Friday, September 7, 2012

housekeeping

shiny horse shames my dirty tack

I was supposed to clean all my tack and assorted accoutrements when Major was on rest for a month. That didn't happen.

So I finally took a day, and decided to give it my all. The saddle was the worst, so dusty and sad. After cleaning it looks so pretty I almost don't want to ride in it...almost! I do wish that the black leather didn't fade, but when clean it looks almost black, but soon dries again to light-black gray-brown. Damn.

Actually, the saddle bags may have been the worst. How to describe it…I can't, see the photo evidence:

pack rat in my saddle bag? Nope, just my stuff

The usual: granola bar, glow stick, string, gum, fruit snacks, chapstick, vet wrap, matches, bandana, loose almonds, mummified carrots. Yes, the foreground objects are not hairballs from the cat, but mummified carrots, months old. I am rarely disgusted, but yuck!

The rest of the tack is much easier to wash, just hose off.

lovely orange again, not dusty rust-colored

I also finally got around to washing the winter blanket last worn at the endurance ride in June. Yeah, should have gotten to that sooner! I also ordered a new rainsheet (on clearance from Smartpak, if your horse is a smaller size sometimes you can find good deals there!).

clean, won't last long

I even painted the rubber feed pan! Easier for the barn to distinguish his pan from the others.

Major Danger gets a new feed pan

I was running low on supplements, and ordered Major his California Trace (upgraded to the Plus, shipped to me and delivered the next day, awesome service), picked up bags of beet pulp and grass hay pellets, and fed him many carrots. Housecleaning accomplished! (Oh, the actual house…well, I left the Roomba running in the kitchen, does that count?)


4 comments:

  1. What kind of paint did you use on the feed pan that actually sticks to the rubber? That's a great idea...good way to easily spot the feeder from others.

    I love biothane/beta tack for its easy-to-wash properties...but then I love a good leather saddle. Now I'm feeling guilty that I need to give mine a good cleaning.

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    1. I used a Rustoleum spray paint, it said 2X on it (extra coverage maybe?) it came in the color I wanted! I've used it before, the color fades off after a few months, I just wash the pan good and spray it again. This time I got fancy with painters tape to make the M!

      The saddle is so nice all clean, but it is so dusty on the trails right now it won't last long.

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  2. I had a good laugh over your saddle bag contents...especially the mummified carrots! I can totally relate.
    When I was in process of divorce-I sent my arab Sinwaan from VA to my niece in WA. I sent with him a whole tack box full of stuff including water (gatorade) bottles.
    My niece found the bottles with some sort (gatorade)of moldy gunk in them. not sure if she bleached them or just threw them out.
    I have GOT to call over your way and see if there is any room for Falcon at the end of this month...talk about procrastination!
    But yay for you accomplishing your clean-up job-a necessary EVIL! : )

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    1. gross on the gatorade. I always put just water in my "good" bottles, too afraid of that happening!

      I think the pastures may be full now, but you can call to check. (For some reason I thought you had already.)

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