from sunlight and heat as well, as this will make them mushy and sticky. Many of the newer rubber reins are made with nylon inside the rubber instead of leather – this is a good thing, as the nylon can stand cleaning with water better than the old leather interiors could. It is important to keep a close eye on your rubber reins as the leather and rubber require totally different care and are normally under more pressure than other styles – accept that they may need to be replaced more often than leather reins. Re-rubbering the reins is not the answer – look at how many holes are made when stitching the rubber on the rein underneath and consider how making more holes for the new rubber will affect the strength of them. CONDITIONING NEW TACK I recently bought new reins for an old bridle. What is the best way to get them feeling supple quickly? To break in top-quality reins (or other bridlework), I would lightly oil them in a pure Neatsfoot oil or Flexalan, or one of the well-known saddle-maker’s brands such as Passier, Forestier, Amerigo, etc. Then you work the oil in by bending the reins around your hands – you will feel them become more supple. Be careful not to bend the leather too sharply - particularly with bridles that have raised sections, if you bend the leather more than it would on the horse's head you can break the plastic piece inside that the raised leather is shaped over) You may end up having to do this a couple of times, but they will break in more quickly. If the reins are of lesser quality, or have rubber on them, I would use a good leather conditioning cream instead of the oil. It doesn’t work as dramatically, but is less likely to damage the glue holding the rubber as you can control the application better, and should allow less stretching of the reins over time.
CLEANING SHEEPSKIN I LOVE MY NEW SHEEPSKIN HALF-PAD, BUT THE LAST ONE I HAD DRIED OUT AND FELL APART AFTER ABOUT 6 MONTHS. I LIKE TO KEEP MY EQUIPMENT REALLY CLEAN, AND WASHED MY PAD ABOUT 6 TIMES - WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO KEEP SHEEPSKIN NICE-LOOKING WITHOUT RUINING IT? The problem with sheepskin is that it is on a skin which will dry out and crack if exposed to repeated soaking/drying cycles with detergents. Sheepskin pads should be allowed to air dry after use, then brushed to remove dirt and to fluff them up. A wire dog brush works well to removed dried-on sweat and fluff up the fibres. Spot wash with mild hand soap and a washcloth. A full washing using the gentle cycle (or hand-washing) should be done as little as possible using a mild soap such as 'Woolite' or one of the new soaps designed for sheepskin - Fleeceworks recommends Leather Therapy's Leather Wash and Conditioning Rinse. The item should be gently pulled into its original shape when still damp, as leather may constrict when wet. Allow the pad to air dry away from a direct heat source. Once the pad is fully dry, brush it to fluff up the pile. LEATHER CARE "LIZ's LEATHER CARE TIPS" This time of the year provides riders of all interests with the opportunity to inspect and clean all their equipment. I think all of us are guilty of treating our tack to a quick "lick-and-a-promise", with one-step products that make leather look good initially, but may not be beneficial in the long term. Cleaning Tack A wipe over with a damp sponge to remove dirt and sweat after every ride, and periodic (every 5-6 rides) application of glycerine saddle soap or a conditioning cream to the wiped tack is all leather equipment normally needs as regular maintenance. To give dirty tack a really thorough cleaning we recommend a 3-part operation - first; take it apart and give it a 'pre-wash', using something like Lexol-pH. It is a mild cleaner, yet cuts even the greasiest dirt. For stubborn grease spots, try using a brush used for scrubbing vegetables, a nail brush, or you can also make a pad out of horse hair left over from pulling your horse’s mane. Lather well to remove dirt and sweat. . Rinse well with warm water and let dry at room temperature. Never ‘force-dry’ wet leather of any kind - this includes gloves, boots, or jackets. The next step is an application of saddle soap. Sandridge suggests you use a plain Glycerine Bar, applied with a dry-damp sponge - wetting the glycerine bar, not the sponge. Rub the glycerine in well - the leather will gleam and be protected. Finally, if required, rub in a cream or ointment conditioner (such as Passier, Ridgemeount or Oakwood) where necessary to keep leather pliable. Conditioning Tack should be taken apart and conditioned
thoroughly at least at the beginning of
each season. This is an important part of safety maintenance,
allowing you to check carefully for the following: Conditioning can be done with one of two types of products - an oil or a cream. LEATHER OILS Oil used to be the product of choice on new or damaged tack. Most modern tack undergoes different tanning and preparation, making conditioning creams or ointments preferable. Nowadays, oil is most useful on tack that is extremely dried out, or subject to abuse (such as leather turn-out halters or horse boots) for restoring old saddles and bridlework, and occasionally on new saddles. We suggest you use an oil such as pure Neatsfoot Oil, Lexol, or a good saddler's brand, such as Passier or Forestier . Remove the dirt using saddle soap, and once the leather has dried (out of the sun or a direct heat source), apply the oil generously, especially to the 'rough' underside of the leather, using a cloth (a J-cloth works well), small sponge, or a 1" paint brush. Gently roll and bend the leather, working the oil in with your hands, paying particular attention to where the leather bends around hardware or where buckles go. Once the oil has soaked in, it is ready for use. Knee rolls shouldn't be oiled because the oil breaks down the glue and foam underneath. Be careful that when you apply oil to rubber reins it is only to the leather ends, as oil will ruin the glue under the rubber. Oil can make leather stretch, so avoid over oiling reins, billet straps, stirrup leathers and flash nose band straps. A little bit of oil can go a long way, so use sparingly - you can always add more. CONDITIONERS Conditioner creams or balsams usually contain lanolin, beeswax, and so on, and may be used on a fairly regular basis. Conditioners are simply rubbed into clean, dry leather using your fingers or a soft cloth. The majority of new leather tack nowadays will do better with a conditioning cream rather than an oil to break it in. Cream or ointment conditioners are less likely to strip the colour of the leather, add a little 'tackiness' to the leather, (giving the rider better grip), and are cleaner to apply. They may be applied everywhere on the saddle or bridle, but pay particular attention to the 'rough', or underside, of all leather - on bridles, the rough is against the horse's head; on saddles, the underside of the outer saddle flap, underneath the stirrup bar flap, and the inside of the sweat flaps (the sweat flap is closest to the horse - the rough is the side not touching the horse). A conditioner should also be applied, as a rule, a few times a year; before storing tack; and after tack has been dried out, i.e., after being rained on. Never "strip" tack. Ammonia, harsh detergents, bleach and wax
strippers will ruin leather. Murphy's Oil Soap and Baby Oil are not recommended
by saddle manufacturers. Most saddle makers today supply
recommendations when selling their products. Following their
instructions will give you the most satisfaction .
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