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.
Cleaning your saddle on a monthly basis will help keep maintenance minimal and prevent the hefty job of undoing long term neglect. If you use your saddle on a more regular basis, you may need to tend to it more frequently.
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.
A yard or ranch fence is a good place to perch your saddle when you are working on it. The saddle can be cleaned with a mild detergent and warm water. Do not use too much water on the leather itself or it will be destroyed. Scrub the leather lightly so as not to rip or tear the surface. This will maintain the integrity of the sealant.
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.
While you are scrubbing the main part of the saddle, soak the detached metal parts that are safe to soak. You will be finishing these later. Do not leave them soaking longer than it takes to clean the rest of the horse saddle. Do not soak any leather!
Remember that the horse is in contact with the underside of the saddle, so do not forget to clean this part as well. You will also need to clean all straps and harnesses and any metal pieces that are connected to the saddle core. Be sure these are allowed to dry before the saddle is stored to prevent rusting.
Clean parts are now ready for an application of some sort of protectant, both the leather and metal parts. When applying the oils to leather, do so evenly so that it doesn't leave strange smears and streaks and be sure to clean away any extra drips or pools of oil that accumulate.
Once you have oiled your saddle and thoroughly dried off all of the leather and metallic parts, it is time to reassemble your saddle, Hopefully, you have kept careful track of all the parts that you detached. Do not leave any parts out when putting it back together or the saddle may fall apart or fail during use.
Taking Care Of your horse saddle will prolong it's usefulness. You are working to keep up it's looks and it's functionality. Rust and rot can break down a saddle and have a negative effect on you or your horse's health. If you tend to your horse saddle on a regular basis, you should have no problems keeping it in great, usable riding condition.
Cleaning your saddle on a monthly basis will help keep maintenance minimal and prevent the hefty job of undoing long term neglect. If you use your saddle on a more regular basis, you may need to tend to it more frequently.
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.
A yard or ranch fence is a good place to perch your saddle when you are working on it. The saddle can be cleaned with a mild detergent and warm water. Do not use too much water on the leather itself or it will be destroyed. Scrub the leather lightly so as not to rip or tear the surface. This will maintain the integrity of the sealant.
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.
While you are scrubbing the main part of the saddle, soak the detached metal parts that are safe to soak. You will be finishing these later. Do not leave them soaking longer than it takes to clean the rest of the horse saddle. Do not soak any leather!
Remember that the horse is in contact with the underside of the saddle, so do not forget to clean this part as well. You will also need to clean all straps and harnesses and any metal pieces that are connected to the saddle core. Be sure these are allowed to dry before the saddle is stored to prevent rusting.
Clean parts are now ready for an application of some sort of protectant, both the leather and metal parts. When applying the oils to leather, do so evenly so that it doesn't leave strange smears and streaks and be sure to clean away any extra drips or pools of oil that accumulate.
Once you have oiled your saddle and thoroughly dried off all of the leather and metallic parts, it is time to reassemble your saddle, Hopefully, you have kept careful track of all the parts that you detached. Do not leave any parts out when putting it back together or the saddle may fall apart or fail during use.
Taking Care Of your horse saddle will prolong it's usefulness. You are working to keep up it's looks and it's functionality. Rust and rot can break down a saddle and have a negative effect on you or your horse's health. If you tend to your horse saddle on a regular basis, you should have no problems keeping it in great, usable riding condition.
About the Author:
About the Author, Tyler Wilmas is a horse connoisseur and has a lot of great saddles for sale in his feed supply shop. To learn more about horse tack and other horse issues, read more of his posts online.
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