Ten Easy Tack Fixes You Can Do Today…

‘Tis the season…

Before it gets any warmer out, here are some simple repairs that you can do at home. First, though, a word of warning. There are many things that we can do to keep ourselves safe in the saddle. Some things, which I’ll list throughout the blog, must be seen to by a professional. Meanwhile, with just a few simple tools, we can begin.

 

What you’ll need to do most jobs.

We need very few tools to do small, homemade repairs. First, a warm, well-lit place where you can work. I like a bench where I can lay my gear out but I’ve also sat on the floor. We have an excellent leather supply shop very close to home but if you do not, you can make a little tack-fixing kit by ordering online from Tandy for starter quality tools at tandyleather.com, all the way to professional grade tools from Abbey at abbeyengland.com.

 

One soft cover booklet that I’d urge you to buy, available from Tandy, is ‘How to Hand-Sew Leather’ by Al Stohlmann. Otherwise, you can google just about any techniques you’ll need, including ‘double-needle hand-sewing’, which is the most usual method to mend tack.

 

• A spool of waxed linen or nylon thread, either white or brown to match existing sewing
• Two glovers needles
• A small sewing awl
• A large, round awl
• Scissors to snip threads
• A screw-on tabletop clamp or vise
• A regular saddle soap such as Fiebing’s, or a glycerine bar
• A bucket for plain, warm water
• Deep conditioning leather cream such as Oakwood, Lederbalsam, or Skidmore’s
• Small sponges and rub rags
• Saved scraps of leather from broken reins and latigos
• 3/8″ flat leather lace, or in a pinch, new leather bootlaces
• Hole punch
• Utility knife
• Needle-nosed pliers
• Hammer
• Slotted screw driver
• Heavy-duty garbage bags for clean-up and deliveries

When you are finished your repairs, this kit can be kept in a tote or bucket in the tack room or horse trailer. You’re now prepared to do all manner of emergency fixes on the job.

 

1. A stitch in time saves nine.

When our grandmothers said this, they knew what they were talking about. So many little frayed seams on saddle flaps or horse clothing could be stopped before they become expensive, extensive repairs. As I’m cleaning my tack – and I do a real thorough job of this during our long, cold Canadian winters – I set aside all things that are coming undone. I decide which seams are small enough to be doable, then I make a pile of all the bigger jobs.

 

The life-saving things must be taken to a saddler for a professional fix. Some things are just too important to risk learning on, or worse, making a life-threatening error.

 

These important jobs include: replacing dried, cracked or otherwise worn billets on a saddle; shortening stirrup leathers at the buckle ends; adjusting flock that has pounded down; just about every repair that is needed on a set of harness; broken bridles; shortening western breast collar billets, which are almost always made too long.

As I’m hand-sewing the stitches that have worn or come loose on bridles, broken keepers, edges on saddle flaps, worn spur straps, brushing or splint boots, saddle blanket wear leathers and other more cosmetic fixes, I’m checking the condition of the leather. If this is so dried with horse sweat that it won’t hold a stitch, or tears when I use the needle, I know that it isn’t safe for me to use.

 

Hand-sewing leather gives an appreciation of the huge amount of work that goes into the average piece of horse gear. We learn this and soon, we’re taking better care of our tack.

 

2. If you ride western, you must turn your stirrups.

Yet, we see people who should know better, who do not. This one thing will up your game significantly, allowing you to ride with soft ankles and a full range of motion in your lower leg. A rider who has not turned her stirrups – riding with them hanging parallel with the sides of the horse – will always have to ride with a tense, ugly ‘hooked’ foot.

 

Worse, unturned stirrups will not release your foot when you dismount, so they are unsafe. There are three ways to do this and all methods are easily found by Googling ‘how to turn your western stirrups’.

The first way is to deeply wet your stirrup leathers and fenders, then twist hard and run a broomstick through them when the saddle is on its rack. Really stiff leathers can be made better behaved with a heavy bucket hung from the broom stick to add weight. I tend to store any unused saddles this way as a matter of course, so that they are ready for action when needed. This old-fashioned, easy fix is my preferred way to turn the stirrups for those who have short legs, or for the free range of motion my lower legs need to arena-school horses.

The next way is to put a Texas Roll in the leather that is then wrapped with a latigo string and buckled. Usually a stirrup leather will need a little ‘finessing’ with a saddlemaker in order to make the roll possible but it’s an easy fix. This method is the preferred one with most working cowboys.

