Cleaning Horse Saddles
Mantaining your horse’s saddle is a top priority. Since saddles are usually made of leather, they require quite a bit of attention to make sure that they last and that you get you money’s worth out of them.
If you perform upkeep on your horse saddle at least once per month, you can prevent the build up of grime and eliminate the possibility of rotting. Of course if you ride more frequently than most, you may need to put in a little extra time tending to your saddle.
Saddles have a long lifespan in general, but if they are not cared for they can rot and deteriorate rapidly. It is also always important to use some sort of leather oil when caring for your saddle once you have cleaned it. This will help to preserve the leather.
If you do not have a saddle stand to place your horse saddle on while cleaning it, you may drape it over a sturdy fence instead. Saddles can be cleaned with just soap and water. You do not want to get the saddle too wet and when scrubbing the leather you should not apply so much pressure that you stress the surface of the leather. Doing so could compromise the effectiveness of the leather protector you have already applied.
Disassembling your horse saddle is also an important part of cleaning it. Certain issues can accumulate in neglected areas like fungus, mold or rust. These can ruin your saddle or cause a health risk to you or your horse. Thoroughness is a good technique to practice in order to eliminate any possibility of complications with your saddle in the future.
Place all metal parts that can tolerate soaking into warm water before scrubbing the tree and other leather parts. The metal pieces will be ready for their turn, by the time you’ve finished with the rest of the saddle. Again, too much water will destroy the leather and also remember leaving the metal soaking for too long will cause it to corrode.
The horse will cause moisture underneath the saddle, so you need to sanitize this area as well. And don’t forget to take care of any detached leather parts like the straps and stirrups. Do not replace any parts when reassembling the saddle until the are completely dry to avoid rusting or fungus growth.
After cleaning the saddle with soap and water, apply a leather protector to the leather of the saddle and oil all of its metallic parts. Spread the oil well over the entire saddle and do not allow it to dry in drips. This will permanently discolor the saddle.
So once the parts have all completely dried and you have begun to put it back together, assuming you remembered everything and what goes where, do not leave any parts out. Or one day soon, you will regret it because your saddle is not operating properly.
Routine upkeep of your saddle will ensure that it lasts you for many, many years. Saddle maintenance has both a visual and a practical purpose. Decay can come in the form of rust or bacteria which can ruin your saddle, your health or your horse’s health. The more you care for your horse saddle, the less problems you may have while riding in the future and the longer it will last.
Author, Tyler Wilmas, is a horse connoisseur and has a lot of great saddles for sale in his mountain ranch store. To learn more about horse tack and other horse issues, read more of his posts online.