How to darken new CWD tack without ruining

[Anastasia_Snow]

Hi all! I just purchased some new brown CWD tack. In the past, I’ve just used a few coats of the CWD leather conditioner and some elbow grease to darken CWD tack. I repeated this process with my new tack and when it soaked in it hadn’t darkened at all. My rep suggested mineral oil/baby oil, but I wasn’t sure if that would ruin the tack in the long run. Hydrophane was also recommended but I’ve heard it dries out tack. Of course there’s always plain neatsfoot. Which would be the best course of action? Tia.

ETA: I used redwing boot oil (of all things) and really worked it in. Then, I left it to sit in a ziplock back and shook the bag once a day. Took out on the second day and it was a much better brown. Thank you all very much for the helpful advice. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year!

[lintesia]

I use the Antares oil when I need to darken tack (bridles, leathers) regardless of the make. I pour a small amount of the oil into a bowl (I use a tupperware bowl so that I can put the lid on and save any remaining oil for the next job) and use a small paintbrush (the kind that would be used with hoof oil is the perfect size) to paint the oil on. After the first coat, I let the tack dry and then add a second coat if necessary.

[Rel6]

I used olive oil to darken CWD stirrup leathers so they would match my saddle. That, and just general wear got them to darken beautifully.

Right photo is after one round of oiling and barely used. Left photo is after a year and a half of use and two more oilings. Once I got the color I wanted (oiled three times over a few months) I just switched to using whatever products I used on my saddle (tack soap and Antares oil 2x a year).

.

[IPEsq]

Olive oil.

[Belmont]

If you have CWD conditioner, I always thought that did the best job & that’s what I’d do to new CWD tack when I got it in!

[outside_leg]

I use hydrophane darkening oil on my CWD tack. I disassemble every piece, and place them in a plastic ziplock bag. Add a little bit of oil, seal, and shake it around so the leather gets coated. Make sure it’s evenly coated, adding more oil and repeating if needed. Then leave overnight. Remove in the morning, wiping any excess oil with a clean cloth. I’ve done CWD stirrup leathers, bridles, and breastplates this way for years. They’ve turned a beautiful chocolate brown and have been going strong for 5+ years at this point.

[Anastasia_Snow]

Thank you so much! This is hugely helpful, going to try this. Stunning horse btw

[Anastasia_Snow]

Thank you!

[BroncoMo]

Just a mild word of caution with the zip loc bag and hydrophane technique. I do it frequently but recently I did so with a Red Barn bridle. I don’t know if there’s something different with that leather or the coating or what. But I could. Not. Get the oil to stop leaching from the reins. I made the mistake of doing this at a show in the very first few days before classes started. I cleaned up the drips and residual oil, but it kept leaching. From the whole bridle, but the reins were disturbingly slippery. I got to the point where I took the reins to the wash rack, poured (everyone gasp with me…) alcohol on them, and hosed them off to try to get them usable. It was that bad. Then, I couldn’t find a rag at one point so I took a baby while and tried to just take the surface oil off and the hydrophane turned little shreds of the baby wipe in to gawdaful sticky goo. So I had little sticky white particles all over that bridle. I finally said screw it, we are going to have to deal with it. And with use over time, the oil stopped leaching out and it’s broken in to a lovely buttery soft deep dark red bridle.

But just be careful and don’t do like me and do it at a show I’ve had hydrophane turn baby shit yellow bridles in to a stunning dark chocolate with no issue. So either my oil was bad, or there was something different about that bridle. Who knows. But I’m mildly scarred from that ordeal

[Peggy]

I had glue or something leach out from between the layers of a martingale that I had shaken in a bag with a bit of oil (added in increments as it was absorbed), removed after a few minutes, and sat in the sun for an afternoon. Said martingale had to be shortened and the person at the tack store where I took it berated me for my technique.

I didn’t tell her that I used to hang tack in the sun in a bag with the oil for an afternoon. But I have had the glue leak thing in the past which is why I had given the martingale less exposure to the oil.

[BroncoMo]

It must have been a glue rather than a reaction between the baby wipe and oil. It sure would be nice if I could identify what bridles are going to react adversely, and which ones will just take up oil it was a bit of an ordeal that I’m not sure I would repeat unless I knew for sure it was a bridle that wouldn’t react that way. Ie an older one of a brand that I’ve had success with. I was mortified that I spent that much on a bridle to have it seem like holding on to a slip and slide with bits of gluey/gooey particles clinging to every stitched area.

[Peggy]

Agree.

Any single-layer (flat) tack is probably going to be OK but the bridles with the padding and fancy stuff have layers.

I’m still scarred from my conversation with the woman in the tack store as she wasn’t particularly pleasant about it.

[outside_leg]

@BroncoMo

Just a mild word of caution with the zip loc bag and hydrophane technique. I do it frequently but recently I did so with a Red Barn bridle. I don’t know if there’s something different with that leather or the coating or what. But I could. Not. Get the oil to stop leaching from the reins.

I’ve never had this happen with CWD tack, but I did have a red barn martingale that flat out wouldn’t take oil. I don’t touch the brand anymore.

[BroncoMo]

I mean, I don’t know that I would again. Like I said it’s gotten somewhat darker and buttery soft now. But it was the only bridle I could find with a 1 1/2 inch nose and for my horse’s massive, thick, somewhat ugly head. He needed a the big nose and

[vxf111]

Curious why the plastic bag rather than painting/wiping on the oil. Is there some advantage to the bag? I feel like you’d waste more oil that way? Lots of it would be on the inside of the bag and not the tack?

[vxf111]

That’s the glue leaching. Not the oil. I don’t buy tack that is glued together, because this is exactly what will happen anytime the tack meets an oil-based conditioner.

[outside_leg]

I never have oil left on the inside of the bag. The only way you would is if you use too much. I do the plastic bag method because it’s a fraction of the time as painting on multiple coats if you want to darken things rapidly. My time is so limited, I can’t afford to spend hours/days turning something from light red to chocolate brown lol

[Rel6]

I do oil in a bag and just find it easier. Oil goes in bag, tack goes in bag, shake it up, and then take it out. I think it comes out more even and takes less time. If there’s leftover oil, I just leave it in the bag and save it for next time I’m oiling something. Or pour it back into the container.

[Peggy]

Agree. I usually find that I have to add more oil after initial shake.

But, after my experience with the martingale, I oiled the “new” CWD bridle with a brush.

[TwoStrides]

I’ve always had my CWD tack “dipped” by the rep before first use, I believe they use mineral oil which makes sense the rep recommended that for you. It comes back gorgeous, butter soft and instantly broken in. All of mine has worn well. The few pieces I didn’t get “dipped” by the rep never quite came out the exact same!