Tack & Mildew!

MDFM

Ok, i'm fairly obsessive when it comes to my tack! I clean/rub down my bridles everyday after use, clean bit etc..It'd pain to see dirty tack of any sort! So, now, the horses are gone out on winter break, and except for the occasional light lunging the odd day, my tack isn't getting any real use. My tack room i'll admit isnt the warmest of places, but even within a few days of cleaning, soaping and oiling/greasing the bridles, the blue mildew just keeps crawling back onto the bridles and martingales. I've pretty much run out of space in the hot press - not really ideal for storing tack!!! So i'm wondering, can anyone recommend any product/preservant that can keep the mildew at bay for longer than a week so i don't have to clean tack every week that isnt currently in use??

Alibear

Ko-Chao-Line! It's gooey red stuff in a small tin and works very well

MDFM

ooh, i have a tin of that, its horrible red stuff!! havent used it in ages, time to use it again - i was using the stubben cream, but i'm starting to lose faith in it obviously!!!! thanks!!!:)

fits

It would be worse on your tack if the leather was drying out. Outside of looking manky, the mould doesnt really damage it afaik. I dont know what you could use. I oiled some stuff and wrapped it in newspaper a while ago, but havent checked on it in ages to see how its doing.

I'd agree with fits on that.. I would be sceptical of putting chemicals on the leather.

To be honest, we just leave ours and then clean it every so often. The mildew won't actually damage the leather. Just looks manky!

norre

I use a product from Carr and Day and Martin, its in a bottle with a squirty top and it is the first bottle of their two step cleaning 'programme' (the second bottle contains the saddle soap). It contains an anti mould substance that really works and stops the mould coming back on so quickly.

needadvice

vaseline

MDFM

from previous experience, the mould has done damage to the leather!!!! anywhere it lodges like at buckles/fastenings etc it weakens the leather, left long enough uncleaned the leather quality will deteriorate and weaken, today i actually dumped the neck strap of a martingale, just wasnt worth saving!! anyway, i pulled out the red yucky ko-chao line stuff in the tin today and got working on the tack, it really is good stuff, just horrible!!:(

convert

I have the same problem at home with my tack, though like zaraba and fits, I've not found the mildew to do any damage to the tack. However, If I'm not going to be using a piece of tack for a while, I clean it, put ko-chaol -lin on it and wrap it up in newspaper. Touch wood, it's done the trick so far. Messy, but effective!

For bridles and other similar things, you could go ultra high tech and vacum pack!

Serious overkill but it should work.

sunnyholly

plug in a dehumidafier( i think thats how its spelled!) to get rid of the dampness that causes mill dew

bada-bing

i have exactly the ssame problem in my shed/tack room! but if you wrap an old sheet around the saddle then it seems to do the trick! Ive mine in an old bed sheet and havnt seen any mildew appearing in ages! by the way i love that red stuff... smells yum!!

MDFM

The saddles are ok cos i've got covers on them. Anyhow, my solution since has being to buy extra sized mens wolly socks and shove them over the bridles, seems to be doing the job so far!!!:)