The third way to turn your stirrups is to unbuckle the leathers, then put a plain half-twist in the bottom piece before doing back up. This way works well if you have stirrup leathers that aren’t buckled, but are laced.

 

What will happen with all three methods is that your stirrups will now hang perpendicular to your horse. Your feet and ankles will no longer have to hold the stirrups in position. You can mount up safely without bending down to hold your right stirrup when inserting your foot to ride.

Check that both stirrups on your saddle have the narrow hobble strap buckled just above the stirrup. This is not a decoration. It holds the stirrup in place and keeps it from rotating on the stirrup leather. A hobble strap can save a life. Available at every tack store for mere dollars, if you don’t have them on your saddle, put a pair at the top of the above shopping list.

 

3. You do not need to pay anyone to deep-clean and condition your tack.

Doing this job yourself keeps you mindful. You’ll see the areas that get wear. The longstanding habits of how you hang your equipment. Whether or not you put up your reins properly. Where your boot marks show your leg position to be on the saddle flap. While you note these things, you become more mindful of your gear, your horse and the part you play between the two.

 

Undo all buckles and mark which holes are in use, if not readily apparent. Lay the items out flat on your bench. Working from the underside of the leather, wet your sponge in the warm water and lather some of the saddle soap. Using a circular motion, rub until the dirt, sweat and jockey marks are removed. Wipe the dirty foam off with a dry rag. Repeat over all of your saddle, bridle pieces, reins, breast collars, girths and any other leather straps. Turn them over and repeat on the top sides of the leather. Do not wet or scrub any suede parts.

 

When all is clean, you can work in some of the deep conditioner. Do not condition dirty leather, as this clogs pores and causes rot. Some people use a sponge but I use my hands, working it in until the leather feels alive and grippy. A buff with a clean cloth can put a bit of shine on the leather and keep the conditioner from soiling gloves, breeches or show chaps.

 

I sometimes get teased about how ‘greasy’ my gear is but as someone who does a bit of repairwork for other riders, I seldom see saddles or tack that are well cared for. Living in a dry climate as we do, leather left untended gets slippery, hard and dried out.

While you’re working, put some good music on, enjoy yourself and check all parts, especially reins and billets, for heavy wear and cracks… If you find them, they will go in the pile above to visit the saddler before being used again.

Be especially mindful of the linings on breast collars and leather girths. The pH balance gets out of whack with the build-up of dried horse sweat. It’s important to keep the sweat wiped off these parts and to neutralize this with the acid found in the conditioner. Some of the gear we use against our horses gets so brittle that if bent, will actually break.

 

4. A bit of prevention.

Wash your bits. There is no excuse for a build-up of grime on the mouthpiece. Not only can a dirty bit be uncomfortable, it’s unsanitary and shoddy horsemanship. Keeping your bits clean is as simple as dipping them in a bucket of water when you’re done riding. I seldom let my bridled horses eat, which helps.

 

When I’m cleaning the bits, I’m checking them carefully for burrs, the chew marks that happen with wear. These can be filed off with a shop rasp. Are the cheeks smooth and snug or are they becoming ‘pinchy’? Sometimes the bits we think are our favourites need to hang on the wall and be replaced.

If you are using a bit with cheek pieces, take a good look and see that the top rings that go to the bridle are bent out at about thirty degrees. Most bits are made and sold with these rings built straight up and down. Horses’ faces, however, are not. They widen through the jaw right where these bit rings are. Bending the rings out is one small thing that can improve horses with turning or head tossing issues.

 

While you’re at it, remove any metal or stapled keepers on your chin straps. These are cheap shortcuts that have no place against your horse’s tender chin groove. You can put sewn leather runners on a chin strap, or run a bead of glue inside your chin strap to keep it stacked. Better yet, buy a ‘cow horse legal’ chinstrap that is sewn without any metal parts to rub against your horse.

 

5. Get bridle-wise.

After you’ve cleaned and conditioned your bridles, make sure they’re set up right. All buckles should be in the same holes while on your horse. That is, if one is buckled in the third hole from the bottom on the nearside, the buckle should be in the matching hole on the offside. The throat latch should be buckled in the corresponding hole, as well. If they are too long, as they so often are, they can be shortened at the buckle end. If you are enjoying your hand-sewing, this is a doable fix. If not, mark how many inches must come off and put it in the pile for your saddler. When the bridle is on the horse, these buckles on the nearside of his face should sit side by side.

