[QUOTE=KaraLee95;6956853]
Hey, Bensmom? Would you be willing to try a vanilla/mint combo?
Edit: I made an account on here just to ask you this :winkgrin:[/QUOTE]
I’d secretly wondered this as well
I finally got to cleaning all of my stuff this evening. I love it! It cleaned up my grungy track halter that hasn’t seen soap in over a year after being thrown in storage. It seemed to help soften the el cheapo bling bridle I bought a few months ago. I am hoping this stuff will finally make it comfortable for my mare to wear… She is quite fond of her Nunn Finer that is far softer… And I must please the diva! It appeared to whiten the fancy stitch on my Nunn Finer as well. Though it could be my imagination! I am also thrilled with how lovely my new to me Stubben Tristan cleaned up. Granted it is already in amazing shape, but I think this stuff did a number on several of the surface scratches!
I agreed with others that the scent is very subdued. It smells a lot stronger in the jar. I do love how the leather and my hands feel. Soft but not too soft if you get my drift. Also I went through two bridles, tall boots, halter and a dressage saddle, and it barely looks like I used any of the soap! You get a lot of bang for your buck!
Bensmom, did you get my pm?
Thank you! So glad you liked it! And yes, I did and it shipped out on Tuesday!
Renn/aissance, what are “jockeys” as regards to your bridle?
Was I absent that day from horse camp?
[QUOTE=Bristol Bay;6957285]
Renn/aissance, what are “jockeys” as regards to your bridle?
Was I absent that day from horse camp?:D[/QUOTE]
Oh! I can answer this!
You know those greasy, sticky globs of dirt that develop when you don’t clean your tack real regularly? You have to scrape them off with your fingernails, or if they’re really bad, a butter knife?
THOSE are jockeys! :lol:
I finally used my soap!!! I love it! I have yet to use it on my saddles, but I had many bridles to clean - plus my half chaps and a really disgusting martingale… I am a very methodical cleaner and I was a little put off by the lack of lather, but if that is the only ‘problem’ there is I’m sure i will survive! ;). When I felt the need for more lather I just left the sponge a little wetter and I got a nice lather (even though I don’t think I really needed it).
I agree with the rest of the review on how nice my leather was to the touch after I cleaned it and also how clean my hands felt when I finished. I spent 3 hours cleaning 6 bridles with reins and other miscellaneous tack and I can’t wait to clean it all again to see how regular use of the soap will help condition the leather! The scent was barely noticeable which was perfect for me because I am very sensitive to smells.
I also loved how my soap came with candy and a sponge!! That was a double bonus! :D. Tomorrow I will clean my halters and saddles. I will do my best to get some before and after shots.
I must also say how happy I am to be able to buy such a quality product from someone’s kitchen! What a wonderful product and a wonderful way to start a business!
[QUOTE=Bensmom;6957222]
Thank you! So glad you liked it! And yes, I did and it shipped out on Tuesday![/QUOTE]
Oh goodness. Thank you! I really would have paid to ship out that sample! Superb soap and customer service!!! Thank you again!
Such good reviews and such good information!
I think the first soap I do as a “special edition” will definitely be a COTH scent 
Y’all need to go to the other thread and vote on logos!
[QUOTE=Simkie;6957306]
Oh! I can answer this!
You know those greasy, sticky globs of dirt that develop when you don’t clean your tack real regularly? You have to scrape them off with your fingernails, or if they’re really bad, a butter knife?
THOSE are jockeys! :lol:[/QUOTE]
Yeah, those bastards. :lol: The ones on the saddle are definitely jockeys, the ones on the bridle actually look like little bubbles in the leather (which would make sense given the relative cleaning time devoted to each piece of tack- I’ve been obsessing about that darn bridle) which would explain why I haven’t been able to get them up. Incidentally, the side of a dental pick works wonders on getting them up, if you can get over the fear of stabbing your tack by accident.
I was pleased with how my bridle felt the day after cleaning- it often either feels dry or feels sticky (depending on what I’ve used on it- this is really unhappy leather here) and it felt nice to the touch. A little tacky on some of the pieces that are inclined to get that way, but an improvement over what I’d been using.
As for the saddle, I usually give it a day off after I do the balsam thing to make sure it really absorbs everything, so I didn’t even look at it yesterday.
I received my package today!! Thank you soo much!!! I will give away one piece as a present to my polo instructor and will kerp one piece for myself… It smells very pleseant and look forward to use it!!!
David Stackhouse–the guy who made my saddle–saw it today after it had gotten a wipe down and actually made a comment to me on how nice it looked!
I’d like to add ot my review; my saddle is usually SQUEAKY after it’s been cleaned and everything (and it’s never looked so clean as it does now!) but it didn’t squeak at all which was super great!!
For those that like a lather, I used it with a regular little tack sponge, the kind that comes in packs, and it lathered wonderfully with those, I think because it’s rougher than the nice sponge that came with the soap!
Went and felt up a bridle I did last weekend, still so soft and … Soft!
Just placed my order! Beyond excited! I have a weakness for fine leather goods and hoard many, many bridles, martingales, girths, and my 2 saddles. :lol:
If I love this as much as I think I will, you will have a frequent customer for life! I also have a long list of friends who are dying to try it based on how it works out for me! Congrats on all of your success thus far!
