Competition material wintering
Boots
• Working time : 10 minutes.
• Necesary material :
Hydrophane (a kind of neat's hoof oil, less thick and less greasy), sold in saddlery shops, newspapers and paintbrush.
• Directions for use :
1. With the aid of a paintbrush, let the hydrophane enter the boots outer surfaces. By nourishing the leather and keeping it flexible you will avoid cracks (picture 1).
2. Fill the boots with newspaper. It acts as a shoe-tree and absorbs the dampness which could enter the boots (picture 2).
Bridle
• Working time : 10 minutes.
• Necesary material : Hydrophane oil, paintbrush, newspapers, adhesive tape (Scotch®).
• Directions for use :
1. With the aid of a paintbrush, spread the hydrophane oil on all leather components of the bridle.Hydrophane oil on all bridle leather components. Wait for the oil to deeply enter the leather (about 3 minutes) and repeat the operation.
2. Wrap your whole bridle in newspapers that you will close with an adhesive tape. The leather will then be nourished and protected against dampness, absorbed by the newspapers (picture 3.)
Bit
• Working time : 5 minutes.
• Necesary material : Penetrating oil, paintbrush, newspapers, plastic bag, adhesive tape (Scotch®).
• Directions for use :
1. Apply some oil on the whole bit.
2. Take a newspaper sheet and soak it with oil, then wrap the bit inside it.
3. Place the whole in the plastic bag, which you will firmly close with the adhesive tape. The iron of the bit and its rings will then be permanently oiled, avoiding corrosion.
Horse box
• Working time : about an hour.
• Necesary material :
Some washing-up liquid, a grease cartridge, a half-litre of Crésyl (sold in saddlery shops), ten litres of shaving, a bucket, a sponge, a long-handled scrubbing brush, a watering can, a binbag by one hundred litres, and a cover (6 m x 6 m) if your horse box remains parked outside.
• Directions for use :
1. With the aid of a bucket and a sponge, clean the horse box both inside and outside with some washing-up liquid diluted in water. Then brush the floor with this mixture (picture 1).
2. To avoid corrosion, grease all junctions and mechanisms: parking brake, jockey wheel, winding system of the jockey wheel, hitching system handle, rear door hinge (picture 2).
3. Get on the horse box and check that each safety pin is in its seat both at front bars and at rear bars level. It is better to fix each pin to the relative bar with a string to avoid losing it.
4. Once that the horse box interior is dry, mix half-litre of Crésyl with ten litres of water in a watering can. Pass this product on all walls with the sponge, then pour the rest on the floor. Wait twenty minutes before uniformly scattering shaving which partially absorbs the dampness in the air (picture 3)
5. Now you just need to park your horse box opposite to prevailing wind (to avoid the rain coming in), then to protect the towing handle with the binbag, to stall the horse box with some big stones and, above all, not to put the parking brake on so that it doesn't jam during winter (picture 4).
6. If your horse box remains parked outside, don't hesitate to protect it with a covering so that hail, rain and snow don't cause cracks in the coating, which would announce future water infiltrations.
