What is the best way to store a leather halter?

Question

I still have a nice leather show halter (beef) that I used 25 yrs ago, and my daughters also used it too (after soaking it in a lot of needsfoot oil)... now they are done w/ it and we want to store it. Any suggestions of how we sould store it? It is special to us all!

Answer 1

I have quiet a bit of tack, some valuable, some sentamental.  Once a year (twice a year is better) take it out and oil it down with the needsfoot oil.  Wrap it in a cotton, or wool cloth, which is also permiated with the needsfoot oil.  Put the entire bundle into a paper bag, or brown paper, like you wrap a package to mail.

DO NOT STORE IN PLASTIC!!!  Plastic allows fungus spores, and other nasty things to grow, and will allow it to eat the halter.  

Keep in a cool, dry place, but not overly dry.  In the house, in the coat closet would be a good place.  This will also keep the rodents away from it.

Give it a good cleaning, and try to get all the animal, sweat, dirt and hair off it.  Oil it down, and bundle it up as I sugested.  Use only natural fibers, like wool or cotton, and the paper.  It will keep many, many years this way.

~Garnet

Homesteading/Farming over 20 years

Horse owner over 30 years

Answer 2

I'm more familiar with horse tack, but it all is the same thing.  You should take it from storage at least once a year, every 6 months if you can think about it, and clean it up and rub it down well with the needs-foot oil.  Tack, especially if you are not using it regularly, will tend to dry out, get hard and crack.  If you neglect it  too long it will become useless. Good Luck.

Answer 3

Get yourselves a nice footlocker and paste horseshow, cowshow, crittershow, pic's all over it; decupage! and then wrap your treasured halter in a towel and keep in the trunk-locker. You could place the trunk under favorite cow pictures and have an area just for these mementos. Use this for all your livestock and pet keepsakes.

Answer 4

store in a cement walled room if possible with a dehumidifier running always and air conditioning

Answer 5

Mine is on a 1-lb coffee can attached to the wall in my utility room. I live in a climate where the humidity runs less than 15% for most of the year, so the little bit of moisture from the dryer exhaust helps keep it supple. I cover it with a towel, too, to protect it from dust.