Another easy fix is making a western brow band bridle a snugger fit. You will know yours is floppy if the brow band slides down the cheek pieces of the bridle when it is not in use, or if you are often ‘losing’ your throat latch when you’re carrying your bridle. When on the horse, the brow band must be loose enough that it sits about three-quarters of an inch below the horse’s ears.  Western or English fads aside, brow bands that flop lower on the forehead are annoying to the horse, especially at the lope or canter.

 

Taking a piece of your medium-weight scrap leather, about the same thickness as your bridle straps, trace out two little circles about 1″ in diameter, or the corresponding size of your bridle rosettes. Cut these out with your utility knife and do your best to make the edges smooth.

 

Unbuckle your bridle and remove the browband, then remove the rosettes from each end. Place the rosette on the centre of each leather disk. Mark where the loop sits. With the hole punch, put a hole at each end, the width of the loop back. See the illustration below.

With your utility knife, cut a line directly from one hole to the other. Condition your leather disks well so they are soft and pliable. These should be able to slip firmly onto the back of each rosette. Reassemble your bridle. It might take a little effort to go back together but will now hold its shape, on or off the horse. Remember to set the throat latch that its buckle will sit right beside the cheek piece when done up.

 

There is an easier way to do this, by running a narrow strip of leather between the browband and the rosette. This strip will keep the browband, crownpiece and throatlatch held snugly but it won’t help your beautiful silver rosettes from getting dented or bent.

 

6. Fit to be tied.

Still in the western camp, one of the things I see sloppily done are those ‘bleeder ties’ on the bit ends of bridles and split reins. These ties are popular because unlike Chicago screws, they don’t come undone. That is, not if they’re properly put on in the first place. Note that there is no knot on the bleeder tie.

This is either put on with a loop that is tightened and holds the ends of the tie… or else it is bled through, just the same as the strings on your saddle. If you change your bits with any regularity, I’d go with the first option. Note that bleeder ties are easily pried undone with your large, round awl. If you keep your gear well-conditioned, the laces can be used over and over again.

 

This second method is a nice, ranchy look that is super-durable. This is done by threading the tie through both holes so that the ends, pulled snugly, hang in equal lengths to the outside. Using your utility knife, cut a 3/8″ long slit in the top tie. Thread the bottom tie through this slit, give a twist to make it sit cross-wise and pull tight. Cut another 3/8″ long slit in what is now the top tie. Pull the bottom one up snugly, then hammer flat. This looks after your headstall.

Split reins are a different matter. The bleeder ties are put on that if your horse has a wreck, or steps hard on a rein, he will not break it. The tie will ‘give’ and come undone. Remove the ties from your reins or else start from scratch with two 12″ pieces of whang leather or lace.

 

Saddle soap these so they are pliable and sticky. You might have to re-cut new sharp points on the ends with your utility knife. With your large, round awl, work open the holes in the reins. Thread one end of the lace through all six holes and pull until the ends are even.

 

Don’t pull tight quite yet. You’ll want to open the holes again with the awl and by criss-crossing the ends, lace the opposing holes again. I like to lace only four holes this time, so that my lace ends are coming out inside the reins. The look is just a little neater. Pull these really tight by hand, or else winch them tight with the pliers. Finish by placing the rein flat on your bench and pounding flat with a hammer. This ‘locks’ the lace in place.

I leave my ends on the lace quite long, four or five inches, as this makes it easy to see if the lace is loosening off. If so, it’s easy to tighten them by hand when I bridle my horse. Kept saddle soaped, they will hold for years and yet, will slide undone if my horse has a wreck.

 

 

If your headstall has Chicago screw bit ends, know that there are good ones that stay done up and there are cheap chrome ones that do not. Guess which ones most off-the-rack bridles use? I have bought machined brass ones online just so that I have some faith that they’ll hold up, even in a bad spot.

 

Otherwise, dab a bit of ‘Loctite’ thread locker, or even clear nail polish, in the screws before tightening. This will help hold even the cheapest set. Then, always keep some spares, along with your slotted screw driver in your emergency fix-it kit… and one day, you’ll be glad that you did.

