How to Clean a Saddle

Cleaning your horse saddle is a necessary step to keeping your equipment in great shape and making it last as long as possible. How often you clean your saddle depends on how often you use it and what you use it for. For example, if you go on occasional leisurely rides, you won’t have to clean it as often. If you use it for racing or training and tend to sweat a lot or ride in the mud and rain, you’ll need to clean it more often. You’ll also want to make sure you clean it before selling it, which will help you get the price you are asking. It will sell quicker if it is in good shape and has been taken care of. You also want to make sure you clean your saddle if you plan on storing it or using it in a competition. Either way, you want to make sure you clean your saddle a minimum of twice a year, if not more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• - Glycerin or other mild saddle soap
• - Leather conditioner
• - Small bucket of water
• - Sponge
• - Towels
• - Saddle horse or chair
• - Old sheet (if using the back of a chair)

Clean Your Saddle

1. Gather your cleaning utensils together. Make sure you have the items listed above readily available and easy to get to.
2. Set up the saddle horse if you have one. If you don’t have a saddle horse, set out a chair and cover it with an old sheet to prevent the chair from getting dirty.
3. Take your tack apart, removing the bits, headstalls, reins, girth, stirrup leathers, stirrup irons, etc. You should lay the leathers over the saddle horse next to the saddle. You can put the irons in a bucket of warm and soapy water. Undo any buckles. With a slightly damp towel, wipe down the saddle to remove any loose dirt, hair, or dust.
4. Use the saddle soap, or glycerin. Get your sponge damp (not dripping) and dip it in the saddle soap. Work up a good lather. Areas that may need special attention and extra cleaning are the leathers, stirrups, and fenders, since they tend to collect more dirt and sweat. Be sure to clean them on both sides. Clean using small circles. Rinse your sponge and re-lather frequently. Note: Do not use saddle soap on a suede saddle. Use a suede brush instead.
5. Rinse the soap off the saddle. With a damp towel, wipe the saddle down, removing any extra soap that may be left behind. Then dry it with a dry towel. Be sure to rinse well. If any saddle soap is left on the saddle, dirt will build up. For hard to reach areas, use a cotton swab or a damp towel corner to remove the saddle soap. Let the saddle dry. It is best if it dries overnight.
6. Condition the leather. Some of the best conditioners to use are lanolin, beeswax, or neatsfoot oil, which do not contain detergent. If using neatsfoot oil, be sure it is real and not a synthetic variety. You can tell it is real if the container says it is “100 percent pure” or “animal based.” You don’t need to use a lot of conditioner. Using a lot of conditioner can clog the pores and make it easier for dirt to cling to. Using too much can also soak through the leather and into the padding, causing damage. Note: some leather conditioners will darken the leather. If you don’t want to darken your leather, be careful when selecting a conditioner and test in a small, inconspicuous place first. If your saddle is very dry, use several small amounts of the conditioner.
7. Clean the stirrup leathers and metal fittings. Wipe down the metal fitting, removing any soap or conditioner that may have been left behind. When cleaning the stirrup leathers, wash with the saddle soap (lather sponge and clean) and then condition in small amounts. You can clean the metal fittings either with dish soap and water or a metal cleaner. Make sure the metal cleaner doesn’t get on the leather.
8. You have just cleaned your saddle. Keep it looking good by cleaning it often and storing it properly. The saddle will have a longer life if it is taken care of.

Tips & Warnings

• Using a dust cover will help to keep your saddle cleaner for a longer period of time.
• When using the conditioning oil, use it in small amounts to prevent damage to the saddle.

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