When you make an investment in a quality leather saddle and tack, you want to use only the best leather care so it will last for a long time. While providing the best leather care for saddles and tack takes plenty of hard work and the proper materials, enjoying your beautiful leather saddle for decades rather than just years will make it worth the effort. Just like your skin, if you ignore it, the leather will not age gracefully. Saddles are exposed to the harsh elements of the weather, which cause them to lose their natural oils and dry up. The harder the leather becomes, the more likely it is that it will crack or split. So what do you need to do? It should be your priority to properly clean and maintain your leather to keep it beautiful.

First things first, you need to get your tack ready for cleaning. All of the buckles will need to be unbuckled to allow you to get to all areas of the leather. If you are unsure where the buckles go for the perfect fit, make a quick note of their placement to save you the hassle down the road of figuring it out.

Just like you shake out your rugs before you vacuum them, you’ll want to get the loose dirt off of the leather. A simple clean cloth with water will suffice. Once the loose dirt is removed using a tack sponge, apply a leather cleaner, like Chamberlain’s Straight Cleaner No. 2, in slow, circular motions. Get out your glasses if you need to, because you don’t want to miss the areas in the folds of the leather. Once your leather is clean, it’s time to condition. This step is crucial, so do not try to cut corners. Especially after using an alcohol-based leather cleaner, without a good leather conditioner, your leather will begin to dry and crack. Use Chamberlain’s Leather Care Liniment No. 1 to finish up by replenishing the leather’s natural oils or Chamberlain's Water Protectant No. 3 to replenish the oils and protect the leather.

Now we need to talk about mold because leather saddles and tack are particularly susceptible to it. Use an evenly distributed mixture of water and rubbing alcohol on a clean cloth to remove any mold. Wipe gently and make sure to find a well-ventilated area to do this so that the fumes of the alcohol as well as the mold spores do not get inhaled. If you prefer a commercial cleaner, try Chamberlain’s Straight Cleaner No 2. Our powerful cleaner will eliminate the mold while gently cleaning your leather. Once you have finished cleaning your tack, again make sure to follow it up with a leather conditioner to ensure that it does not dry out and crack.

Contributors
Chris Repp (www.leatherhelp.com)
Stephanie Clarke