4 Ways to Maintain Racing Equipment for Long-Lasting Performance

In horse riding, where everything happens really fast, the best performance and safety are achieved with good equipment. Whether you are a horse jockey or a simple horse rider with a hobby, you should know where to buy your equipment and how to take care of it. For your riding equipment, the equestrian shop by Equijump is where you can find what you are looking for. However, there are ways to maintain your gear and prolong its lifespan.

1. Start with Cleanliness

Dust, salty sweat, and mud are some factors that can cause harm to your horse riding equipment. Tacks that are never cleaned will soon begin to weaken, crack, or, in the long run, corrode. After your ride, always wipe the exterior of your saddle and bridle with a soft cloth. Then, leave it out to completely dry.

To clean the leather, you can use a mild leather cleaner available in any equestrian shop and some leather conditioner to keep the leather moist and elastic to prevent cracking. Don’t forget about the bits and the stirrups. Give them an extra clean-up with some soap and water and leave them to dry completely.

2. Storage Matters

The way you store your riding equipment is as important as how you use it. A damp room or wet air can damage the leather tack and metal parts. So, use a dry, clean, and aired room. To add to this, use a saddle cover and a bridle bag to avoid the dust getting on the leather. The point is to protect against dust getting in your horse riding equipment. The best step is to have a tack room to mount some hooks for hanging your horse tack and for storage. Your gear shouldn’t be left on the floor.

3. Regular Inspections

Make close inspections a habit. Note the spots where the leather is worn out, or the buckles are about to break. Frays can become tears during the ru,n or the crack can break the rei,n and you fall down because of a blink-of-an-eye lapse. The equestrian shop by Equijump offers various replaceable parts. You should check for what you can repair or replace. Keep a few straps, stirrup leathers, and extra buckles so that you don’t have to replace the whole item just because of one little part.

4. Tailoring Care to the Seasons

Change in weather is natural, but this change will affect your gear. In winter, when the humidity is low, leather will dry out quicker. So, put some extra conditioner so it remains supple. In the sweaty summers, air out all the stuff because the sweat and heat of the body will damage the gear pretty easily. If you participate in a horse race in the rain, be mindful to dry your gear properly at room temperature. Never dry them near heat sources because the leather can crack.

The Equijump Difference

Ever mindful of the demanding requirements of your competitive equestrian needs, Equijump’s saddles and bridles are designed to handle the pressure. When you buy from Equijump, you aren’t simply replacing worn tack; you’re purchasing gear that you’ll be able to rely on racing season after racing season.

Simple Fixes for Common Problems

Problems will come, but there are always things you can fix yourself if you know how. A saddle stitch coming loose can be fixed with a needle and a heavy-duty thread. If a piece of leather is slightly scuffed, you can usually buff that out with a little polish applied to a soft cloth.

However, more serious mistakes need to be taken to the professionals. If there are any deep cracks or ripping anywhere on the tack items, you should take your racing gear to a professional tack shop.