Can't get saddle to soften up

[mvp]

E-mailling Nikki at BC will do. She can just get buried in stuff. I took her awhile to dig out my message, but she did reply. Give it a week and then politely ask again.

Buck22-- you need to put some kind of warning up for the fragile tack mavens. I just about spewed when I saw the before pictures. The after look pretty dang good.

Again, to the OP: Blackrock is a favorite product of peeps softening old western saddles. I tried a container once and I can’t remember whether its superpowers were greater than, less than or different from those of neatsfoot. I suppose it’s worth adding a bottle (can?) to your holster.

[Hampton_Bay]

The magic eraser is probably a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, from the grocery. It has a bit of ammonia in it so it will help remove any varnish on the leather. They are useful for many, many things.

[mortebella]

Yeah, see, these befores really give me hope. Surely my beast can be tamed I take it from the afters that buck22’s saddle is now nicely behaved and drapes gently over horsey’s barrel, and molds well to rider’s leg. All cannot be lost for my BC then!

And I would just LOVE to get rid of the varnishy bits, even if it takes some ammonia!

[buck22]

thanks. the passier was pretty durn scary when I got it. It was frozen stiff. I am SHOCKED the stitching didn’t rot and there was no dry rot of the leather. I am doubly shocked it came back as nicely as it did.

mortebella, no, it doesn’t gently drape, but its not cardboard any longer either. I’ve had several german saddles, and though I’d describe them as well built, comfy, sturdy, good looking, I haven’t found one yet I’d describe as luscious or roll-up soft. I’m sure there are german saddles that fit that description, I just haven’t found any yet. The leather on my passier is quality, and no longer annoyingly stiff, but its not old-timey-crosby-quality lovely. :lol: it won’t ever be, its not that kind of leather. It very well might be because its black too. Black leather sometimes feels a bit more processed (though I have a few that are amazing). Another reason I prefer havanna dressage saddles

I had another passier that was incredibly stiff too. incredibly, and dry like the sahara. I used (gasp!) olive oil - evoo to be precise :lol: - I cleaned it with saddle soap, evoo’d it moderately, put it in a trash bag and then put it in my car for 3 days with the windows up, and baked the oil in. It worked, and that was the softest nicest german saddle I’ve ever had. I had it a while in all sorts of climate and it never did go rancid… olive oil can go rancid I’m told, so I haven’t used it again, but I was desperate, and it worked.

I have some magic erasers, got them at rite-aid/cvs for half the price as the mr. clean ones :lol: they are neat, and a bit magical. Never thought to use them on tack. interesting. I’d be very careful with your black saddle, it might strip the color off.

I feel your pains, I hate nasty stiff leather and have become downright snobbish about it lately. I’ve sold off 3 perfectly lovely good-fitting nicely-riding saddles because I didn’t love the leather. I kick myself daily for one of them. Good luck.

[kookicat]

I’d be tempted to give it a good wash with a soap- not saddle soap- in case there’s something sitting on top of the leather making a film. I’m not sure what soaps you have in your area, so I can’t recommend an actual product.

Test a small area first, in case it damages the leather, and leave it to dry out before conditioning it.

[buck22]

[QUOTE=kookicat;4182311]
Test a small area first, in case it damages the leather, and leave it to dry out before conditioning it.[/QUOTE]
if you were to try soap, I might suggest castile soap. but this reminds me of an important detail. The person who suggested the ko cho, also suggested applying it while the leather was wet from having just been cleaned with saddle soap. I did a side by side test, and there was a noticeable improvement to adding the conditioner (ko cho) while the leather was still wet. I was lucky to have gotten this fabulous advice from fabulous people.

[kookicat]

[QUOTE=buck22;4182401]
if you were to try soap, I might suggest castile soap. but this reminds me of an important detail. The person who suggested the ko cho, also suggested applying it while the leather was wet from having just been cleaned with saddle soap. I did a side by side test, and there was a noticeable improvement to adding the conditioner (ko cho) while the leather was still wet. I was lucky to have gotten this fabulous advice from fabulous people. :D[/QUOTE]

Thank you for suggesting a soap.

[Hopeless]

I see that this is an old post, but just wondering if anything worked for you.

[mortebella]

Nope, I traded the saddle! I also came to realize a GP saddle wasn’t the best for me position-wise - didn’t really help me get as long and deep as the Isabell Werth dressage saddle I have now (which after one initial ride which was painful became my favorite saddle ever and go to for any horse it’ll fit) and it made it hard to keep my heels under me for jumping. GP’s (or all purposes) I understand were really created as a compromise between forward seat and dressage, to try to avoid having to buy two saddles for people on budget, and I think may work for some (there’s an eventing kid at my barn who rides great in one) but I pretty much fall into the camp of “never again!”

[Bunnyd]

Just a thought but I wonder if the leather is sealed with a wax…?? Have you tried cleaning it good before treating with softener??

[SonnysMom]

@2DaPoint

Are you talking about the seat itself, or the whole saddle… flaps and all??
The seat is just going to take time, but you can do magic on the flaps with some physical manipulation of the leather.
I’m serious… you need to MANGLE the flaps by rolling, twisting, bending and doing whatever you can to loosen the fibers of the leather.
Adding a conditioning product of some kind will help, of course, but doing both at the same time is what will give you the best results.
You will be scared, but it will be worth it!
KD

^^^^^
This. I have done this on a few saddles. I put the saddle in a very warm room for an hour or so, warm the hydrophane, put the hydrophone mostly on the rough/underside of the leather and then sit in front of the tv and roll the flaps.

In the winter I run the heat up in my powder room with a strip heater to a good 78* or so. If it is summer I put the saddle outside but not in direct sunlight.

Oops I had not realized this was an old thread. Hopefully somebody else can still use the information.