I’m hoping to repurpose a dry as board English bridle for a crafting project - it will not go back on a horse, so no safety concerns - but I cannot for the life of me get the bit unbuckled from the cheekpieces. Before I resort to cutting, I figured this is my chance to experiment without risking my good tack. I’m leaning towards a dunk in olive oil, but would love to hear any other ideas for making it malleable again!
I would soak in mineral oil for as long as it takes.
Try lard. My riding teacher often finds dried out bridles, hands them to me and asks me to do my “magic” with the lard (do not let the lard touch rubber/rubber-like materials or metal buckles that have chromium.)
The last one she handed to me had spent years drying out. The leather was HARD and STIFF. It took me around 3 days of putting the lard on the cheek-piece where it goes around the bit before I could get it open without cracking the leather. I put the lard on the outer part and the inner parts of the leather. Then I had to use a screwdriver to get the leather up over the hook stud.
Then I larded the whole bridle three days in a row, day morning and night, and by the third day I could finally take the bridle apart completely.
Then I larded the bridle for three more days and gave it back to my riding teacher so that the warmth of the horse’s head could help get the lard deeper into the leather.
Lard works very well with vegetable tanned leather. It gets soaked right in after I rub the lard for a minute or so with my fingers or thumbs.
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I would use your oil of choice (neatsfoot, mineral, olive, whatever - my preference is pure neatsfoot), and just put on a bit at a time. Once it soaks in, add a bit more. Going slowly will prevent over saturation, and also not waste the oil. Sometimes, old leather will sort of disintegrate if over oiled.
I should also mention that you need to choose your oil depending on the end purpose. Some will be much more prone to going rancid in the leather than others. If the bridle is destined to live indoors with climate control, that’s different than hanging as a decoration in the barn. Portion control with your oil versus dunking will also help with this!
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I think I’d try neatsfoot oil or another liquid conditioner. I don’t think I’d soak it: the leather might be exuding oil for years to come if you soak it, and I suspect that would ruin any crafts project!
Another possibility would be to use Ko-Cho-Line leather dressing:
(Amazon carries it). I’ve used it before storing a saddle to keep it in good shape, and I’ve also used it to revive a somewhat neglected bridle for riding use.
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A dunk in hot water for two minutes will do the trick. The added benefit of this treatment is it will lift old conditioning and residue to the surface. Wipe it down after immersion until rag runs clean, then condition.
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I live in Amish country with a harness maker on every corner. For many years I’ve taken my leather strap stuff (everything you can name --bridles, stirrup leathers, girths, halters, lead shanks, dog collars, and my New England Log Harness --and one time a ruined pair of English tall boots kid left out in the rain then hid in a closet so I wouldn’t find them --dry, cracked, moldy) and had them “dipped in hot oil” --it’s Neatsfoot Oil, not hot, but a huge vat of warm oil with hooks and chains over it. The harness makers take old dirty harness and haul it up, then lower it into the vat of warm oil and let it sit f or awhile (a day? two?) then they haul it up and let it drip for a day or two. The result is buttery soft leather --and clean! One need not separate the bits or buckles --it’s all shiny clean. Those nasty boots were wearable again --and actually looked pretty good. I had a gal-pal who took an old western saddle and had it dipped --she had to replace the fuzzy stuff on the bottom (I think she took it off before she took the saddle to the harness shop) but dipping returned it to usable.
So I would warm some Neatsfoot Oil in the microwave to just comfortable to put my finger in --and then let the item soak in it totally submerged for a day or two. Then let it drip for another day.
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I rescued a bunch of 40 year old stiff straps from my mother’s basement. I tossed them in a tub of unscented baby oil and forgot about them for 6 months. I finally got them out and put together a circa 1975 flat noseband double bridle and even lent it to a friend to ride a dressage test!
This. Get it wet, it will get soft, unbuckle and dry with a cloth right away. Then apply oil or other leather food.
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Thank you all!
I swear by Belvoir brand Leather Balm. It would make a dead cow get up and walk. I’ve returned my father’s 1930s hunting tack to useable condition.
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