FOCUSONSADDLING ADVICE FROM THE SOCIETY
OF MASTER SADDLERS Question
My friends tack always looks much cleaner than mine,istherea‘best process’ Ishouldgothrough when cleaning my saddle and bridle?
THE SOCIETY OF MASTER SADDLERS ANSWERS.
bridle and other tack accessoriesitisthenovertoyou to ensuretheyremain in good condition and lastfor years. Your saddle and bridle should be checked each time you
A
tack up andamoreindepth look takenwhen cleaning. In general leather should be supple and free from cracks. If allowedtodry out, leather becomesbrittle and weak, making it prone to splitting. Payparticular attention to straps which aresubjectedtoalot of stress e.g. girth straps and stirrup leathers. Makesurestitching is secure, metalwork e.g.bucklesare notdamaged and that holes have not become enlarged. If the tack is in poor condition it caninjureyou and your horse or cause aserious accident. Checks to tack should be thorough; this will involve
turning your saddle upside down to checkunderneath it and lifting up all flaps. To checkabridle properly it will need to be takenapart as bucklesoften hide cracks in the leather. Steps to maintain leather mustbetaken to ensureitstays
sweall know, investing in good qualitytack is likely to be one of the mostexpensiveand important purchasesyou makefor youand your horse.Onceyou have the right saddle,
supple and safe. Ideally tack should be cleaned every time it has been used, but this is not alwayspossible. At the very leastbitsshould be washed in clean water and dried with aclean cloth after theyhavebeen used. Also if tack getswet and muddy it should not be left or it is likely to become brittle or maystretch. Remove mud and dirt with awarm damp cloth and allowittodry at room temperature, and then apply aleather conditioner. It is advisable thereforetothoroughly clean your saddle
and bridle at leastonceaweek. The aim of thorough cleaning is to remove all dirt and grease and then to feed and condition the
leather.There arenumerous products available on the market forconditioning
leather.Alwaysreadmanufacturer’sinstructions carefully to makesurethe productissuitable foryour particular type of leather.Whether youuse asponge, brush or cloth to cleanand applyproductmakesureit is not tooabrasivesothatthe leather isn’tscratched. To cleanmetalwork youcan useametal polish, this will
leavebucklesand stirrups etclooking brighter and clean. Neveruse polishesonbitsthough as theymay be harmful to your horse.Evenifyou think youhavewashed apolish off it is likely aresidue is left behind which youcannot see. Your horse changesshape
regularly.The frequencyof
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these changeswill relatetohis age,training, management and so on. Trytodevelop aneye to recognise these changes. Viewed on adailybasis, the changesmay seem inconsequential but over aperiodofjustaweek or so theycan be surprisingly substantial. Have your saddle checked regularly and alwaysuse aQualified Saddle Fitter. If asaddle is good qualityand well caredfor it should
lastfor years, and if it still fits your horse thereisno need to replaceit. Youmight liketoreplacecertain partsthough such as the girth straps and stirrup leathers. Stitching mayalso need re-doing on certain partsofyour saddle or bridle after afew years.
T
Midlands
www.southamsaddles.co.uk
LAURA DEMPSEY MASTER SADDLER
QUALIFIED SADDLE FITTER WOW -HARRYDABBS -BLISS OF LONDON
FAIRFAX CLASSIC -KENT &MASTERS -THOROWGOOD BACK ON TRACK -PROLITE
FULL FITTING SERVICE INCLUDING ON-SITE REBALANCING OF SADDLES SIDE SADDLE SPECIALIST
TEL: 07790 952517 E:
info@lauradempseysaddler.com W:
www.lauradempseysaddler.co.uk 50 ofindyourlocalsaddler,whocancarryoutany
necessaryrepairsoryourlocalQualifiedSaddle
Fittervisitwww.mastersaddlers.co.ukorcontact TheSocietyofMasterSaddlerson01449711642.
SADDLEDOCTORS UK MASTER SADDLERSOXFORD
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LARGE STOCKS INCLUDING: FAIRFAX,
BLACK COUNTRY,IDEAL, KENT&MASTERS, AMERIGO,ALBION ETC
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thelatestnewsvisitwww.centralhorsenews.co.uk
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