Ever had a zipper break on your paddock or tall boots? It’s beyond frustrating, right, especially as it always seems to happen right before a show or a clinic? As you sit cursing the boot manufacturer, frustrated at the looming probability of the expense of a new pair of boots or at the very least a new zipper, stop and consider this: the broken zipper could possibly have been prevented. Yep! That’s right! Most of us ignore our zippers. We clean our tack and the leather on our boots, but the poor zippers get ignored. And they are SO easy to maintain!

Here’s what you do:

We’ve all stayed in hotels, right? Start stealing the soap samples. Better yet, you know those annoying little slivers of soap you end up with after a big bar is almost used and you didn’t throw it away? DON’T! Soap is a zipper’s best friend!

Here’s the key: It isn’t just water that tears up our boots, it’s DUST! Zippers HATE dust! It gets in the grooves of the teeth; clogs them up; the zipper won’t slide; and then guess what! The zipper breaks!

Here’s where the soap comes in. Take the dry piece of soap, and run it up and down the zipper. The small bars and slivers are perfect for this! The soap will take the place of the dust, it won’t hurt your leather, and it’s a great lubricant. Whenever you clean your leather, soap your zippers too. Your zippers will move easier and last longer, and maybe you won’t have to buy another pair of boots just yet.

Photo credits:

horseloverz.com/ovation

Patty Watson