Q) Lets say you’ve just bought a new leather tack item. What is the best way to soften and condition the leather for use?

A) Test anything you apply in small spot first. Then apply in thin, even coat, let it soak in overnight. Re-apply if needed. If it doesn’t soak in, the leather may have a factory-applied sealer. Break it in on a few rides, then try again.

Q) Will a factory applied sealer wear off after a few rides?

A)  It will start to break down as you use, yes.

Q) How often should tack items be cleaned and conditioned? Is age of leather a factor?

A) It’s an as-needed thing, depending on leather, frequency of use & environment. If it’s chalky or cracking, time to condition. And if it gets wet, condition again b/c oils were washed out. Let it dry first – otherwise you lock in moisture. Mildew! By the way, if you have problem with mildew, our tried & true natural fix: Clean with 1/4 part apple cider vinegar to 3/4 part water.

Q) What are some “no-no’s” when it comes to storing leather tack?

A) Avoid dry conditions – you’ll have to condition more frequently. Saddles on saddle stand & hang harness. Cover to keep clean. Condition before you store. Leather Honey won’t evaporate, so it will stay in leather unless it gets saturated by water.

Q) Is it bad for leather tack to be stored in freezing temperatures? 

A) No – other than fact that it’s typically dryer when it’s cold. Condition when it comes out OR goes into storage.

Q) If leather is already cracking, will oiling it till it’s soaked keep it from getting worse?

A) Don’t over-saturate! Never until soaked, just thin, even coats. That will keep it from getting worse.

Q) Is it possible to restore old dried and cracked leather? 

A) Leather Honey will restore moisture, make it supple & revitalize. Hides cracks – unfortunately you can’t “fix” deep cracking.

Q) At what point would you consider leather tack “unsafe” to use?

A) If it’s worn thin around the buckles, you need to replace straps. Leather Honey won’t make it stronger – just lubricates fibers & adds flexibility.

Q) Is it necessary to wash leather before conditioning?

A)  If it’s dirty or mildewed, definitely. If not, could always wipe down with damp cloth just in case.

Q) What other items do you use leather conditioner on (beyond tack items)?

A) Anything leather (except suede)! Jackets, boots, dog leash, baseball gloves, car seats, handbags, motorcycle bags, furniture…

Q) What kind of results do look for in a leather conditioner? 

A) I like it to really penetrate, not float on the surface – otherwise you think it’s working but it’s not. Also want something like Leather Honey that doesn’t evaporate, that promotes flexibility and hides imperfections. And I want no odor!

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To learn more about our weekly #HorseChat on Twitter, click here. Also be sure to check out Leather Honey on Facebook for 10% off your first order and let them know you heard about them from Horse Family!

What do YOU use to condition your leather? Tell us in the comments below.

Mindy Hoggan is one of these people doing something cool. Her online boutique business, Lil’ Red Roan, provides fun western gifts for you and your loved ones – there’s something for everyone, and Mindy loves helping people find the perfect gift. We had a chat to Mindy about her business, why she started it, and of course we asked the question – who is the Lil’ Red Roan?

“I’ve always loved to shop and find someone the ‘perfect present’,” says Mindy. “When I find something I think is fabulous…I have to share it with my friends!”

A businesswoman from a young age, Mindy started in retail early on. Beading necklaces for friends in grade school, making belts in high school, and taking on whatever fun projects struck her fancy, she went on to major in business at the University of Montana. The ball just kept rolling, and three years ago, she started Lil’ Red Roan.

“My vision for Lil’ Red Roan is to provide amazing western products and help people find the perfect gift,” says Mindy. “We’re a small family business.”

This promise of personal service is backed up by the products on offer – a large majority are actually handmade by Mindy’s mother, Nancy Martiny. Original Cowgirl Cuffs, Martiny Headstalls, and the Cowboy Briefcases are just a few examples of her quality leather work.

Mindy offers her fair share of creativity as well.

“Love Letters from the West, Babe Magnets, and Lil’ Red Roan Christmas Ornaments are just a few of the little handmade projects I create,” Mindy says. When asked what the best thing about Lil’ Red Roan is, however, her answer isn’t the products.

“FRIENDS are the best thing about Lil’ Red Roan. I love the amazing people that I now have the opportunity to meet and share my favorite things with!”

So who is the Lil’ Red Roan?

“Scorpion was a cute lil’ red roan horse that my heart truly loved to ride,” says Mindy. After a long winter night of brainstorming through a long list of names, wrestling with the choices, and asking friends and family, Mindy started to think about the things that made her truly happy.

