Horse Equipment: On Maintenance - By: Allan Michael Taylor

People keep horses for various reasons. It can be the sheer pleasure of trail riding or the excitement of hunting. Other people need horses for ranch work while some breed horses to make money. Whatever your reasons are for keeping one, you need appropriate horse equipment, not just to make riding easier but also to be able to send messages and control your horse.

However, things just don't stop at purchasing appropriate horse tack. If you already purchased some, you would know how some of these gears and supplies can get pretty pricey. That's why you have to keep them in good condition. You would want to be able to use them for a long time. You would want gears to be available whenever you need them, which would most likely be often.

Now, what if some horses get sick? In this case, your maintenance efforts needed to be doubled. Not only do you need to keep things neat and orderly, but you also need to make sure some of these equipment are sterilized. Heck, it doesn't even take an infection or an illness for a horse owner to keep his equipment clean. A common mistake is for horse owners to keep things clean only when there is illness. Don't fall prey to that mistake.

Material for horse equipment ranges from leather and synthetic leather to nylon. The reason why this needs to be mentioned is that different types of materials have different reactions to the cleaning agents used on them. For example, antibacterial sprays and similar liquids might work well on nylon, but it will wreak havoc on leather. Considering that some leather saddles can cost as much as $5000.00, you really wouldn't want that leather to crumble.

The main reasons why leather sells is its durability and low maintenance requirement. For horse shows and formal competitions, leather is the byword. That is why in addition to keeping it clean, you also have to keep it looking good. When cleaning leather, you may use soap, and to keep its sheen, you need to polish later.

Now, you can afford to do almost anything with nylon. Bleach and water, plus your trusty sponge or an old (but clean) rag will do. Tap water can be used when horses aren't ill at all, otherwise, it is recommended that the water be heated first to reduce the population of bacteria. A 10% solution is enough. But when there is sickness, it is suggested recommended that the percentage be doubled. If the sickness has something to do with an infection and can get quite contagious, a 50% solution is recommended.

When washing horse blankets, keep in mind the different-reactions-to-different-cleaning-agents-and-methods rule. Be particularly careful with wool as well, because it might shrink when it isn't air-dried.

Speaking of which, air-drying is still the best method. Expose your equestrian equipment to sunlight and make it a less habitable place for the three Ms - molds, mildews and some types of microbes.

Keeping your stables and horse equipment clean will go a long way in keeping your horses healthy. And whatever you purposes for horse rearing are – be it business, pleasure, or both, keeping a horse healthy would contribute to that purpose.

About the Author

Nick Morgan has been involved with horses for most of his life. Visit the online shop where you can purchase a large selection of Horse Equipment. All horse and rider products are shipped to your door by national courier. Excellent service from one of the UK's leading Equestrian Supplies shop.

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