If you take care of your tack, it will take care of you.

Caring for your saddle and tack takes only a few minutes and is an easy way to maintain the longevity of your equipment.

It is said that there are two kinds of people: those who consider tack as simply another tool, and those who treasure it and want to take the best possible care of it.  Each type is easily identifiable. With the former, you’ll find their saddles and tack lying around outside or in the bed of a pickup completely exposed to the weather and sun.

This simple checklist will help bring everyone to the more detail-oriented side of the spectrum.

1. Check for any wear and tear that might need to be addressed now by checking the saddle rigging. On English saddles, take a look at where the billets are sewn to the saddle. Make sure that the leather is not worn and that the stitching isn’t frayed.
2. Check that the holes that the girth buckles go through haven’t stretched to the point where they might rip.
3. Horse sweat is one of the worse enemies of saddle leather. The salt in dried sweat absorbs the natural oils in leather. Eventually, if left there, it will dry the leather out, and then the leather will start to split or form cracks. Make sure your saddle leather is not dry and cracking; if it is, clean and oil the leather to make it supple again.
4. On Western rigged saddles, first check the area around the rigging plate. Look over the leather for dryness and cracking. Check the rivets that attach the plate to the leather. Make sure they haven’t stretched the leather and pulled loose.
5. Check your latigo and offside billet for wear, drying and cracking.
6. The next area to focus on is the stirrup leather or fenders. On English saddles, check the stitching that attaches the buckle to the leather. Make sure it isn’t worn and fraying.
7. Check all the holes to make sure they’re in good shape and not about to rip. Once again, check over the entire strap for dryness and cracking.
8. On Western fenders, check the rivets that attach the Blevins buckle to the strap. Make sure they haven’t stretched the leather and might pull loose.
9. Check the area where the fender is attached to the strap. Look over any rivets or stitching for wear. It’s much better to take care of a problem now rather than have a failure on the trail.
10. Periodically cleaning, oiling and conditioning all of your leather goods and tack will dramatically extend their life.

Use these tips to ensure the long-lasting life of your saddle and tack.

Junior Master Horseman announces the brand-new Level Three curriculum, coming in July. Learn more, plus get your copies of Levels One and Two today!

Trevor Ashcraft
AQHA Youth Intern