“Scorpion was short, stocky, and all heart. Whether giving his all to gather bucking horses or carefully making his way through a lava rock pile to get a stray calf, Scorpion always gave 110%,” Mindy explains. “Lil’ Red Roan is a reminder of a good friend, things that truly make me happy, and of always giving 110%.”

You can check out Lil’ Red Roan’s website, Facebook, or blog.

Mindy Hoggan Photo Credit: Chris Matson

Yes, it’s not just the holidays that have barnyards in a tizzy. First there’s the fall clean up to complete; putting away those extra buckets and winding up the water hose. Don’t forget to put that pitchfork in its proper place. There’s many a sketch portraying the poor soul who misplaced it and inevitably finds it the hard way. Then there’s the storing away enough feed for winter, (we keep our grain in an old, unplugged chest freezer to deter pests).  Straw or sawdust needs stacked or stored. As well as patching up some bits of fences and stopping up holes around the doors for warmth. But don’t forget that most essential element in the barnyard this season.

Hay is the best thing since cracked corn. Fall pastures touched by frost and drenched with mud no longer offer good feed and hay is a welcome treat. There’s nothing like being let loose on a Spring Pasture, but that is many winter days and nights hence. Right now, hay is the next best thing…not including apples. There are still the scrapings and scrappings scattered here and there and these will be munched on just because or often just for effect, in the hope that we might offer a bit more too eat.

Hay is surely a thanksgiving meal, although sometimes it’s “Thanks” with a quick smooch and a persistent, “Now give me my hay!”

Hay has many unexpected and curious uses. From hay forts to hay tunnels in the mow, even hide-and-go-seek spots. Of course Cecil has some other silly ideas:

“Are the ever-changing temperatures giving you a chill? Make your very own hay blanket! A round bale is required for the best horse-made hay blankets, though you can make do with a square bale if you have to. First you look sad and pitiful, till your person brings you a round bale. Then run around in excitement and rub all over the outside, just to soften it up for chewing. This is also great for those itches that are just out of reach. Next eat a hole in the middle like a donut, spreading some around for a nice comfy bed, and continue until the outer edges loosen. Then simply lie as close to the bale as you can, with your back against its side, and proceed to pull a section across your back. Be sure to keep it in one piece so it won’t fall off as you walk and carefully stand. Now you have your very own horse-hay blanket, and best of all you can bring your second breakfast with you. A snuggly, breathable, edible blankie; now you can wander ‘round the barnyard and you don’t have to make any effort to return to the bale for a while. Just watch out if you have pesky goats or calves around, they might try to steal your blankie right off your back!”

This farmer cautions that if your horse is a glutton don’t try this in your barn.

Hay isn’t just for horses. Of course hay is heartily enjoyed and devoured by cows, sheep, and goats as well, but hay also makes a wonderfully fun toy for nearly every critter in the barn. Even the most serious Pygmy Goat cannot resist a “mountain” of hay; even if that hay was not stacked to be the best kind of climbing course for one with such a wide belly. That pint-sized yearling sheep getting the headbutt every time she tries to eat, can show the others who’s queen of the flock and get the choice pieces, by standing on top of the round bale where all the bigger sheep can’t reach.

Of course hay is a prime scratching post for every critter with fur, hair, wool, or feathers…not to mention a preferred launching pad for take-off. An obstacle course is great fun for exercise, and laughing the cold away. Picking up a square bale by the twine, if it’s close enough to the stall, is a fond pastime for some horses. As is pulling the leaves loose from the twine until it’s light enough to distribute everywhere, with extra delight for how much ends up in the farmer’s hair. And don’t forget those purring barnyard hunters patrolling the stacks for mice and rats, who on the coldest winter nights hollow out a kitty nest and cover themselves over for the coziest bit of furry comfiness. Sometimes they snuggle with an egg or even a chicken for warmth too, but that’s another story.

Just a bit of hay fun can ease the dull hours of winter, when the critters have to be cooped up in the barn. Laughing through a midnight snack and when “mama” actually lets the kids play with their food. Whether it’s in a round bale or a square, fed by hand or forked into the feeder, given by the bucketful or a leaf at a time, hay is truly something to be Thankful for this Holiday Season.

Product Name: Complete Equine Organizer

Website: www.keepingtabzorganizer.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/keepingtabz

What Horse Family™ thinks about the product: 

If you’re someone who finds yourself in buried a disarray of papers pertaining to your horse, chances are you’ll like the Complete Equine Organizer.

The “CEO” has 9 beautiful file folders inside, with 16 different categories. The organizer is perfect for anyone who has struggled to keep track of deworming records, past vet visits, farrier records, show information, registration papers and more.

Folders are safely kept inside of a durable plastic carrying case that can be stored in your home, barn or taken with you when you travel. This set also includes “health trackers”, which are extra forms for you to fill out with various info about your horse.

