The tack room for many yards is a place to hide from the weather, have a cup of tea after a ride and catch up with friends. It is in fact a hub and often it can be in need of some tender loving care as the seasons march on. It may seem like a monumental task, however help is at hand.

We have compiled a list to help bring back some sparkle to your tack room in next to no time, ready for the new seasons.

How does your tack look?

Over the colder seasons, your tack can take extra abuse from the mud and wet that are simply part of winter riding. Even though you clean your tack regularly(!), it is prudent to double check everything is mud free, and for the occasional use tack (accessories for specific activities, like breastplates or different saddles), these often need a double check too. Some items deserve a very thorough spring clean and maybe wash some of them like stirrup irons and bits, or perhaps strip down your bridles etc, to make them feel conditioned and really shine going into the warmer months.

Product tip: We really like NAF’s Sheer Luxe leather collection for deep cleaning – also check out the Leather Cleanse & Condition and Leather Food.

Looking after For synthetic saddles

Longer drying times can make it impractical for thorough cleaning in winter, with warmer months coming fast it is a great time to lavish some extra TLC, but remember to follow manufacturer guidelines when cleaning your saddles. As an example, some recommend you dry them away from direct sunlight and radiators. So you must factor the drying time into your schedule before starting!

Product tip – Wintec’s Saddle Cleaner for synthetic saddles is a product we really love and it’s in a handy spray bottle too!

Do your boots, numnahs and saddlecloths need washing?

If the answer is yes, you can take advantage of warmer days and hang them on the line outside to dry. A good tip to save your washing machine is to remove all the hair you can beforehand and a rubber curry comb can really help. Don’t forget to fasten hooks and loop tabs to stop them coming out stuck to other items or covered in hair!

Product tip – Wash bags like these are a clever way of keeping hair out of the washing machine’s filter. Zip your saddle pad or other horse wear product inside it, and run your washer as normal!

This blog post has been created from content provided by RB Equestrian

Facebook – @RBEquestrianLtd

Instagram – @rbequstrianshop

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We are finding that saddle fitting and bit and bridle fitting is very different now. Heather is missing hugging all the customers (Ruth is not missing the hugs at all – don’t take offence!) Despite the lack of hugs, appointments take a lot longer now than they did BC (before Covid). This is because all the kit has to be stringently cleaned between each appointment and because, where BC, we could simply swap the girth attachment, shift a block, insert a shim or put the cheek pieces up a hole, now, with social distancing, this has to be done via ‘remote-control’ and is challenging our communication skills! 

Lockdown stories

Appointments also take longer as we like to listen to our customers’ lockdown stories…. And everyone has one to tell. Our customers’ stories have been harrowing, enlightening and up-lifting. We have heard from our teaching customers about how preparing their classrooms ready for Y1 and Y6 pupils to come back in to school has made them cry. The mother of a very long standing and loyal customer died during lockdown and she was unable to visit her towards the end. Another customer told us of how he could not distinguish between a panic attack and Covid-19 and was convinced he was going to end up on a green camp bed in the makeshift hospital in Penrith Leisure Centre. Not all stories have been sad and upsetting. There are some lovely stories about horses getting fitter, people noticing the bird song in their gardens, appreciating the clean, clear blue sky, rediscovering the hysterical joys of UNO and children flourishing in their home-schools.

Our little home schooling person has not been out of his favourite jim-jams for three months… AND he wears them inside out – apparently they are fluffier that way. 

We are finding that lockdown has given many people the opportunity to have a big think, to get their priorities in order and make some positive changes to their lives. We’d be really interested to hear about your lockdown big thinks….

Future plans

Here at Ruth Clark Equestrian Ltd, we have certainly had a big think about the business and made some plans for a sustainable future. We are in the process of putting three new saddle fitters through their Society of Master Saddlers training, to support Ruth across western Cumbria, north Lancashire and County Durham. Watch this space for more news on their progress.

We are sure that there will be many financial and economic challenges for the world to face over  the coming months and years, but we are coming out of our lockdown bubble with renewed vigour and energy and look forward to seeing all our clients and to helping to make horses more comfortable and riders more secure. 

Take care, keep in touch and hope to see you soon. 

(Illegal) hugs from Heather and a distant wave from Ruth.  

Heather Turner

Ruth Clark Equestrian https://www.ruthclarkequestrian.co.uk/

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Here at INOL Equine our goal is to revolutionise equine cleaning and offer equestrians a solution to all their equine cleaning problems and needs. Our passion for the industry is totally unparalleled and with that in mind we began to create our brand and make our vision come to life.

As horse owners we appreciate how important time in the saddle can be and understand the investments horse owners must make to enjoy the sport…who says one saddle and bridle is enough?! Not to mention the transport needed of course, to chauffeur our four legged friends around.

As much as we love taking care of our saddles, bridles, boots and our horse transport, with everyday life getting in the way, we found it was difficult to regularly maintain our equipment. Initially, it seemed a chore to even find products that were multiuse and would get the stubborn grease marks from leather work but could be used on anything. There appeared to be a gap in the market, no equine brand that spoke to all elements of owning a horse and all that comes with it…INOL was born!

The support we have had so far has been heart warming and so satisfying, given that we have been part of the industry as riders and owners for many years. 

We’re sure you’ll love our products as much as we do!

To find out more please visit our INOL Equine website

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