Got mine - LOVELOVE the scent and will report back with pictures for Libby to use if she wishes :). I doubt I will ever buy a name brand again Libby - I’m so happy you created this!
subk – Stackhouse? Really?!! You did, of course, tell him that you knew of a new product that he needed to suggest with every new sale, right? Right?!! :lol:
I’m so glad you guys are pleased – hundredacres, with your soap expertise, I can’t wait to see what you think!
Spacytracy – I know which sponges you mean, and those are actually the ones I usually use, because Jeffers sells them in colors too and I can keep separate the ones I use for bits from the ones I use for tack and they do lather quite a lot with those!
I didn’t pick those sponges, because I would then stress to make sure that people got the “right” color sponge, and that would be impossible! 
Sometimes the OCD is not a good thing . . .
Libby
So I am really impressed. My usual routine is Stubben glycerin soap followed by Passier Lederbalsam. I have had lots of comments over the years on how nice my tack looks, and I have some tack that is REALY old. Also, I was Pony Club DC for 5 years, so I am a hard sell. I used the soap on some web reins that I got fed up with and threw in the washing machine. I had cleaned them with Stubben soap afterwards, but they were still really stiff. I cannot remember if I had conditioned them. I wasn’t sure what to do with them as they were still so stiff, so they were hanging on a tack hook in the basement all winter. Well, after just one cleaning with your soap, they look much better, and more importantly, feel much better. I even took them out to the barn where I worked on them some more. I think that I can salvage them thanks to you! And they are nice KL Select reins, so that is a good thing.
Also used the soap on both my Micklems on the chin straps that are so hard to keep clean. Straps were nice and soft next day, which is the true test, and sensitive horsey did not get a rub from the soap. Do you rinse it off for flash straps etc?
Finally did my poor dressage saddle which has been ignored all winter and it looks lovely.
Thanks so much!
Two questions:
-
already asked above, but do you rinse it off the flash straps to prevent horsey irritation or no?
-
will it degrade rubber reins like Lederbalsam, etc.?
Okay, so here’s for some pictures, primarily of the Edgewood bridle because I try not to take pictures of the less than attractive schooling bridle, because it’s ugly, poor thing.
Before:
This is what I started with: believe it or not this is just a few days worth of dirt on the inside of the noseband, and you can see that the exterior looks dry. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/kveran/IMG_09421.jpg
These two flexed pieces are the long strap that goes over the noseband (an aftermarket repair, English bridle leather, about a year old) and the crownpiece. Note that one of them looks terrible and the other does not. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/kveran/IMG_09431.jpg
These reins have not been cleaned in two years and you can tell. http://smg.photobucket.com/user/kveran/media/IMG_09491.jpg.html
Comparison shots:
Cheekpiece on the left is dirty, cheekpiece on the right is clean. Big difference in color. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/kveran/IMG_09451.jpg
Rein on the left is obviously dirty, rein on the right is obviously not. This was where the soap performed most impressively for me. It took some scrubbing, but not a dunk in a bucket or a toothbrush. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/kveran/IMG_09501.jpg
After:
The noseband after cleaning. Obviously much cleaner, doesn’t look as dry, I just noticed a tooth mark in it, UGH! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v227/kveran/IMG_09541.jpg
I don’t have decent before and after pictures of the saddle. It does look much better after a good coat of balsam, so maybe that was all it wanted in its life. The “after” shots of other pieces of the bridle also didn’t come out well, between the dust in my phone’s lens and the tack room lighting; I’ll try again.
IFG – I’ve never had a problem with it irritating skin, and I had one of those horses like Yellowbritches’ Toby that was sensitive to everything, but I am not going to say that it can’t happen. So, my advice on the flash strap would be to go with your gut on it. You know your horse better than anyone else. And on the question about it possibly degrading rubber – since it does have oils in it, I try to NEVER have it get on rubber reins. I’ve never had it “melt” rubber, but I did have lederbalsam do it years ago, and I’ve been scared off of letting anything get on rubber reins but plain water ever since.
Renn – thank you for the before and after pictures! I am hoping the issue with your saddle was a one time thing, never to recur again! I love all the photos!
Thank you guys for your feedback – it really makes my day!
I got mine on Monday and, while I haven’t had a chance to clean much so far, I am really, really liking it. I’ve wiped my paddock boots down with it every night and I think it has actually done a better job than my beloved Effax Ledercombi! Also used it on my half-chaps that have been sitting around unused for almost two years and it did a lovely job–they’re nice and soft and pliable now.
The scent is very subtle–I got the vanilla lavender and I actually don’t smell any vanilla, just a light lavender scent. I have to admit that I am a bit of a vanilla junkie, so I would love a really strong vanilla bean or Tahitian vanilla scent! But the lavender is very nice. I’m looking forward to trying the other scents, as well.
I will get pics and do a full write-up on my blog and then post the link here, hopefully sometime in the near-future.
Just wanted to add, Libby, that I had a hard time finding you on FB. I searched for Higher Standards soap, and then leather care, and when nothing came up I actually came onto this thread and clicked onto your link to find you and “like” you. I didn’t realize you were listed as Higher Standards Farm, so that was just a little confusing, at least for me. :lol:
