Caring for sheepskin saddlery

Looking after your saddlery with care is important to ensure its longevity and comfort for your horse. Lumiere Equestrian offers various sheepskin products, including girths, breastplates and grackle nosebands. In this short blog we look at why sheepskin is a great option and how you can take to clean your sheepskin products.
 

Why choose sheepskin?

Sheepskin is a natural product with antibacterial properties, which protects your horses skin from nasty bacteria, making it a fantastic option for horses with sensitive skin.

It provides additional padding for comfort in sensitive areas such as the nasal bone, chest and girth area. It relieves pressure points and promotes skin breathability with its anti-wicking properties.

Genuine sheepskin products are always preferable to fleece or synthetic faux sheepskin, which can trap heat and don't have the quality of genuine sheepskin.

Lumiere stocks grackle bridles with sheepskin padding on the noseband. As well as sheepskin padded breastplates and anatomical sheepskin girths in both dressage and stud girth style. 

Our premium leather girths come with an 'outer shell' which enables the sheepskin to be detached separately. Lumiere 'build your own' girths allow customers to build a girth to their own preferences, choosing between cream, brown and black sheepskins which are interchangeable. 

How to clean sheepskin?

It is always good practise to remove hair and dried sweat with a soft brush after each ride. When washing sheepskin, products should be hand or machine washed in cool water on a gentle cycle with a good quality wool wash liquid. Allow the sheepskin to dry naturally away from direct sunlight to avoid fading and shrinkage.

After the sheepskin has dried, it can be brushed to renew the original fluffiness. Brushes with thin steel bristles are a perfect choice - for example, de-shedding dog brushes that seperate the fibres and leave the sheepskin full and fluffy.

Lumiere use genuine Australian sheepskin across handcrafted bridles, breastplates and girths.