Tack cleaning is probably low on the priority list of horse jobs, and often gets left until the night before a show. We have all been there, taking up the kitchen table or floor space desperately trying the get your bridle back together after cleaning it. For many years, most of us remember saddle soap and that orange bottle of Neatsfoot oil being the only option when it came to oiling tack. Thankfully today, we have a range of leather cleaning products, that don't require a bucket and sponge.
Deep clean with the Leather Foam & Balsam
The leather foam is very good at getting the dirt, sweat and mud off your tack. I use it mainly on the sweaty areas on my bridles, such as the noseband and head piece. Often under the buckles can get pretty grimy as well, so it is excellent for that. What I find so handy with the foam, is that you don't need to get water out and your saddle soap to wash the grim off. You just shake the bottle and use the manual pump to disperse the foam. The foam is a really good deep clean for your tack, especially if you don't do it regularly (like me!).
After using the foam to clean your leatherwork, deep conditioning it with the leather balsam is superb. The balsam goes on well, soaks up and leaves my bridles and boots super supple and shiny. Bonus is it also smells really nice. I used to always oil my leather work with Neatsfoot oil but I feel like it never gave it a proper deep condition.
When your bridle is as stiff as a board - Leather Oil
Last weekend I attended the Riding Club Festival in Mullingar. My double bridle for showing had not been touched since the last time I was there, two years previous. My double bridle was dry, the plaited leather reins were stiff and it was almost impossible to unbuckle areas. So out comes the Leovet Leather Oil, complete with brush. No need to go digging around your tack room for an old hoof oil brush, it comes with one. After two generous coats of the leather oil, my god my bridle was back to life. The leather reins were pliable and all the buckles could be adjusted again. If you have a really dry bridle, boot or saddle this stuff really does the job. I used the Leather Balsam afterwards to make it shine.
When you don't have time - Quick and Easy Spray
The quick and easy spray is IDEAL for when you are in a hurry. It cleans and conditions your leather swiftly in one spray bottle. I always have this in my grooming bag for my riding boots. Just as I have tacked up ready to go, I realize I have forgotten to clean my boots, again. So I use the spray with a sponge as I get my boots on, and does it job. I also use this on martingales or areas of the saddle that needs a quick wipe before a class. This really is a handy part of your kit to have in "oh feck" moments.
I have been lucky to have been part of the PR program with Leovet UK & Ireland for 2020 & 2021, so these items were gifted and the review is very honest. I have loved these products so much that I have bought many of them again and again. In Ireland Carr Day & Martin was the main tack cleaning brand, but I switched to Leovet due to the price, quality and huge range of products they have.
You can find Leovet products at your local tack shop or any Mackey stockist.
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