I feel like everyone has a different preferred method for cleaning tack. My trainer growing up was a Lexol fan. In college my BM swore by just water, a little conditioner if needed, then sealing with glycerine. What is your preferred method (and products) and why? I am about to get a new bridle and saddle and want to make sure they are maintained properly from the get-go!
I’ve done it a lot of different ways based off of the different barns I’ve worked at, and my favorite method was at the last place I was at. Every day after sets, we’d wipe everything down with wet rags and dry it off, making sure that all hair (complete with gunky products) and dirt/mud/footing/sand was off. Once a week, and after every hunt, we’d fully clean and condition everything. Products used were up to personal preference; I like a plain glycerin bar to clean and Passier Lederbalsam to condition. On top of that, once every month or so (or when it looked thirsty), we’d oil everything. For halters, those would be cleaned at least 3 times a week, and oiled about once a week since they were outside and more abused than the saddles, bridles, breastplates, etc. This method doesn’t seem great, only cleaning and conditioning once or twice a week, but this kept the best-looking tack I’ve ever seen and used!
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Clean with Murphy’s or glycerin soap bar and then finish with Lexol or saddle soap. Oil bridles or halters only if stiff.
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I wipe everything down with plain water each ride. About once/week I clean and condition my bridle with Higher Standards Leather Care, and my saddle gets the same about 1-2 times/month. Depending on the time of year and the humidity I will also condition with Passier Ledersbalsam 1-2 times/month.
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I hose off my bit, and the flash straps of my bridle immediately or soon after I’m done riding. My mare has a cookie habit, and even though my saddle soap is good stuff, I prefer to not have to scrape off dried on cookie foam! I then wipe everything off with a damp sponge in my saddle soap, and only if needed, like once a month or so, I use our leather balm on anything that is feeling dried or stiff.
The directions on the product say to apply with a soft cloth, and sometimes I do, but mostly I like to let it soften in my hands until melted and use my hands to work it into the leather. It is based on a recipe for people hand balm, so I feel I get a deep hand conditioning treatment at the same time!
And while there are certainly some products that are better then others out there, 
the most important thing you can do is to take care of your tack, and keep dried sweat/dirt, mold etc. from doing damage to the leather. One of the benefits to wiping it down every ride is that you are examining everything and can tell when something appears to be in an unsafe condition. If you keep your supplies handy, it only takes a few extra minutes to wipe it all good and clean!
Libby
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You guys make me look bad! The only thing I do after every ride is clean my bit. Most weekends I’ll do a quick clean with Leather New (glycerin spray), and try to do more thorough clean and condition about once a month with my Stubben cleaner and conditioner.
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I think where you live and the environment and your horse can affect tack cleaning needs. I have one horse who likes to roll and gets his bridle grubby very easily when he sweats. I had laced reins on his bridle for a while and they needed scrubbing after every summer ride.
Girths tend to get cleaned more or less often depending on sweat and mud conditions. That goes for bridles too.
I use glycerin saddle soap, or linseed soap. Oakwood conditioner.
I clean less frequently in the winter as there tends to be less sweat and my tack room is unheated. I really dislike leaving damp tack in well below freezing temperatures so I bring it home to clean periodically or do a quick job on the rare above zero (Celcius) day. I tend to do a really thorough, disassemble everything cleaning and conditioning in the spring and again in the fall before it gets really cold. I do similar cleans before shows but haven’t been showing much for a few years.
Wipe down grunge and grime after every ride, with hot water, and a rag. Wipe with home-recipe of glycerin+Lexol conditioner.
Deep clean means taking everything apart, cleaning thoroughly as above, condition with Lederbalsam, let dry. Wipe and reassemble. Detail things like crud in buckles and holes on straps, using everything from toothbrush to nut pick, and polish metal. Reassemble.
After every ride, I wipe down the bit and give my saddle a quick dusting. When I do a full clean (less often than I should…), I disassemble everything, wipe off the dirt, and scrub in a healthy dose of Murphy’s or Neatsfoot oil. Don’t usually futz with the metal bits unless there’s some grime that needs to be chipped off with a knife.
I use Leather New regularly, it’s a childhood warm fuzzy and it does a good job. Also use Oakwood glycerin and Effax. For conditioning it’s Oakwood and Passier. Love using the Oakwood conditioner on my saddle, gives lots of sticking power, especially at horse shows. I clean my bridle once a week, saddle twice a month. Four to five times a year I take them both home, disassemble and clean my bridle with a toothbrush and all the stitching and folds on my saddle.
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Great info! I love hearing all the different methods out there! I love cleaning tack (am I weird?) so I do it after each ride. This was ingrained in me in college when I worked in the barn (we had a huge equestrian program) and I have honestly been missing it over the last decade when I have not been riding consistently.
Follow up question: Any special process or treatment for brand new tack before you use it?
Ask the brand rep what they recommend, as it varies!
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For a deep clean, I take the bridle apart, soak in warm water for a bit, and then scrub with a nail brush and saddle soap. Rinse with clean water, dry with a towel, and hang to dry inside. Once it’s dry, I apply leather conditioner. I only do this about twice a year. After every ride I rinse the whole bridle (not just the bit) under running water, to get any sweat off.
Saddle gets a light clean and condition before every show (maybe 6 - 10 times a year). I’ll wipe dust off after a ride before I put it in the saddle bag, but otherwise don’t do anything. Girth gets rinsed every few rides.
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That’s essentially my routine as well. Wiping down daily and HSL products are a recipe for success.
I was always taught wipe off with glycerin and damp sponge after every ride, condition as needed. I definitely don’t do that after every ride but if I see my tack has visible dust or hair pileup, I will soap. If it starts to feel dry, I use Effax. If I have anything I need to soften or darken, I use Walsh Blue Ribbon.
After every ride my tack gets a wipe down with warm water and a sponge. Every other ride I wipe with warm water, use a different sponge with higher standard leather cleaner and give it a final wipe with a wet sponge to take off any excess soap. About once or twice a month I add a conditioner at the end of the process, currently it’s cwd, like it, dont love it. I love clean tack and good turn-out.
I use that too. I made up a batch and poured it into a bunch of those little glad disposable containers for barn Christmas presents one year. It was a hit.
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You can add a few drops of an essential oil and it will smell good, too!
The only issue I have with glycerin is that it can cause strapgoods to get all gummy, and seems to attract more grime.
I know it has a purpose, but I hate how leather feels when it is tacky and gunky. Almost locks leather straps in place, like billet end reins on a bit or cheek buckles on a bridle. All the punched holes get filled in with goo.
OTOH, I like taking these things apart and giving them a really good cleaning and conditioning, and a good rub to revive the burnish of the leather.