Each CEO can hold up to 4 horses’ information. If you need additional folders, you can also purchase those from the Keeping Tabz website.

Overall, Horse Family found the Complete Equine Organizer a very valuable organizational tool for horse owners to keep track of all of the important papers that you don’t want to lose. To learn more, visit www.keepingtabzorganizer.com.

The Lowdown:

For those of you who don’t know what western mounted games are, or simply don’t know how they differ to English mounted games, the answer is simple – they’re games on horseback, and they’re really quite similar to English mounted games. Western mounted games usually use western tack (though at the lower levels, this is not a requirement), and include most of the same games as English mounted games – keyhole, barrel racing, flags, and so forth – with a few extras thrown in. The key difference between English and western mounted games is that western mounted games include both contact and non-contact events. Non-contact events include Barrels, Bi-rangle, Figure-8 Flags, Figure-8 Stake, Hurry Scurry, Keyhole, Poles, Quadrangle, Speed Ball, Speed Barrels, Big T, the Rope Race, and more. Contact events involve doing cattle work with the horses, and have a minimum age limit for safety reasons. The games are always timed, and most can be run either individual or as teams.

The Advantages:

Western mounted games are varied – some favor speed, some favor agility. All of the games, however, require a sound, respectful relationship between horse and rider, and place a strong emphasis on safety. The S.A.W.M.G.A requires all riders under the age of 18 to wear an approved hard hat, and speed divisions and age separate riders. This way, riders compete against others of similar ability, keeping the competition alive, whilst ensuring all participants are safe. S.A.W.M.G.A is also committed to ensuring that anyone who can sit on a horse can enjoy western mounted games – even the youngest riders can have a go in the Lead Line division! The games instill discipline, sportsmanship, respect and courage into riders, and are a great family activity.

S.A.W.M.G.A as an association covers the entire realm of western mounted games in South Africa. They provide all props and course building equipment required for the games, as well as the course layout and markings. They also take care of administration and event organisation. They will happily assist with promoting and advertising the event, and will cover all records and point-scoring throughout the day. Their requirements are that they approve all clubs and venues before putting on an event, and that only S.A.W.M.G.A approved props, equipment, instructors, course builders, and club members participate, all for obvious safety and legal reasons.

S.A.W.M.G.A also run an “Earn As You Learn” awards program, which rewards riders as they develop their riding skills. The Association is heavily focused towards the betterment of the horse and rider both as individuals and as a team, and makes sure that all riders, from age 3 to 90, can compete and earn awards for their efforts.

With such a strong emphasis on fun, community, and safety, it’s easy to see why the S.A.W.M.G.A is making waves. They’ve recently been officially recognized by the Ranch Sorting National Championships (RSNC) as being in partnership in the promotion of Ranch Sorting. If the safety, success and enjoyment of their mounted games is any indication, Ranch Sorting is about to become extremely popular in South Africa.

Like S.A.W.M.G.A. on Facebook by clicking here. 

(Photo credit: Image 1 – SAWMGA Facebook Page; Image 2 – Wikimedia.org, Jason A. Quest)

Guest post by Sally Tucker

Finding a passion in life helps sets our sights high. It helps gives us something to aim for, and it can build confidence that lasts throughout a lifetime.

Horses have done that for many a person and will continue to inspire people. That’s just what a special horse named Whiskey has done for a determined young lady: Carissa Dominey – a motivated and inspiring fifteen year old girl.

Carissa, like many young girls, dreamt of owning her own horse…of riding off into the sunset carried by a trusted equine friend. As those of us horse people know this dream does not come cheap or easy, yet for those with passion, finances are merely an obstacle to jump over on our mission to bring home our equine partner. Such was the case with Carissa, who set out to learn as much as she could about owning and caring for a horse by spending numerous hours at the local stables participating in any and all horse related activities.

A special horse came along – one of those once in a lifetime horses that we connect with instantly. Whiskey was a rescue horse to the stable and had been purchased by the stable owner’s family to save him from a life of hardship and abuse. Carissa fell instantly in love with Whiskey spending hour after hour talking to him, grooming him, ensuring he had food and water.

As the months passed on the horse’s owner saw a strong bond being formed between Carissa and Whiskey. A decision was made to provide Carissa with the opportunity to purchase him, and Carissa’s family felt that this might just be the ‘thing’ to keep her focused, provide inspiration, and to build confidence through her teen years. Horses teach responsibility, commitment, patience and the list just goes on.

Carissa then committed to 50 dollars a month along with full care of Whiskey and his half-sister for ten months, going above and beyond in caring for the horses and showing much maturity in her decision making regarding not only her riding, but her life.

