tack ‘n’ equipment
tack. The temperature shouldn’t be too hot so as to dry the leather, but warm enough to enable leather to dry.
If we are jumping the horses they wear brushing boots. After each use we brush them on the inside to remove any hairs and scurf and sponge off any dirt on the outside before lightly spraying with an anti-fungal spray. If they get very dirty, or are used a couple of times we also put the boots in the washing machine on a 30 degree heat [the BGA would recommend always checking the manufacturers washing instructions]. If you are washing lots of boots together then make sure you fasten the Velcro otherwise you end up with a mass of tangled boots!
With having so many horses on the yard, in all different shapes and sizes, we need a lot of rugs! I am quite particular about my rug system otherwise this would be a complete nightmare! We have winter
and summer rugs. As soon as we have finished a season all of the rugs are washed in our industrial sized washing machine on the yard. If they need repairing then we send them away to get them fixed professionally. They always look much better done this way and I’m the first to admit that I’m not that great with a needle! The turnout rugs all get washed in a reproofing rug wash, dried thoroughly and then stored in an airtight bag. It is vital that rugs are dry before storage, otherwise they will go mouldy. We then label all of the rugs so that we can easily find the correct weight and size we need without having to open all of the bags.
In winter all of our horses wear summer sheets underneath their stable rugs. This is so we can wash the summer sheets each week which stops the inside of the rugs getting dirty. There is no point in putting a dirty rug on a clean horse!
Boots and bandages should be kept clean to help avoid rubs
Items such as travel boots and tail bandages are also routinely washed after each use and then put away. We are lucky that we have a drier so that we can still dry our items in winter, although we hang everything we can out on the line.
It might all sound over the top but it is really important to keep your tack and kit clean, mainly for our horses comfort, but also for safety reasons and then of course because it looks so much better! If you get into a habit of cleaning your tack after each use it is then never a big job. Keeping things clean and storing them correctly also increases the longevity of your tack and equipment, which all helps to stop us spending lots of money on new items.”
For more information on the British Grooms Association and for useful hints and tips go to
www.britishgrooms.org.uk.
Kate West cleaning tack British Groom’s Association Reader Membership Offer
Join the BGA for just £14.50 for annual Standard Membership. (membership normally £19.50)
DEDICATED ADVICE/CAREER SUPPORT/C.V. TIPS/ACCOUNTS TEMPLATES/ FREELANCE GROOM ADVERTS/EMPLOYMENT FAQ’S/LEGAL HELPLINE/BEING PART OF THE WORLD’S ONLY PROFESSIONAL GROOMS ASSOCIATION/ EQUINE SKILLS C.V./ COMPETITIONS/ SUPPLIER DISCOUNTS/ QUARTERLY MAGAZINE..... and so much more !
Just call our Membership Officer on: 07590 258907 and quote BGAEQ01 More information about the BGA online
www.britishgrooms.org.uk
Please mention farm ‘n’ equine when replying to advertisements Equine Page 19
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44