[QUOTE=beowulf;8015527]
i just purchased my first HSLC item (the combo pack w/ citrus)!! will be eagerly anticipating its arrival… with all the crippling winter weather, i have a lot of tack to clean :yes:
i will report back for sure – have a few neglected/thirsty strap goods that definitely need some attention.[/QUOTE]
the reports are in! I will have to snap some pictures tomorrow.
I purchased the Citrus & Ginger soap and the Balm.
First, I tested the soap’s mettle by matching it against a throw-away girth I had come across a year ago. Tough first battle, but I figured the blade needed to be wetted, so to speak. It worked very well at cutting the old dirt jockeys from the leather. I rescued this girth from a barn’s dumpster… so… it isn’t in the best shape. Cleaned it with the soap and you’d never guess it was someone’s throw-away.
I also cleaned my jump saddle (NOT a dumpster baby, mind you!). It’s seen its days of over-oiling, admittedly – I have this problem you see, where I have to religiously clean my tack to the point where it is cleaner than my laundry. The Citrus soap did a spectacular job of riding my saddle of that post-leaderbalsam feel, the dull greasy feeling on the seats and its repulsive attraction to dirt.
I’m very happy with the soap - it gave my girth a renewed vigor for life despite its initial reluctance to look presentable. This girth probably existed before I was born (and probably was not ever cleaned SINCE I was born) and now it looks like it was show ready.
I then tackled my dressage saddle, a senior Kieffer with some grey around its temples… It hasn’t been used all winter and it was very thirsty. The soap left it with a nice little gleam, like that fresh new leather sheen you see on the saddles of the modern age.
I couldn’t be happier with the soap. It did a swell job of freshening my bridles as well. I do like how the soap leaves a gloss - it’s like the gloss of glycerin without the drying effect. It does repel dirt too - my BIGGEST peeve about the higher end balms and soaps is that even after one ride they accumulate enough dirt to make a PC inspector have an aneurysm.
Then comes the balm - which I have to profess I am a little perplexed about. I opened up the can and the smell was divine, but my can was frozen (through no fault of HS). The day it was delivered happened to be in the single digits, and it sat out for several hours.
Which comes to my question, is the balm a balm… or is it hard? My balm is about the same consistency as the soap. The hardness did not effect the quality however – a little goes a long way and definitely leaves my leather with the rich patina you’d expect of Akene or Belharra without the greasy residue that attracts dust or hair. I wish it wasn’t so hard as it makes it difficult to spread, but I was very happy with the job it did on my tack.
I’ll have to get some pictures!
) so I have missed the latest comments and questions – Bristol Bay, I’ve never had any curdle, so I’m not sure exactly what is happening? I’ve left it in the trailer for months, and have used some that has been more than a year old, and gone through a Florida Summer and never had a problem. Can you drop me a note at higherstandardsfarm at gmail.com and let me know what you are experiencing?
