Most riders are familiar with a certain love hate relationship we have with our tack and riding boots, specifically cleaning them! It’s the best feeling ever to look at your saddle, bridle and boots when they are polished and clean, but getting them to that point, well that’s the beast of the matter. And there are SOOO many tack cleaning options out there! From soaps, to conditioners, to oils to balms, the list is endless and can be quite overwhelming! Additionally, many of these products can contain harsh chemicals with irritants that can affect the skin of sensitive horses.
Enter Sterling Essentials!
“Our products contain a special blend of natural food-grade products, as well as therapeutic grade essential oils. This ensures that your leather is nourished and protected while still being gentle on you and on your horse. Our conditioner provides a natural barrier to protect against water damage, mold, and mildew, keeping your leather in mint condition year round. Additionally, our cleaner is specially formulated to match the pH of leather in order to prevent deterioration, keeping your valued saddles, footwear, furniture, and other leather goods healthy and happy. Both the leather cleaner and the leather conditioner are offered in several different delightful aromatherapy-like fragrances.”
I had heard great things about this company and have been so excited to try out their products and share the results with you guys! First of all, let’s start off with a before photo of my boots, and can we say dirty?! Goodness it was time for a clean.
The leather cleaner is very easy to use and with a quick and generous spray I was able to apply a layer to my dirty boots. The fine mist does not produce excessive dripping or messy residue which I loved. I then used a soft cloth to wipe away the mud and was so surprised with how easily it lifted the dirt right off the leather! What a difference it made even in places where there was quite a bit of it, especially on my every day boots! Below you will see my paddock boots after the cleaner was applied.
Seeing these results, I was excited to try out the conditioner, and oh my gosh can I also mention how incredible these products smell???? I was sent the Lavender scented cleaner and conditioner, but they also have a Eucalyptus and a Floral Citrus version as well. I literally want to use the conditioner as a lotion, it smells and feels that good!
Below you can see how my riding boots look after both the cleaner and conditioner have been applied! So much better!!
Now time for my tack! I used a soft cloth to thoroughly wipe down my saddle with the leather cleaning spray followed by the conditioner which I applied with a tack cleaning sponge. Below is a picture of my saddle before cleaning and conditioning with Sterling Essentials.
And now for the finished work! Beautiful, clean and supple leather with no gunky or oily residue which was so nice! And can I say fresh?? When I take my saddle out of its bag I just can’t believe how amazing it smells! While I was cleaning it several of my barn friends commented on how lovely these products smell and even the following week one of the girls walked by as I was tacking Dolce up and mentioned that she could still smell the delicious lavender scent. I just had to smile!
I was so happy with the results that I couldn’t stop once I finished my saddle and went on to clean my girth, bridle, and Dolce’s jumping boots too!
These products according to the company, can be used on boots, tack, half chaps, belts, car seats etc. and can be used on finished leather, synthetic leather and vegan leather. And they were “developed with your horse’s well being in mind”!
“We only utilize gentle ingredients and special blends of non-irritating food-grade materials and therapeutic grade essential oils in order to ensure that you don’t have to worry one bit about what products are touching you or your horse. No harsh chemicals here!”
You won’t be disappointed with this company and their wonderful products! Check out their website for more information and see below for links to the products I reviewed in today’s post! Sterling Essentials.
JoslynJ Equestrian 