What are some care tips for leather horse tack?

Question

What kind of things make horse tack leather more supple and less cracked? Is there any specific oils that would help? I just bought a saddle and the leather is really stiff. Is there anything I can do about it?

Answer 1

Saddle soap for cleaning and Mink Oil for softening and preservation. Another one for preservation is beef tallow. All beef tallow is is the fat from beef cooked down and strained through cheese cloth to get the meat particles out and the clear liquid will cool into a fatty paste. This is one of the best for preservation and waterproofing.

Edit: Beef tallow is how Great grandpa used to keep his leather. Can even be made into candles.

Answer 2

First of all, you can't repair cracks. If the saddle you bought is cracked, you'll never be able to oil that away. Eventually they'll spread, but you can do your best to keep them as small and minimal as possible.

A good oil to use is the Lexol brand of oil. This is higher quality stuff and thus it's more expensive. I suggest first cleaning the saddle with a good glycerin soap, something basic and not too expensive. This should get out the dirt and grip. When it's dry and clean, oil it intensively with either the Lexol product or a deep oil or conditioner. You may have to do this several times (making sure to give the saddle plenty of time to dry and absorb the oil). This should return some of the suppleness to the leather.

Make sure you also clean and oil your tack regularly. Especially with a used saddle, you need to be careful to keep it from deteriorating. Keep an eye on the cracks in the saddle. If you see them starting to spread, the saddle may be on it's last legs.

Answer 3

There is a special kind of saddle soap that you can use, I can't remember the name.

There are also saddle oils that you can get from tack shops.

It takes quite a while for a saddle to wear in - like a good pair of leather shoes.

Answer 4

I would get a product like Lederbalsam or Hydrophane conditioner, and follow the directions on the label. These 2 products are made to condition leather and keep it soft and flexible, so it stays strong and is less likely to crack or break. You can get both of these products from the major tack and equipment companies like Stateline and Dover, as well as at most tack stores. Use a very limited amount of water with these products- they are designed to work without a lot of moisture. There are other products you can use, such as Lexol cleaner and conditioner, and regular saddle soap, but one word of caution before you do- make sure that the leather is CLEAN before you start. DO NOT use Murphy's Oil Soap on your leather- you will RUIN it if you do. Murphy's has ingredients in it that just destroy leather, including cleaning surfactants that rob the leather of its moisture and make it more likely to crack. Likewise, be careful how much neatsfoot oil you use. Neatsfoot oil can and does rot stitching, and this can cause things like reins and bridlework to come apart at just the wrong moment. With saddles, you want to avoid using it on stirrup leathers and on the girth, because of the danger of the stitching rotting out and breaking. I worked for years in the horse business, and I spent some time working with a certified Master Saddler, someone who makes saddles and tack for a living, and he passed on the information to me that I just gave to you. He recommended the 2 products I mentioned at the beginning, and I have since used them for years on my own tack, with great success. These tips can be applied to the care of other leather products besides saddles- shoes and boots can be cared for with them as well, and so can purses, handbags, and leather coats and jackets. Hydrophane is much cheaper than cleaning bills, if you ask me- I have tried it on some of these things, and it does work. Good luck, and I hope this helps.

Answer 5

Saddle soap works great I use it all the time or there is also something called Henry's oil floor wood floors works just as good and you could find it at almost any store.Just dip a wash cloth in the oil and rub on tack then wipe down with wet wash cloth see different right away!

Answer 6

Gosh, it's so simple, I can't believe none of the other answers said it.

The first thing you do with brand new tack is oil it with heated olive oil. You may have to go over the thing a couple of times, remember to reheat the oil.

For future cleaning, use Belvoir - it's the best, it has a hint of oil in the soap, so it both cleans and conditions. You will occasionally (once every six months or so) need to use the heated olive oil.

Answer 7

Yes, there are several products to clean and protect leather...check with your tack shop. I always used simple saddle soap on my tack. New tack is always a bit stiff and there are compounds you can use to make it a bit easier to buckle girths, bridles and stirrups. Eventually, with wear, the leather softens up.

Answer 8

You have to treat it with saddle soap or neat's foot oil regularly. I would suggest you do it daily to start with, then weekly once you've got it to the suppleness you desire.