“I won’t allow drinking or drugs or other problems that teens face to stand in the way of my horse and my life with horses,” she said. “When I am older I will get a good paying job. Then I will get my own stable to help kids learn how to ride just like I was taught”.

We all know that growing up can be tough. Young girls face many challenges to their self-esteem as they grow and horses provide an outlet – a place to share, to grow, and to keep focused on ‘the right things’. Carissa has found Whiskey and provided him with a loving home, a person to trust, and a lifetime commitment. He has in turn shown Carissa that she is strong, independent, and capable.

“I hope all young girls find a passion…” says Carissa. “That they find a Whiskey or find something that helps them through their lives with a smile and confidence.”

The harvest season is upon us and sunny days find corn fields filled with combines, choppers, and crows, and the smell of fresh silage breezes past the fencerows; where the upturned noses of the littlest calves and the snouts of the biggest cows absorb all the scents of dinners to come. Sunny harvest days with a chill wind are perfect for taking sun baths, lying in the hay feeder, and just taking it all in while winter coats slowly grow adding the oddest fuzzies here, there, and well, maybe not quite everywhere…just yet.

This time of year also produces something highly anticipated for all the months of the year. After many hours, days, and weeks; after many buds, blossoms, and growing time…the apples are ripening in the orchard. The pears are ready as well, and little thuds can often be heard as they drop to the ground.

Back in Spring the potent fragrance of blossoms filled a hundred acres or more; drifting across the fields, Eastward, to the Buckhorn Swamp and the Big Woods. For weeks now the strong scent of fresh apples is swept up in every breeze tempting even the most bashful of deer; currently residing in the corn fields surrounding the orchard and barnyard. However the compelling aroma of those beautiful apples is soured slightly by the pungent smell of fermented horse.

 Yes, you read that correctly. Around here the apples rarely touch the ground longer than a moment, let alone long enough to ferment. Equine radar is highly fine-tuned with the impatience of waiting through the growing season; being only able to quietly lick the branches and scratch the tree trunks with a many hands high rump.

With the whispering silence, be it day or night, of a ripe apple gracefully breaking a twig to fall for gravity’s sake, listening ears perk up at attention. You and I, mere humans, might barely notice, but we are not listening to hear this particular sound. With a quiet creak and a noiseless whistle an apple falls, landing with a muffed thud upon the orchard floor. The cider radar takes hoof and the nuzzling snuffles search out yon fallen fruit. Once found muzzled lips retrieve said apple and proceed to squishily crunch the apple, chewing till it nears a sauce-like stage, and swallowing to ferment in a rawhide barrel with four legs.

Who may this tipsy apple devourer be? Why none other than that charmingly befuddled Quarter Horse himself, Mister Cecil Cider, as he is frequently called during the fermenting…uh…harvest season.

My “little” boy Cecil Ford is proudly named for my great-grandfather; being my father’s father’s father…if you gather all that. Grandpa Cecil was a farmer by trade, a horseman by reputation, and a traditional B.S.-er by character. He was known for his bullheadedness and his stories and respected for his kindness to others and his knowledge with animals. He often helped neighbors with sick and injured animals when there was no vet to be had. I never got to meet Grandpa Cecil, nor Grandma Lil, but feel I knew them through the stories handed down to me by my family. And if Grandpa was anything like his sons or grandsons, as I am quite certain he was, he was a character to say the least.

When Cecil the horse first joined our barnyard menagerie my dad and I thought of possible names, but one that crossed my mind seem to stand out the most. When we, just in passing, mentioned it to Gram (dad’s mom) that was it for sure, “Oh that’s perfect. Wait till I tell David you’re naming it after Pa.” And that was that.

By his charming character Cecil the horse was definitely named appropriately. Did I mention my neighbor has a horse, a mare, just down the road, named Lilly?

During apple season, which this year started in mid-summer and looks to continue till the last apple falls, Mister Cecil Cider gets a little inebriated….well downright drunk. And it’s only befitting we give him the Cecil Ford cure: baking soda.

See with all that devouring and fermenting the ole horse tummy gets more than a little ripe. Whew so does the breath…and that other stuff. The apple cider vinegar taste is apparently so potent even the flies won’t touch him, but boy does that coat just shine in the sunlight; except for the places where he rolled in applesauce.

So when Cecil has one or ten apples too many…..Especially when certain little girls visit, better known as “The Cecil Fan Club” and manage to sneak in the extra armful of apples,  he stumbles back into his barn where we always have a ready supply of baking soda. He munches on that baking soda until he sobers up, drinks plenty of water, and then by the next morning he’s ready to go out and do it all over again. Leading my dad and I to contemplate sending him to Apples Anonymous. :0)