Have you ever been to a show and been blinded by how shiny your competitors’ tack is? If you want to find out the best, most thorough way to clean your tack then follow my easy three step method to spotless tack.

Every groom should have a basket or box to keep all your tack cleaning essentials in. Your box should contain clean sponges, a microfiber cloth, tack cleaner, oil, disinfectant and some containers.

Before you begin step one, you must disassemble your bridle and lay out all your pieces in front of you. Place your bit into a container of hot water and allow it to soak.

While you wait for the bit to soak, you can begin step one. Take a disinfectant wipe or spray some on a microfibre cloth and gently wipe every piece to get rid of any dirt, grease or sweat that may be ingrained in the leather. Make sure to wipe both sides of the leather and get into all of the nooks and crannies of your saddle, especially under the flaps where most of the dirt or dust resides to ensure there’s no grime left behind.

For step two, take your preferred tack cleaner and once again wipe over every piece thoroughly in circular motions to ensure the best result. When cleaning the saddle make sure to clean the stirrup leathers and girth straps too.

Once this is done the next thing to do is to take your bit out of the hot water, result. When cleaning the saddle make sure to clean the stirrup leathers and girth straps too. Once this is done the next thing to do is to take your bit out of the hot water, and using a clean sponge gently wipe off any excess dirt that the water did not remove and dry with a cloth.

Step three is oiling your saddle and bridle, however, this only needs to be done twice a month at most or when your leather dries up from either excessive use or water damage. Oiling helps to keep the leather feeling soft and supple, after all, there’s nothing worse than hard, tough leather! Take a corner of your cloth and dip it into the oil, once you have the cloth ready, cover the leather in oil and rub it in thoroughly, especially on the seat of the saddle.

The last thing left to do is to put your bridle back together and tie it up so that it’s ready for use, and put your saddle cover on to keep it clean. Personally, I tie the noseband around the bridle so that it keeps everything in place effectively.

I hope that my guide to spotless tack will help improve your turnout and dazzle any judges or competitors of your future endeavours!