Just purchased a new Vespucci bridle for my daughters new horse. I have been told I must oil it before use…as well as not to oil it. I have been told to use glycerin soap to clean and not to use glycerin soap?? Any thoughts on best practices so my daughter can use this bridle for years to come
Check with the manufacturer.
Most high end modern bridles do not need oil, an exception apparently being the old school Edgewood bridles that are closer to the “raw” leather I recall from the 197Os.
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I wouldn’t oil it. My Vespucci’s are soft and oil could make it too soft. I made this mistake with a Vespucci martingale. YMMV.
Use a lanolin or beeswax conditioner, rather than oil, unless the leather has gotten wet and then dried stiff/brittle. Glycerin soap is fine. It’s possibly the most gentle soap base on the market. Just rinse it off or it will make the super-soft leather feel sticky and make it harder for the conditioner to soak in.
It is REALLY easy to make Vespucci strapgoods too soft, because the leather is already ridiculously soft. It is also prone to stretching even without using oil, so oiling it will only make it stretch more. I watched a friend over-oil her Vespucci bridle and it stretched from cob size to almost warmblood size. Only the browband and top of the noseband stretched minimally due to the padding keeping it somewhat in shape.
I literally only use oil on super old/dry/cracking leather, or leather that has been soaked right through (like after being caught in a West Coast rainstorm). I just wait for it to dry and then apply a few light coats of oil until the oil no longer soaks in quickly. Then I switch to a beeswax conditioner and work it in with my hands until the leather feels flexible again. I find if I go straight to a conditioner without oil when the leather is that dry, it just cracks. The initial oil soaks right through to the core and opens up the hide to allow the conditioner to be worked in properly.
Higher Standards is my go-to soap and conditioner, for most things.
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for those without an indoor, whose tack may get wet, I recommend a light brushing with Hydrophane. It will help protect against water stains. I also use it on older English made tack.
I was advised years ago that plain old Ivory is suitable if tack gets very dirty. Otherwise a damp cloth works fine.
I’ve never dealt with Vespucci, but I’ve also never bought inexpensive bridles or saddles. Most of my leather goods are ancient as a result.
I second Scribbler’s response. Definitely check with the manufacturer and see if they make any products specific to their leather goods.
I wouldn’t say I would stay away from oiling all fine leather tack, but then again I’ve never owned anything Vespucci. I own a variety of pieces of leather from CWD, a bridle included, and I oiled it religiously until it reached my desired colour and feel. I prefer a very soft bridle though, so perhaps my preference isn’t majority.
I’ve never heard about any restrictions about glycerin soap with any tack. Although, I find if not “rinsed” properly, it can tend to make the tack sticky. To avoid this, I’ve tried the Effax brand of all-in-one liquid glycerin soap/conditioner and I find this makes all of my leather goods, expensive bridles included, soft, supple and not sticky, and it doesn’t make it fall apart either. All this being said, I would 100% go with any manufacturer product before jumping to tack cleaning specific brands.
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I have a beeswax conditioner that is just lovely and works really well. Wipe off with a damp cloth and apply as needed.
Vespucci has a reputation for stretching, I would definitely not be oiling it at all. A barnmate’s bridle stretched excessively after oiling so I have seen for myself the results. If I use glycerin at all it is for conditioning, after the bridle has been cleaned with another product, but although it leaves a beautiful finish to the leather, the stickiness of the glycerin attracts dust and dirt so I have mostly eliminated it from my cleaning process. I prefer liquid cleansers like Effax now, the Higher Standards products are excellent too, especially their conditioner.
Definitely look up the manufacturer’s instructions, but I personally really love Effax Lederbalsam (and Belvoir Lederbalsam) for all of my tack. It conditions very well and does not leave a residue as long as you buff the leather once it dries. As for cleaning, I use Fiebing’s saddle soap when needed, but usually just wipe down with a damp cloth after every ride.
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I’ve always cleaned my tack with glycerin and conditioned with Passier Lederbalsam. This product is like crack for all leather- it makes everything look so good! My last bridle was a Vespucci and it stayed in good condition for at least 5 years using this method.
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