Billy Royal Octagon Headstall

Silver Care

We use sterling silver plate on all of our Western show equipment. Sterling silver plate will keep its beautiful shine for years and years and requires the same amount of cleaning and care as sterling silver overlay.

All of the silver has a lacquer coating to protect the silver from air born tarnishing agents. If the silver should start to turn a yellow or gold color or becomes brittle and appears to flake, that is just aging lacquer. It is not defective. The lacquer just needs to be removed and is easily removed with silver polish or sprays. Once the lacquer is removed, routine cleaning is necessary.

Your silver should be wiped down after each use and polished on a regular basis to keep its beautiful high gloss shine. It is important to immediately wipe down any silver, such as Romel reins, that come in direct contact with the horse’s body, to eliminate the buildup of dirt and sweat. We highly recommend Schneider’s Silver sleeves to be used between use. The Silver Sleeves are infused with an anti-tarnishing agent and are wrapped around the silver pieces. Any brand of silver polish or spray can be used for routine cleaning.

Any brand of silver polish will quickly remove any built up tarnish. It is best to use sprays on larger areas and creams or wipes on smaller areas.