How to clean and care for your Saddle?

Horses Saddles Saddle April 12, 2022

As we invest a huge amount of money in purchasing a saddle, so it’s necessary to keep it in good condition for the longest time. There is no typical way of taking care and maintaining the horse saddle, yet it should be clear now and then.

The cleaning and maintenance part of the saddle depends upon how often you use it. In general, the more exposure to dirt, sweat and elements, the more you need to care for the equipment. More so, you can store your saddle in good condition for a longer duration if you are taking good care of it. Also, it will save your money from investing in another saddle before the period of 5 to 6 years.

Things you need to clean a Saddle –

Before buckling up your shoes for saddle cleaning, the first thing you need is the necessary supplies. If you want to go all professional, visit a saddle manufacturer or fitter and see what they can provide you with the utilities. Also, taking their advice will help clean the saddle without going too rough on the item.

See also: 5 of the Best English Jumping Saddles

Here is the list of things that you’ll need for saddle cleaning –

Saddle soap or Leather cleaner
Sponge
Some buckets of water
Bristle brush (soft one)
Towel
Leather conditioner
Metal cleaner

Note – If you do not have the prime cleaning soap for the saddle, you may also use glycerin soap as well. In addition, you can directly look for a complete kit of leather cleaner and condition that many companies are manufacturing.

clean and care for your saddle

How to clean a Saddle?

Though not every day, keeping your saddle neat and tidy daily will increase the life of the equipment. As most people do not tend to purchase a saddle every next year, they focus on keeping it clean most of the time.

See also: Most Popular Types of English Saddles

The first simple steps would be to keep it dust and free most times. Besides, it would be much better if you could properly clean your saddle at least once a week. More so, you can follow these simple steps –

Unfit the Saddle – The first thing you have to do is remove your saddle from the saddle stand or the horse. You need to unfasten the buckles and remove the fittings so that it becomes easy to wash in every corner.
Clean the Saddle – After getting it free, you need to damp the saddle with a wet sponge and apply some soap. Make sure you do not go rough and clean the area using the brush in small circular motions. If the sponge gets soaked with dirt, you can wet it and then use it again. Likewise, the process will continue until all the dirt doesn’t get washed off.
Wash-off the soap – Once your saddle looks clean, you need to wipe out the excess soap using a damp towel. We would advise you not to use too much water every time as it may damage the leather quality. There can be some tight places where you may not reach; use cotton swam to remove any extra water or soap residue.
Put on some leather conditioner – There are a variety of leather conditioners available in the market. Also, do not use an excess of it as it can damage the leather by going deep into the saddle. Furthermore, follow the directions of a saddle fitter for the measurable use of the soap and conditioner.
Clean the metal accessories – Once the leather is all clean and tidy, the next thing you need to take care of is the metal fitting. They do not require much effort, and you can clean them with a dry cloth using the metal cleaner.

How to store a Saddle?

The best way of storing your saddle in perfect condition is by cleaning and maintaining it on a regular basis. Likewise, if you are able to keep it clean after every use, then it’s a good way of keeping your saddle as it is in the long run.

See also: Types of Saddle

Here are some steps that you can follow to store your saddle –

Your leather saddle will stay the same if it’s clean and moisturized on a regular basis after use.
Make sure you store your saddle at a normal temperature. Furthermore, too much heat or cold may deteriorate the quality of leather.
Once you are sure you’ll not need the saddle anytime sooner, you must wrap it in paper or some fabric and store it inside. Do not store it in the open, or it will lose its texture and color.
After storing the saddle, remember to keep checking it from time to time. Remember storing something for so long without a check may possibly destroy it over the years.

Once you have the idea of storing the saddle, know that it will stay in place as long you maintain its cleanliness. Also, it certainly depends on the quality of the saddle that you are using.

Quick Pro Tips:

In some cases, the leather covering on the saddle can be too dry. Likewise, you may use some additional oil that is suitable for the leather saddle. Make sure you read the instructions before its application.
To clean a saddle properly, always go near the buckles after opening them. Make sure you are going in the deep areas, as that’s where most of the dirt lies.
If you are using a synthetic leather saddle, then you can gently clean it with warm water and mild soap. Once it is clean, make sure you completely dry it in the sun before using/storing it.

Last Thoughts:

It isn’t a big task to involve in saddle cleaning once a week or so on. Thus, it would help if you were willing to take part in cleaning the saddle so that it doesn’t wear off much quicker. Also, if you have any requirement to buy saddle online, you can go through our website and make the best choice.