Top 10 tack cleaning tips

Professional grooms to the stars know exactly what it takes to achieve top turnout and keep tack looking like new.

Try these top 10 tips to get yours gleaming…

1. “Try taking bits and stirrup irons home and pop them in the dishwasher to make them extra shiny. It sounds strange, but it really does work!”
Liz Daniels – Geoff Billington’s ex-groom and now British Grooms Association magazine editor

2. “Always use sepatate cloths for washing off, soaping and polishing your tack.”
Darren Pote – groom to Olympic showjumper Thomas Velin

3. “Bits and metalwork can get really grimy, especially after a show, so remove them from the bridle and soak them in a bucket of hot, soapy water before polishing them up.”
Showjumper Lisa Hales’s head groom, Beckie Smillie

4. “Take your tack to pieces to clean it at least every two weeks, so you can give the billets a really thorough clean and oil – this is where the leather starts to crack first.”
Dressage rider Gemma Green’s groom, Tracey Ross

5. “Use a metal polish, such as Brasso, to polish any buckles and rings. This adds a little extra sparkle to your tack, which is particularly important when you’re going to a show.”
Lucy Turner – Pippa Funnell’s ex-groom and H&R’s Horse Health Ed

6. “When you wash tack, let it dry thoroughly before soaping. When you wash and then hang the leather until dry, the leather absorbs the soap and, ultimately, gives it a longer shelf life.”
Carl Hester’s groom, Catherine Owens

7. “Add spray-soap to blocks or tubs of saddle soap to make it extra soft.”
Beckie Smillie

8. “Avoid using saddle soap on top of the saddle or on the saddle flaps if you’re wearing white or cream breeches, as it rubs off. If you need to use saddle soap, give it a good polish with a clean cloth to remove any remaining soap.”
Liz Daniels

9. “Make your own saddle soap by melting a normal bar of soap, oil and milk in a pan, and leaving it to set in a tub.”
Beckie Smillie

10. “Use boot polish on your bridle to get really sparkling shine!”
Liz Daniels

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