How to Clean a Saddle Pad

A saddle pad is a very important part of your riding gear. The saddle pad is the cushion between you and your horse. A clean saddle pad is comfortable and soft on your horse's back. A dirty saddle pad is not only uncomfortable, but it can cause rubs and raw spots on your horse's back. This can cause your horse to form a bad association with riding.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Saddle pad
• Stiff brush
• Mild liquid soap
• Water hose or squirt bottle

1. Lay the saddle pad upside down on a hard flat surface.

2. Scrub the saddle pad with a stiff brush to loosen dried sweat and dirt.

3. Squirt or pour just enough water to clean dirty areas.

4. Use a small amount of very mild liquid soap, such as baby soap, to clean the saddle pad.

5. Wash the saddle pad in circular motions from the center to the outer edges.

6. Rinse the saddle pad from the center to the outer edges. This will wash the dirt off of the pad.

7. Hang the pad to dry by laying it over a rail in the shade.

Tips & Warnings

• Hang the pad over a rail to dry. Laying flat could cause the pad to stretch improperly.
• Hang the saddle pad out of the sun when drying. The sun can cause the pad to fade in a short amount of time.
• Don't soak the saddle pad completely with water. By the time the entire pad dries mildew could form inside the pad.

Resources

• Find great horse products and cleaning supplies at horse.com.
• Useful horse products can be found at statelinetack.com.