How to look after horse tack?

19.08.2013 23:50

For a sports horse to look good and do not feel any discomfort from tack, you have to look after it. How? Let’s see.

All horse tack: harness, saddles, bridles, preventive “footwear” for horses - should be removed from an animal, then immediately wipe off dust, wash off sweat and dirt and allow to dry in a warm room. Cleaned tack parts of felted cloth should be beaten with a hammer and leather details - kneaded with hands and greased with special ointments.

It should be noted that today there is a vast assortment of substances to grease saddles and leather harness. Many enjoy the creamy mixture of fish oil with Vaseline or harness ointment containing tar and fish oil.

Metal parts should always be clean and shining. Bridle bits (snaffle, mouthpieces, braddon) should be washed after each use. If they are made of stainless steel or chrome plated, rust does not threaten them. However, the old "iron" requires care because there may be a break of adhesions, rings.

In the past, farmers dried the horse harness in their houses or hung it on wooden crutches at the stable. Note that it was wooden crutches because iron pins or nails are rusting and spoil the harness.

To store a large number of horse tack items, they usually arrange a special dry and warm room - a horse tack room, or amunichnik. It should include a permanent place for individual equipment of each horse.

Source: Т. Livanova, M. Livanova, All About Horses

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