Different types of leather that make up a saddle often need different kinds of care. How old a saddle is can mean it requires different care. Regardless, you will want your saddle to be in great shape for as long as it can be. Use these tips to keep a long-lasting legacy for your saddle.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
Before you start cleaning and conditioning, unbuckle every buckle on your saddle and tack. Remove as much dust and dirt as possible with an air compressor or damp cloth. Leather is a natural material with pores so removal of debris will prevent grinding it into the crevices. Ideally, your saddle should be wiped down after each ride.
Oil with the best oils and leather conditioners available to you. Use specific leather care products made for cleaning and conditioning leather and follow the instructions – use regularly to keep leather soft and supple. We like liquid, glycerin-based saddle soap to remove mud, grime, mold, and mildew. Follow with a leather conditioner. We don’t recommend animal fats, olive oil, or mink oil as it can darken the leather.
If your saddle gets wet, clean all leather parts that have been exposed to sweat and moisture, let dry naturally, and oil.
Do not use artificial heat or direct sunlight to dry leather or it may become brittle and lose its strength. Leather which has been burned through this process should no longer be used.
BRAND NEW SADDLES
Every new Circle Y saddle has been oiled and then finished with a protective finish, which means you don’t need to oil it for about six months. If you’re riding a lot in dry or variable weather conditions, you should oil it sooner.
LIGHT-COLORED SADDLES
Oil the back of the leather and not the top because the leather can darken. Make sure you’re using a leather conditioner product that is specifically for light leather and that it will not darken the leather.
ROUGH OUT
Rough-out leather is extremely porous and behaves differently than the grain side. In our experience, it WILL be darkened by what you apply to it, sometimes permanently to a degree, sometimes temporarily.
To clean rough-out, it should be brushed with a stiff brush. We have even used a wire brush on an all rough-out saddle, carefully. This will help get the dirt out of the pores and bring back the nap of the rough-out.
Applying neatsfoot oil to rough-out will initially darken the leather dramatically but will eventually lighten as the product is absorbed. If you are concerned about darkening the rough-out, we suggest treating it from the BACKSIDE (grain side). This way it will absorb the product to condition the leather but since you didn’t put it directly on the rough-out side, it should not drastically darken it.
SEATING LEATHER
Remove dust with a vacuum cleaner or a damp cloth and water.
Blot spots immediately, do not let them soak into the leather. Many stains will tend to disappear a few days after they have occurred, but some darkening can be expected.
