How to clean Sweet Iron bits, spurs and stirrups

In this blog post you will learn how to best clean and care for your Sweet Iron bit.

• What exactly is Sweet Iron?
• Daily care of your Sweet Iron dentures
• Intensive care for your Sweet Iron dentures
• Removing rust with baking soda

What exactly is Sweet Iron?

Sweet iron is the typical material in the Spanish Doma Vaquera riding style. Not only bits and curb chains are made from this material, but also spurs. Burnished iron is also used for the buckles of the beautiful Doma Vaquera bridles and the nose irons on the cavessons. Burnished iron is actually steel, although steel is mostly made of iron. Nevertheless, burnished iron or sweet iron has become common parlance. Both iron and steel have the property of rusting as soon as they come into contact with moisture. In equestrian sports, this would be through the horse's sweat or saliva, for example. The rust that forms on a sweet iron bit, for example, gives the bit a sweet taste, which then encourages the horse to chew.

The steel, which is initially silver-colored, is coated with a very thin layer of burnishing by immersing it in a molten salt solution. This layer of burnishing provides the material with a slight rust protection and gives it its characteristic black-brown color. The rusting property also means that a bit made of sweet iron needs special care, in contrast to a bit made of stainless steel, for example.

Daily care of your Sweet Iron dentures

Daily care of a bit after use usually involves washing it with water. Perhaps you also dry it with a clean cloth and then hang it back in the tack cupboard. A slightly different procedure is recommended for Sweet Iron bits.

Because these bits rust, it is sufficient to simply wipe them dry after riding. An old tea towel is best for this. The Sweet Iron bit and possibly the side parts are simply wiped dry with the tea towel. Then you can hang it back in the saddle cupboard. Depending on how dirty it is, the tea towel should be washed regularly in the washing machine.

Intensive care for your Sweet Iron dentures

If the Sweet Iron bit is used regularly, deposits of saliva will build up over time and rust will also form. In this case, intensive cleaning of the bit is recommended.

The first step is to clean the dentures with a little water to remove any coarse dirt. Then let the dentures dry.

In the second step, some olive oil is applied to the bit. It does not necessarily have to be olive oil, any other vegetable oil will do. The olive oil is put on a soft cloth, do not skimp on the oil, and then applied to every nook and cranny of the bit. Excess oil is simply removed with the cloth and the Sweet Iron bit shines with new splendor. Oiling does not necessarily remove the rust from the bit, but it does delay further rusting and cares for the material. This oil film lasts for a few uses, so that the side parts are also protected for a few uses.

Rust removal using a baking soda mixture

Rust can also be removed from a Sweet Iron bit using a mixture of baking soda and baking powder. However, you should be careful with this type of bit cleaning, as the bit will also be lightened slightly and you may not only remove the rust, but also the burnished layer.

For the baking soda-baking powder mixture, you need regular household baking powder and baking soda. These are mixed together in a 1:1 ratio and then stirred with a little water to form a thick paste. The paste is then applied to the dentures and left to work for several hours. After a few hours, the white paste has turned a little brownish. It is then removed with a cloth and the dentures wiped down. The Sweet Iron dentures should then be oiled to ensure they are protected in the long term.

Regular care of your teeth

With regular and correct care, you will maintain the dark color and enjoy your bit made of burnished iron for a long time. At Picadera you will find Baucher bits and Spanish curbs as well as spurs and stirrups made of sweet iron. 

Was all of this too theoretical for you? Then watch the relevant YouTube video here:

You can find a small selection of our Sweet Iron products here: