tack ‘n’ equipment
The British Grooms Association (BGA) was founded to give grooms a united voice and the support and recognition they deserve within the equestrian industry. The BGA is a member body of the BEF and so represents grooms at the highest possible level. For more information on the British Grooms Association visit
www.britishgrooms.org. uk or find us on Facebook.
Tack care and storage
We all spend time looking after our horses, but how much time do you spend looking after your tack? It is important not to overlook your tack as kit maintenance is vital for keeping it in full working order, and more importantly ensuring that it is safe to use. The British Grooms Association looks at easy ways of keeping your tack room as clean as your stable.
Karen Waterford is the Head Girl on a busy professional dealers yard, “We have 40 horses on the yard at any one time, all of whom come in for schooling to get them to the standard they need to be at before sale. Because of the nature of our job we have clients coming on to the yard on a daily basis and so it is vital that
we keep everything clean and tidy all of the time. In our job, first impressions really do count and there is no point in having the horse looking smart if the tack you then produce is dirty and falling to pieces. Aside from looking awful, if tack is not maintained correctly it can also be dangerous.
Because we share tack between horses we always spray and wipe down the tack with an anti-fungal and antibacterial leather spray between each horse. This is to help prevent the spread of any infections. It goes without saying that the bits get washed after each horse as well. A pet hate of mine is seeing people using dirty bits as they can rub the sides of the horse’s mouth. It only takes twenty seconds to rinse them after use. We have a policy that we use a clean saddle pad for each horse again to prevent the spread of infections but also to ensure that the horse is having a clean pad and tack before they work so as not to cause any rubs.
This generates a lot of washing so we have a wash bin in the tack room and once this is full we brush off any loose hair and put them into the washing machine on a 40 degree wash. We always use a non-bio washing powder as horse’s skin can be sensitive to detergents. We use leather girths but if we do need to use any nylon ones I always put a sock over the ends to stop the buckles banging on the washer.
In the afternoon, once all of the horses have been exercised we clean the tack using a moisturising cream. We use the moisturising cream to keep the leather supple and so there is less chance of it becoming cracked. This is especially important if the leather has got wet when in use. While we are doing this we routinely check the stitching for any signs of wear and tear. If there is anything we are unhappy with it is replaced and either sent to be mended or thrown away.
Tack and equipment on the way to be cleaned after use
Equine Page 18
It is important to store your tack correctly which means keeping it in a clean, dry, well-ventilated area. In winter we have a heater on low in the tack room to help prevent damp and to help dry any wet
www.farmnequine.co.uk
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