In last week's post I went over what tack is and the cleaning supplies I like to use. In this week's post I will go over how to properly use these items. You will need oil, cleaner, conditioner, and clean towels for each product. 

    The first step is to take all the extra pieces of leather out of your runner (the small piece of leather that moves freely on a piece of leather) and keepers (a piece of leather that is close to the buckles) on your bridal and take your stirrup leathers (pieces of leather that connect your stirrups to your saddle) off your saddle. Once you have done step one you will take your oil and lather each individual piece of leather then when you have covered the leather completely you will want to bend the leather back and forth  as much as you can to ensure that the oil soaks in. You will want to repeat this step several times till you can't see the oil soak in as fast as the  first couple times. 

    Once you have oiled all your leather pieces you will want to take you cleaner and a clean unused rag and wipe every piece of leather and all the way down to the  buckles get the access oil off. You may then go in with your leather conditioner and to finish off by putting your stirrup leathers back on your saddle and tucking those extra pieces back into the runner and keepers. 

If you have any questions about how to deep clean your tack or any other questions about riding, send us an email on our contact form and we will help you out. 

    Cleaning tack is something that I have done for many years but it  took me a while to figure out what items I like best. Before we get into the items we should first go over what exactly tack is. Tack is any item you might use during ridding, this could be but not limited to; saddle, bridal, girth, breast collar or martingale. Now I clean my tack after every ride to make sure I get all of the dirt and sweat that may find its way into the leather. You first have to start with a cleaner, I personally enjoy Lexol Leather Cleaner that is in a spray bottle that way I can spray it on my tack and whip it down with a cloth. Now if your tack is crunchy, hard, or not easy to bend you may need to put a couple coats of oil on it to make it soft and nimble, for this you can use any kind of neatsfoot oil or even olive or vegetable oil. After you have oiled and cleaned every inch of your tack you can go over with leather conditioner, I prefer Belvoir Leather Balsam. Once you have completed all these steps your leather should feel soft and nimble. Now you do not have to follow these three steps after every ride but I do highly recommend at least using the Lexol Leather Cleaner to get the dirt and sweat off.