What do y’all use to condition your western saddles? I have a jar of rawhide cream and Lederbalsam on hand. Anything that might add a bit of stickiness would be welcomed. Kind of wishing I had gotten a rough-out seat . . . :lol:
My western saddle…olive oil. Warmed slightly in the microwave and painted in with a paint brush. Let sit to soak in and repeat as needed.
Leather new and a tiny bit of neatsfoot oil.
Thanks for the replies. Any specific type of olive oil or is cheap just as good as any?
Or for the neatsfoot oil . . . do you use a sponge to apply, or a brush, or ??
Do you do all surfaces, top and bottom?
Don’t use Olive Oil if humidity is an issue!!!
lederbalsam will add stick moreso than neatsfoot, IME.
Any olive oil will work. I use cheap stuff and have never had a problem. If you have any roughout at all, oil the raw side (underneath). It will soak through and keep the leather pliable. I do all leather surfaces on my saddle, top and underside.
If you’re feeling up to it, I can send you mine to clean and condition too! 
ETA: OP is in CA. I am assuming humidity isn’t an issue. Personally, I’m not a fan of lederbalsam or the like on a western saddle. Just my opinion though. Use whatever works best for you. Now on my English tack…I use Higher Standards products.
I’ve used Passier products on tooled western saddles for a few years now, won’t go back to cheapo saddle soap. Not a veggie oil fan either…give the leather close to what used to be in it before (ie neatsfoot or animal based oil).
Cary Schwarz just released a new video on conditioning saddles.
I’d go with the Lederbalsam. I’ve used it on my Crates and it worked fabulous. Tho the stick factor didn’t last very long. LOL
Been using Lexol products for years and love them.
I have lighter colored tack so I usually use the non-darkening formula.
http://www.kotrading.com/ProductImages/leathercare/lexol%20dressinglg.jpg
I’m old skool and I use pure Neatsfoot oil for conditioning all leathers. How much and how often varies with the grain and thickness.
I have used Neatsfoot to soften and “feed” the thick leather in western saddles. I put it on with my bare hands. That saves me from wrecking a sponge and wasting any oil. Also, it needs to be rubbed in and the breaking in process speeds up if you bend the leather in you hands as it drinks in the oil, so I don’t favor the paint brush method. And I was taught to do both sides of the leather. Really, when you are oiling leather, you are put oil taken out of the leather during tanning back into the middle of the skin.
Just an FYI for those older light colored saddles which have darkened somewhat from sun over the years.
If you have silver you polish on your light saddle, the LIQUID Lederbalsam will remove the polish residue from the edge of leather around your silver pieces. Without darkening the leather.
I use this with my Harris. I am not sure how it would work with new, new, light, light leather.
