Actually, whatever works for you is the right way to do it! Some folks have liked it better when they have raised suds with it, which does take more water. 
I usually use less water, but most of my tack doesnât get very dirty.
Youâd have to actually use it for it to get dirty! :lol:
Thank you for the additional reviews!!
Libby (<grumble, grumble> Must.Go.Ride.Horse)
[QUOTE=cottonXCblondie;6985808]
I was so excited to be able to write another review and give more amazing before & after photosâŠI bought my tiny human an old 15" Crosby that is dirty dirty dirty (is that mold?) from one of the facebook tack groups and it arrived and I was so excited about itâŠitâs 19"âŠso it will be going back 
âŠthough I do kind of want to clean it still just to see that âafterâ effect" :)[/QUOTE]
Okay so I just cleaned the âoops saddleâ and its leathers that surprisingly came with it, they were mostly just OLD and crackled and they had keepers on them, which Iâve never seen on stirrup leathers before. Anyway. I spent a good bit of time on the saddle, broke out a toothbrush (Iâd never cleaned anything that POROUS beforeâŠI kind of wanted to go get the microderm machine from the spa but refrained) and got rid of whatever was in all of the little pores of the leather (you can see the tiny white dots, but it doesnât show up as being EVERYWHERE like it really was). Iâve kind of bonded with it but I do not need it sitting around, need to get Wee One an actual 15". Iâm going to relist the new CLEAN pictures on English Tack Trader on fb to see if I can unload it so I donât have to lose out on shipping when it goes back to the seller.
PICTURES!
Wow. Just wow. I find it surprising that anyone would send a saddle out for sale in that condition, but you did a fantastic job on getting it clean!!
The seller should pay you for fixing it all up!
Thank you for the before and afters! Those are great!
Libby
Those are the best before/after shots ever!!!
Amazing before and after photos! I donât get impressed easily, but wow!
Iâve had my soap for about three weeks now, rosemary mint, which smells great. No problems with the padded envelope coming to Nebraska, I read the instructions card, and although they werenât eaten (sugar restriction for both my horses and I!} the little candies were a nice touch.
I love cleaning tack so I didnât have anything that needed major work. I do have a new Vespucci bridle for my mare that is rather âthirstyâ and bleeds color (glad it was on super sale), and the soap has done a nice job of making it softer and more pliable. The color continues to bleed a bit, but it seems to be getting better.
I also have a new âalmost perfectâ Pessoa A/O Pro saddle from Dover for that I just got last week. Doverâs âalmost perfectâ would be my âgood used conditionâ, so I used the soap to touch it up. It worked great on making the wear marks on the flaps disappear, and also helped minimize the appearance of a noticeable scuff on the cantle. I got a sweat stain on the seat last week which somewhat mortified me, and a once-over with the soap right after the ride helped make it look not so terrible. Iâm going to see if I can use a bit more water to make the stain even less noticeable.
Iâm with others who like the fact that it doesnât leave leather super shiny.
I havenât read all the posts, but if you need testers for a sheath cleaner my gelding would love you forever - he likes getting dirty and likes being cleanedâŠ
Holy cow cottonXC, thatâs seriously impressive!!
If leather could have feelings, then the very grungy/neglected CWD girth I received a few weeks ago looked âhappyâ for the first time tonight after I used Bensmomâs soap
[QUOTE=cottonXCblondie;6989139]
PICTURES!
WOWZA!!!
Bensmom, youâll get a TON of sales if you can use these photos to advertise! :yes:
I just bought some. Canât wait to try it! And I canât wait to throw out my PINE scented glycerine soap. Pine? Really? I didnât even notice when I bought it and it stinks up my house!
I just got some as a birthday present and I immediately ran to go try it on my ancient Stubben Rex! The saddle is 20+ years old, and in relatively good condition, though extremely dry and just generally old feeling.
First of all, I LOVE the packaging! Itâs cute and also really easy to get the soap out of, I can tell it wonât be too challenging to use even after I get to the very bottom of the container.
