Leather Care Guide

1. Clean before you condition

Oil on top of dirt grinds the fibres apart. Wipe the saddle down with a damp sponge and a glycerine bar, work it into the tooling with a soft brush, then let it dry away from heat for a few hours. Never wash leather under a hose and never leave it in front of a heater.

2. Oil twice a year, lightly

Pure neatsfoot oil, applied warm and thin, is still the best thing for skirting leather. Two light coats beat one heavy one. Over-oiling is the single most common damage we see: the fibres go spongy, stitch holes stretch and the skirts lose shape permanently.

3. Store it off the horn

Hanging a saddle by the horn deforms the tree over time. Use a proper rack that supports the bars, keep it covered against dust, and give it air — a sealed plastic cover in a damp tack room grows mould within a month in western Washington.

4. Check the hardware every season

Latigos, billets, cinch straps and rigging rings fail before the leather does. Flex them, look for cracking at the fold and replace anything that has gone hard. A billet costs $30. A fall costs a great deal more.

5. Wet weather rules

If you get caught out, let the saddle dry slowly at room temperature, then condition it once it is dry to the touch but still cool. Salt from sweat is more corrosive than rain — rinse the cinch and wash wool pads at the end of every hard week.

6. Know when to bring it in

Cracked bars, a horn that moves, stitching that has opened along the fork, or a saddle that suddenly sits crooked all mean the tree needs attention. Stop riding it and call us.