Safety lifetime of tack

[Hilary]

It was brought to my attention the other day that I need to have a bit of a half-halt on some of my equipment. It’s so easy to forget exactly how old some of my tack is - didn’t I just buy that bridle? Probably not since the horse I bought it for died 13 years ago and he’d been retired for 5 before that.

I have a LOT of tack amassed over the years so I seldom need to buy anything which is awesome but I don’t want to have unsafe equipment and need to be realistic about how safe some of it is. And let myself be OK with getting rid of (see I can’t even type out the words throw away!) the pieces that are too old to be safe.

What do you guys use as a gauge for the lifespan of good quality stuff, taken moderately good care of - I’ll be honest, I do not clean it after every ride. It’s also been used in all weather and stored mostly in my tack room so the freeze thaw cycle happens.

[Highflyer1]

I don’t think there’s a hard cutoff. Just look it over really carefully and make sure the leather still feels supple and the stitching is solid and it’s not worn down any place where metal rubs it-- especially stirrup leathers/reins etc.

[Scribbler]

I’ve got very old tack cleaned up and in regular use. I’ve had gear of all ages break when a horse steps on reins and I’ve pulled things out of storage that I wouldn’t use but nothing I’ve put back into use and inspect regularly has failed suddenly.

[Paisley_Pony]

As the owner of a German all purpose saddle that is older than I am (I’ll be fifty this year), I’d definitely say it depends on the individual piece of tack. As was already mentioned, check for cracks, loose stitching, etc. If it’s a saddle, check to make sure the tree is sound. There’s obviously nothing wrong with purchasing new tack if your budget permits, but there’s also nothing wrong with older tack that’s still in solid condition.

[NancyM]

Good quality tack should last a long time, how long depends on hard the tack is used and how it has been cared for. Check what is obvious, look for rotting stitches or things coming apart. If it’s a saddle, check billets and stuffing. If it’s your own saddle, and has not been abused or had a horse flip over and land on it, the tree should be OK, just give it a pull across the length/diagonal of the tree- it should feel solid, not move under the pull. If you aren’t sure, get a saddler to check these things for you. Girth billets are the only thing I’ve found on my older saddles that need replacing… and it’s not expensive to have done.

[TooManyTBs]

My “fancy” bridle I use a few times a year for the hunters is from 1999. My everyday schooling reins on my snaffle are from the 90s too. My tack lives in either my trailer or the tackroom, they get hot and they freeze. I keep everything cleaned and conditioned, not everyday, and as long as the leather and stitching looks OK I keep using it. The only tack I have that looks sketchy is a 2 year old cheap bridle I’ve only used a handful of times, the leather quality just isn’t there.

[Equisis]

Agree re: checking carefully. Cracked leather is a red flag, especially in critical areas like rein attachments, cheekpieces, and billets. Rust on metal parts is another red flag. Check the stitching and have things repaired as needed, before they are falling apart.

I had a fairly new bit break during a light ride. Also had a stirrup bar fail (metal at the attachment, inside the saddle) on a young, high quality saddle. Freak things happen and they’re not always preventable. The best thing you can do is care for your tack impeccably, and inspect it regularly for damage.

[Equestrian24]

I think as long as it’s in good usable condition, it doesn’t matter what the age is. In fact, much of my tack that is anywhere from 20-40+ years old is sturdier and much better made than much of what I see new in the tack shops, and I trust it to hold up. I think that as long as tack is well cared for and in good usable condition, the quality of it matters much more than the age. Most of “iffy” tack I’ve been skeptical about using has been due to cheap leather quality and construction rather than age.

As far as saddles go, check the tree, billets (which can be replaced), and panels/flocking (which can be restuffed/repaneled depending on the saddle). I have a handful of saddles that are 40+ years old and still in regular use, and are in better shape than many saddles half their age or less.

Just check it over before and after every ride, and keep up on regular maintenance (cleaning and conditioning/oiling; how often you do it will depend on many factors, though IMO it’s a good idea to give strapgoods a quick wipe down with a damp cloth after each ride, and to store saddles with a dust cover).

Just check to make sure there is no cracking, dry rot, loose stitching or hardware (the latter of which may even be fixable by a cobbler depending on the piece and the extent of the wear), etc.

[Equestrian24]

Agreed, especially about making sure the areas metal rubs such as stirrup leathers and bit ends on reins and cheek pieces. It seems that those are the places that are most common to wear, and why I prefer to take my bridles apart and leathers off of my saddle regularly to inspect and clean/oil/condition. I’ve seen so many bridles that haven’t been taken apart in probably years (huge pet peeve of mine) that were cracking at the bit ends.

[beowulf]

Oh, I’m guilty of this too @Hilary! Just the other day I went to pull out a bridle that still feels new to me… but then I started thinking about how I got it, and realized it has been sitting for ten years.

My cut off is any dry rot, or any thinning/rubbing/cracks at contact points. Stitching I can fix or send to someone.

Dry rot usually happens on the unfinished side of leather, and it will creep in on even good quality leather that sits unused for too long. Check over the leather ends of reins and cheek pieces where they fold back onto the bit (AKA bit/rein ends). If there is any sign of dry rot or cracks, chuck it. Check any contact points for loose stitching - nosebands, reins, and cheek pieces.

I don’t mess around with anything cracked being used for anything important – like, yannow, stopping the horse. Luckily there’s lots of odds and ends you can used retired leather for if you’re like me and you can’t bring yourself to throw something you paid good money for away. Retired reins get trimmed and shortened into human belts or neck straps. Stirrup leathers make good dog collars and neck straps too, provided the cracked side is removed. You can also cut old leathers into multiple crown-piece length leather straps for cheap replacement crown pieces for your halters.

[Hilary]

Oh, I like the crown piece idea! I did go on a tack cleaning binge (it’s like 5 degrees outside) and some stuff gets to stay and some does not. We have an excellent leather repair person in town who is honest about the condition of the piece which is helpful.