Hello all,

I have recently found a rolled leather tracking line (lucky me!) that I haven't seen since I moved house a year ago.  It had got put in with some gardening stuff and only just unpacked (poor garden).  As it has been outside all year it is now as solid as anything - has anyone got any idea how to really soften it up again.  I have tried the saddle sop/conditioner that I use on all of my other leads/lines, but this is just not enough to really make it soft.  This line was a present and I was gutted when I thought that I had lost it, but it's almost unusable now.  I have been recommended Neatsfoot oil but don't know where to get it- Any ideas greatly appreciated (as ever).

Cheers chaps

Ali :)

Ali

Neatsfoot Oil can be bought at any Horse/saddlers shop, some local feed merchants still stock it.

I use neatsfoot too :)

I'd wash your tracking line in warm soapy water - rinse it well and then lash neatsfoot oil into it using your hands to rub it well in.  Don't be sparing with it - smother it and then leave it to soak in.
Lara x

I use olive oil on my leather leads, that and constant handling, warming (by "wearing") seems to keep them nice.  I was recommended to use various things when I bought them, none of which I had in the house but I use a lot of olive oil so that was available.  I put it in my hands and then rub into the leads.

Word of warning neatsfoot is not good if the dog ingests it, olive oil is better if there is a chance of licking or chewing.

Hi I use a rolled leather tracking line and when I got it I treated it in the following way:

I soaked the line in hot water for 24 hours, took it out and dried it and then soaked it in hydrophane for 24 hours, took it out, dried it and hung it up for a couple of days to take out the kinks.  Since that time (over 3 years ago) I have never had to treat it at all apart from wiping mud off it if I have been tracking in poor conditions.  I use my line at least 3 times a week. 

HTH

If you go with the neatsfoot method it works faster and better if gently warmed, and you can immerse the whole item in the warm oil.  Word of caution "Gently warmed" does not mean heated up in a pan!  Once saw a beautiful, new, double bridle crispy fried in hot oil!
bye
Gwen

Hi

When we had horses all our leather was covered in coachaline (excuse spelling it was years ago now)
it is like a red jelly and it was fantastic,though made your hands red while using it,but easily washed off.
Cover the lead (or leather anythng) and pop into a plastic bag,leave over night
and  hay presto very supple clean leather.

The best bet is go to a saddlers and ask them, neatsfoot does rot the stitches

kocholine yes it is fantastic but not quite the stuff for tracking lines methinks.  I do use it for my harness, collars and leads though :D

Bit off topic but can anyone tell me if I'm imagining this or not. Since this thread started I have had something about using bannana skins on leather running through my mind. May have been to darken new leather rather than soften it. Or have I at last totally lost it? ;)
         

http://pages.tipking.com/use/tip_700.shtml

Yes, KoChoLine is brilliant, and not supposed to rot the stitching - we used to think that neatsfoot oil did.

Jo and the Casblaidd Flatcoats

Chaps,

DISASTER!!!!!!!!! In the immortal words of Victor Meldrew "I don't believe it!"

When I unrolled the line, it broke into a million pieces!!! It must have been so dry.  So now I am in the market for another leather line, I used my nylon one a few days ago and I still have the rope burns all over one hand ouch!
I may go for a 'ribbon' type leather one this time, what do you lot think?

I went to my local horsey place yesterday and picked up some Neatsfoot oil and some KoChoLine, which I'll use on my work leads anyway, so no waste of money there.

I'm still rather shocked by the whole thing- Isla and Kester were in the kitchen when I unrolled it and when the bits fell to the floor, they thought their luck was in! Loads of little 'search articles' all over the kitchen floor! (if nothing else, it made for an unusual search square!LOL)

Oh well, time to do some shopping.
Thanks for all the input- very usefull as ever :)

Ali :)

Can't give you any info on the flat leather lines as I have always used a rolled one, although I do know several people who use the flat one.  I like the rolled one as it never gets hung up in heather etc but the disadvantage is that it is very slippery when wet :D so to speak.  Which can, if you being hauled around a track by a steam engine, be a bit of a pain.

Not sure if that is any help at all!

Tohme,

Do they allow steam engines at Working Trials now then :) Bet they have to be on the 'working register' LOL

Ali :)