How to Clean a Bridle

Cleaning a bridle can be a difficult project even for veteran equestrians because of the many different parts that make up the bridle. To properly clean this piece of tack you have to dismantle the entire thing and then reconstruct it exactly the way it was before cleaning. With a few simple tricks this impossible chore can be made easy.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Glycerin Soap
• Neatsfoot Oil
• Metal Cleaner
• 2 Small Sponges
• Rags

1. Take apart the bridle completely. Unbuckle the buckles, pull apart leather, unslip knots, and take off the bit.

2. Scrub the leather pieces with glycerin soap and water. Use more glycerin than water to prevent water damage to the leather.

3. Place the bit in a bucket of hot water to soak off and dissolve the grime. After it has soaked, the bit should easily come clean by simply wiping it off with a towel.

4. Apply metal cleaner to all the metal pieces of the bridle.

5. Polish off both the leather and the metal with a rag.

6. Apply oil sparingly to keep the leather supple. The stiffer the leather, the more oil you will need to apply and work in with your hands.

7. Start putting the bridle back together by first placing the browband back onto the crown piece. The crown piece is the strap of leather that has the throat latch (long thin piece of leather) attached. With the browband pointing forward, away from your body, the throat latch should be hanging down on the right handside.

8. Attach the noseband/caveson to the bridle by running the long strap of leather under the crown piece from right to left (browband pointing forward away from your body).

9. Place what you have assembled on a hanging rack. Attach the cheek pieces to each side of the bridle. Buckle the pieces back in the same spot by looking for the indentations in the leather from before.

10. Put the bit on the bridle and then add the reins.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that when you put a bridle on a horse, everything gets buckled from the left side.
• Sometimes placing the bridle on your own head can put the assembly into perspective.
• Use the old indentations on the straps as a guide for where to place the buckles to have the bridle fit the same horse.
• The best way to clean your bit is to wash it a cycle in the dishwasher.
• Do not get frustrated reassembling the bridle, it is tricky for any level.