How can I get my reins soft again?!

I have a couple of pairs of fabric reins that are starting to get a bit stiff.
I wish I could just chuck 'em in the washing machine but some fool decided that leather on fabric reins was fantastic (forgot about the cleaning aspect perhaps)

Jokes aside, what can I do to get them soft?! I'm going tack shopping once I've saved up a bit more but would still keep the fabric reins and old bridles for trails.

I also have a pair of laced leather reins. Is the best way of keeping these supple to douse them in generous amounts of leather oil?
The browband on this bridle is simply ridiculous!
Think spiky 'bulldog' dog collar..

Haha, didn't notice the kittens lounging in the background.
They're so funny when they starting pouncing at everything and bouncing around.
Time to take them out to meet the horses I think ;D

Clean and condition the leather pieces on the web reins, then dunk the fabric end into a bucket of water that has 2 cap fulls of fabric softener. Swish the reins around until the web is well soaked. Let them hang dry, then condition the leather pieces again.

For leather reins, clean and condition as usual. I like to use Belvior's Step 2 spray conditioner for my bridles. If they're really stiff, I'll put a couple coats of Passier Lederbalsam on the next day. I don't prefer to use oil on bridles as it can weaken the leatehr causing stretching and the lacing can come undone over time.

You can throw them in the washing machine. Condition the leather after.

Yep throw them in the washing machine, or soak them in some warm/hot soapy water. They're not going to get any softer if they're full of dirt/sweat etc! Just whack some oil on the leather afterwards.

As for leather reins, if you buy new ones, I like to chuck them in a bucket of oil and let them soak in the sun for a few hours. Put some oil in the bottom of a bucket, put the reins in, swish them around so they'er completely wet with oil, and then leave them in the sun/somewhere warm. After a few hours, take them out, polish them off with a soft cloth and store then in a cotton bag.

Oil is actually extremely detremental to leather reins, DO NOT soak them, or rub oil on them. Yes, this softens them, but it is doing it by breaking and loosening the fibres within the leather.
The best way to look after your leather is to use a leather grease, that is full of natural fats and bees wax. This conditions the leather, and does not effect the fibres.
Leather is a living product, so by using the grease you are carrying on the natural process that the cow itself would have used.

Thanks for the replies. I will probably do the soak in the bucket thing until I feel 'safe' enough to put em in the wash haha. I'm so worried they'll fall to bits when I take them out of the machine >___<


And thanks for the leather tip Kayty! (:

I've been doing this to a $300 competition bridle that I've had for nearly 10 years and it is soft, supple and not a stitch or fibre is out of place. Also have showie friends who have bridles worth in excess of $800 who soak their leather bridles in the same manner.

I agree with Kayty I use this method have used it with my bridle for about 12 years now and it is still looking new and is supple and soft.