From bits and stirrups to the silver on your Western saddle, knowing how to get a good shine out of your metal tack can make a big difference when you step into the show ring. These tips and tricks will help you to get your metal tack to shine like new.

Clean Regularly

Regularly cleaning your metal tack is key to keeping the job manageable. The more often you clean your silver and metal pieces, the easier the job will be. Heavily tarnished silver is more difficult to clean than silver with a mild tarnish, so stay on top of your cleaning.

Use Silver Polish and Polishing Cloths

When cleaning silver tack, a little silver polish and elbow grease can go a long way. It’s important to be patient when cleaning silver, especially if it is heavily tarnished. Apply silver polish and thoroughly clean the metal until you can see the shine emerging. The cloth that you are using will be discolored. Use another cloth dipped in a bit of water to remove the rest of the polish and reveal the silver. If the silver isn’t clean enough, then repeat the process.

If you are cleaning silver conchos or accents on a saddle or bridle, it is important to avoid getting silver polish on the saddle’s leather. If possible, remove the conchos before cleaning them. If you can’t remove the silver, then use a silver polishing rag, already infused with the silver polish, for a more accurate cleaning in these smaller areas.

Try Toothpaste and a Toothbrush

Toothpaste can also be useful as a silver polishing aid. A bit of toothpaste and a toothbrush can bring out a shine in your metal bits, and it is especially useful for the small crevices and curves in the mouthpiece and cheek pieces where dirt can accumulate.

Use a Dishwasher

Yes, that’s right – your dishwasher can be useful when cleaning bits and stirrups. You will want to give the items a thorough cleaning before popping them in your dishwasher, and make sure that you get any sand and dirt off of the stirrups. Remove stirrup pads, wipe down the bits, and put them through a cycle in your dishwasher. They will come out shining.

Treat Bits with Mouthwash

Polishing and cleaning bits can leave them with a stronger metallic taste than normal for your horse. To counteract this, pour a bit of mint mouthwash onto a cotton ball or rag and run it over the mouthpiece, then allow it to dry.

Cleaning metal and silver tack doesn’t have to be a major chore if you have the right tools and stay on top of the cleaning!

Photo source: ingimage.com

Original source: Tips to Make Your Metal Tack Shine