 

7. It’s a cinch.

A rule of thumb with saddle billets and western latigos is if you’re wondering about them, even a little bit, it’s probably time to replace them. Do not ignore your inner voice! You should be able to bend both billets and latigos sharply and have them bounce back. There should never be cracks of any kind in these pieces of leather. Billets, while straightforward to stitch in, are a job best left for your saddler.

Western latigos, whether the near or offside ones, are easily replaced. The long, nearside latigos must never be saddle soaped or conditioned. Once we understand why, it all makes sense. Conditioning leather improves its pliability and its ‘stick’. If we do this to our latigos, they can’t be tightened smoothly and effortlessly by sliding. They get grabby and must be jerked, which is unfair to the horse and is the cause of much cinchiness.

 

Instead, when they’re looking worn and dry, they are replaced, laced in with the leather string provided. Again, no knots! Google one of the several trusted methods for lacing in a long latigo. The old, worn ones can be rolled up and kept for spare leather in our kits.

 

8. You’ve got nail.

While you’re working on your saddle, a few times every year, carefully turn it upside down on your bench. You’ll want bright light so that you can do a visual, as well as fingertip, inspection underneath. You’re looking for nails – yes, nails! – and screws that were used in the building of the saddle, particularly western rigs. These work loose and come undone.

 

While you’re at it, you’re checking for lumps in the shearling, even burrs. In your English saddle, feel for areas of shifted or uneven flock. Look carefully and then with eyes closed, feel with your bare hands.

If you find a loose nail or screw, remove it. Once it has worked its way out, it will not stay in. Be particularly mindful of the areas underneath screw-in silver conchos, as these are often put on to ‘pretty up’ production-line saddles. They come with standard-length screws. If too long for your particular saddle, these will actually protrude through the jockeys, tree and skirts after enough riding, to put sharp pressure points on your horse.

 

If you get the feeling that something working loose is key to the integrity of your saddle, take it straightaway to your saddler before the next ride.

 

9. Blanket statements.

There are horses who can wear the same clothing for years with nary a scratch. Others will have their blankets shredded within days. Either way, many of our horse-blanket repair bills can be reduced. Every season, I take the prior season’s sheets, coolers and blankets out for a careful check. Some of them just need a trip to the car wash for a good hosing down. Others might need a little hand-sewing on seams, surcingles and trim to keep from worsening.

 

The big jobs need to go to a trusted repair place. Good blanket fixes involve taking the binding off the blanket, fitting a good patch and sewing without flattening the fill. No seams are left inside the blanket to rub the horse.

Every season, I replace frayed or lost leg straps and keep a spare pair on hand for emergencies. I’ll take mesh coolers, western saddle pads, including wool felt, as well as horse boots to the car wash. Don’t forget your dirty grooming tools while you’re at it. I never use the soap but I do use a good blast of hot water on them and it saves my washing machine.

 

Western saddle pads don’t need to be made very wet in order to have the sweat washed off. They dry flat on the floor of the shop or more quickly, on the lawn. Contoured pads dry best on saddle stands. Simple cleanliness does a big part in keeping our gear – and our horses – in tip-top shape.

 

Otherwise, go through all the horse clothing and bag and mark needed repairs. This way, you’ll have the winter clothing ready for next fall. Are your sheets and fly masks ready for the coming summer? Now’s the time.

 

10. Yes, we deliver!

There you are, amid piles of organized chaos. One pile of important repairs for your local saddler, one pile of torn and dirty clothing for the blanket repair shop, a third pile of cleaned and fixed tack that you, yourself, have worked on.

 

Get the first two piles delivered. Sweep out your tack room and hang your bridles correctly on their racks. Saddles go on their stands with western cinches buckled up. English girths, unbuckled, lie over seats, tucked into run-up irons.

Blankets and pads can either by set over the saddles, as dust is hard on gear, or else put on racks or shelves. Brushing boots are organized in a handy bin by the tack room door. The grooming kits are reassembled with newly-cleaned tools.

 

Gear that doesn’t work, doesn’t fit, is out of style, or was a regrettable purchase is put in a box to either be donated to a riding group or sold in a consignment shop. Out-of-season blankets are either hung up or folded neatly and put into mouse-proof tack trunks. And now…

Congratulations. You are likely too tired to ride!

 

What is a repair that you are ready to try in your tack room? Tell us how it went!  Thanks for following the Keystone Equine blog. Be sure to check us out on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Share with your friends and please, ‘follow’ the blog by subscribing with the red button on our home page. Cheers for now, Lee.