Cleaning a Saddle with Ground in Dirt

This may not seem as hard as you might think, but when you spend quite a bit for some horse tack. You might be scared of messing it up. Here we join Denny as he cleans a fairly older saddle. It has some ground in dirt and a lot of patina from years of use.
This cleaning process is going to remove the dirt and help nourish the leather. It will temporarily darken the leather, but not to worry, as it dries it will lighten back up. This will not change the patina that has been gained over the years, but it will highlight the quality of the leather.
Items used in this video:
Liquid Glycerin Saddle Soap: www.springfieldleather.com/Sa...
Small Cleaning Brush (we used the brush out of this): www.springfieldleather.com/Cl...
Shearling Pads: www.springfieldleather.com/Wo...
Saddle Soap Paste: www.springfieldleather.com/Sa...

[@bubba7531]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. A tip of the hat to Springfield Leather and their team for making a clear and pleasant video.

[@beyondskyhomestead]

I am currently cleaning an old saddle from the same brand which has been neglected for some time. It is quite dry and needs new conchos. Thank you for your explanation, it has helped me fill in some gaps.

[@richardcollison9117]

Another amazing video to learn from. You guys really do have a good thing going right now. Please keep up the great work.

[@SpringfieldLeather]

Wow thanks Richard! We have been really trying to be better about getting quality videos out and not just quantity.

[@scottdunn6308]

Thank you very much! 😀 I like 👍 it!!!!!!

[@daleparker4207]

Thank you

[@lookingforthetrail]

Third ! I love your sense of humor !

[@SpringfieldLeather]

Denny always has some really good quips...just have to listen close for them. ;)

[@CantrellLeatherGoods]

You sure have a great treasure in Denny. He’s the real deal. Another great video that I couldn’t wait to click on and was excited for the notification! Real good information. What is it about the glycerin soap that you prefer over say just the Feibings saddle soap?

[@SpringfieldLeather]

They are the ultimately the same. The liquid just gives the dirt something more to hang in so that you can wipe it away.

[@davidashley2719]

FIRST! Looking forward to good leather wisdom. 👍

[@SpringfieldLeather]

Short and sweet! Hope you liked it David!

[@tothemoonandbackaquino3009]

Can I clean my saddle with product to make it more lighter?

[@kimmestrom9113]

What kind of western saddle is it your cleaning?

[@AbuelitaPaloma]

Looks good. How would you clean silver on a saddle?

[@SpringfieldLeather]

You can take the conchos off and clean them that way or replace them. If you use a cleats polish…you might try it on the back of it first. That way you can see if it will hurt it in any way.

[@vitalivicol6874]

Scolico sit tace sedlo .i cac mojna naiti tacoe sedlo. ?

[@joelheffelfinger2253]

Do you check the tree to see if it's broken before cleaning it? If so how do you check for a broken tree? Thank you.

[@SpringfieldLeather]

We did off camera. We did have a newer video where we repair a saddle and show checking the tree.

[@Rx_Bluegrass]

I clean saddles, tack and custom western boots for a living and I have to say that this method may do more damage to your saddle than just leaving it alone. Soap of any kind is an enemy to leather. Just because it says "Saddle Soap" doesn't make it any better. It's still SOAP and you want to keep it as far away from your saddle as possible. The next problem is the stiff bristle brush he's using. On a brand new saddle it may not do much damage but why would you need to use it on a new saddle. On an old saddle that has not been cared for or maintained, the leather is going to be very dry and brittle. The more you brush with that stiff bristle stuff, the more you're going to turn that saddle into just so much dust and powder. So if you have a saddle that is somewhere in between brand new and ancient, you'd be better off with a piece of sheepskin or a horsehair shoe brush. I've seen saddles where the owner has tried to clean it themselves with this method and the leather looked like they'd taken a wire brush to it. There are two products I use. First: Lexol Leather conditioner. You can get it at those supply stores that sell things for tractors and rural folk for around 10 or 11 bucks or it's only 6.97 from Amazon with free delivery options. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07LGPT3SX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The next product is: Skidmores Leather Cream. It is by far the best conditioner for leather that I have found in 40 years. I have used it to restore antique leather furnitue as well as to preserve customt the owner an I don't get paid to endorse them) It's a bit expensive, but it doesn't take much to use it leather boots, saddles and tack. It's all natural products and I can't say enough good about it (No I'm not the owner and I don't get paid to endorse them) It's expensive but it doesn't take much to use it effectively and it can last a good long time before you need to buy more. www.amazon.com/dp/B06W9KQSGS?ref=nb_sb_ss_w_as-ypp-rep_ypp_rep_k0_1_11&crid=4WBTYJ7SJILV&sprefix=skidmores+l

[@Rx_Bluegrass]

NEVER use anything called SOAP on your good leather. There are much better leather cleaners on the market today. SOAP is a drying agent and not good for leather. Our grandads had to use saddle soap because that's all they had. They also had to worm their horses with chewing tobbaco because that's all they had. Today there is no excuse for either.