Second, the soap is amazing! Iâm definitely a convert. It went on so easily and smoothly, and it powered through dirt and grime I didnât even know was there. The saddle is cleaner and softer than it has been in the last 15 years, Iâll bet. The scent is lovely too, there without being overpowering.
Libby you better brace yourself as you are going to be very busy!!!
I used the Higher Standards Saddle Soap on my dressage saddle over the weekend. The soap smells really good, not overpowering just a nice clean rosemary mint scent.
I clean my tack regularly but it still gets filthy dirty from being used. I should have taken some before and after pictures since the soap worked much better than I ever expected. I normally use bar or spay on glycerine saddle soap and it never removes the yucky gooey black boot residue. In the past I have resorted to using a butter knife, pure ammonia and sometimes a kitchen scrubby to get that stuff off.
I was amazed that with a little elbow grease that black sticky junk came completely off, and my saddle was left clean, soft, feeling conditioned and very shiney.
Your saddle soap is simply the best saddle soap I have ever used. Now I know what to buy my horsey friends for Christmas this year!
Ditto on the Xmas pressies!
I sound like a broken record, but you guys really are awesome!
Iâve been futzing around with the ideas of what to make available for Christmas presents â the problem with the half or sample sizes is that it costs almost as much to produce a 4 oz size as it does to produce the 8 oz. I was really surprised by that, but my DH was madly running numbers and with the cost of the containers not being appreciably different, it really does come out to be about the same.
I canât imagine that people would be happy to buy the 4 oz at a cost of $12 when the 8 oz sells at $14.95. So, Iâve been trying to think of some other ideas â if everyone that is trying the conditioner likes it, I can do soap/conditioner gift packs. I could also do a group of soap for a reduced price. Special Holiday scents?
Hmmmm
Thank you for all the review and the ideas!!
Oooh, can I suggest a couple holiday scents? How about âOrange Cloveâ and âCranberry Cinnamonâ? MmmmmâŠ
Libby, what about 2 ounce sample sizes? 4 ounces seems quite large, given that the regular size is 8 ounces. Would that be more cost-effective? (Can you tell I REALLY want these samples? 
)
Well, we need to look at some jars and see! Iâm worried that 2 oz would only have enough to clean your tack, like, twice?! But, on the other hand, it wouldnât need to ship with a sponge and the 2 oz jars are a lot cheaper . . .
Hmmm â what do you guys think? Would you be interested in one that small? Albion sends their conditioner out in a 2 oz size when you buy a saddle.
Hmmmmm â sounds like I need to do some more investigating!
Hi from the Hunter/Jumper ForumâŠword is getting out about this awesome soap!
I love everything about your story and your soap. I got the vanilla-lavender and adore it.
I too would like to order a bunch more as Christmas gifts for my barn pals. Like a dozen? In assorted scents, maybe?
So basically: BRACE YOURSELF, BENSMOM!
I bet we fans wouldnât mind ordering early so you donât have so much stress in December and can enjoy the holidays yourself:)
Heck, with the 8 ounces I have cleaned a saddle, bridle, halter, & half chaps, plus have cleaned my paddock boots at least 4 times and I still have a ton left! So I think 2 ounces is totally fine for a sample, and no I would not expect a sponge with a sample (actually, I didnât even expect one with the regular size, but it was a very nice touch!).
Holiday scents? Mmmmmm, like peppermint bark or Christmas cookies? Yes, please! :yes:
Actually, I think being able to clean your tack twice is quite appropriate for a sample size. Really, I do. A sample is often just one use, so two seems quite reasonable to me. And like Frizzle points out, itâs probably a little more than that anyway.
So maybe a sampler pack of 2 or 3 different scents for Christmas, or as has been said, special Christmas scents?
I think 2oz is plenty! Iâve only cleaned a couple things, but I havenât made a dent in my 8oz.
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