How important is color matched tack?

[ShesMyKeepsake]

I recently bought a used Stubben Edelweiss CS saddle and am trying to color match a bridle for it. Even though it is used, it really wasn’t used or broken in at all. I’ve oiled it a few times and am slowly starting to break it in, however the color has not darkened very much. As it stands, I have no idea what color to call it?

For my birthday my very sweet, very non-horsey BF bought me a very nice bridle (nothing super fancy or expensive, but good quality otherwise) that I quite like. The issue is that it’s quite a bit darker than the saddle currently. As I’m just schooling at the moment, this is a non-issue. However, I’ll be looking to do some small, unrated local shows come springtime and I’m wondering if my saddle doesn’t darken anymore, how badly can mismatched tack hurt me?

Thanks guys.

[fordtraktor]

Not important. At all.

[hunterrider23]

At small unrated shows, it shouldn’t matter. I’m a stickler about it as it is a pet peeve and I do show AA circuit, and all my tack has been darkened to about the same level with slightly warmed olive oil. It works wonders and I would try it on that saddle just to try and get it non-red. Otherwise don’t worry about it.

[beowulf]

[QUOTE=fordtraktor;7230634]
Not important. At all.[/QUOTE]
agreed, but that’s only if you’re not in the HJ world.

your stubben should be really easy to darken - if you want to take that road. see this post.

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?416436-Darkening-A-Leather-Saddle-Before-and-After-Pictures

[ShesMyKeepsake]

[QUOTE=hunterrider23;7230734]
At small unrated shows, it shouldn’t matter. I’m a stickler about it as it is a pet peeve and I do show AA circuit, and all my tack has been darkened to about the same level with slightly warmed olive oil. It works wonders and I would try it on that saddle just to try and get it non-red. Otherwise don’t worry about it.[/QUOTE]

I’ve heard mixed reviews on olive oil, but between your post and Beowulf’s link to Alliecats’ thread, I think I will have to give it a shot. Thank you!

[QUOTE=beowulf;7230749]agreed, but that’s only if you’re not in the HJ world.

your stubben should be really easy to darken - if you want to take that road. see this post.

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?416436-Darkening-A-Leather-Saddle-Before-and-After-Pictures[/QUOTE]

That is quite the improvement! I will definitely have to give it a shot. Thank you for pointing me in the right direction.

[goodlife]

I already posted this picture on another similar thread, but I’d venture to guess that unless I pointed it out, you wouldn’t see the horrific unmatchingness of my saddle to the rest of my tack at first glance. Not a big deal.

https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1239806_10153155761895524_2064690824_n.jpg

[fordtraktor]

Those Stubbens can be on the stubborn side to darken but they will darken some. However, just do the best you can to get everything well-oiled and broken in so it doesn’t have that “new” look – then it is really a nonissue if one thing is a little more chestnut than another. Really. Your butt and legs will cover 90% of it.

[TheJenners]

[QUOTE=goodlife;7230798]
I already posted this picture on another similar thread, but I’d venture to guess that unless I pointed it out, you wouldn’t see the horrific unmatchingness of my saddle to the rest of my tack at first glance. Not a big deal.

https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1239806_10153155761895524_2064690824_n.jpg[/QUOTE]

And none of it matches your horse! HORRIBLE! Quick, send that loathsome chestnut to me and get a horse that matches! :lol:

On a serious note, when I was growing up (did I finish?) I was always taught to attempt to match your bridle to your horse, and then try to match your saddle to your bridle if you cared enough.

I rode a grey :rolleyes:.

And then a black.

I have the opposite issue as goodlife, my saddle is lighter than my bridle. I see it, it bothers me, but I don’t think anyone else cares

I’d definitely try to get rid of the redness of the saddle, but as to what level of brownness you achieve to match the bridle, that’s less important. :yes:.

FWIW, I have used lots of oils that promise to darken leather. Mainly because my saddle won’t darken, at least not for the long term… Best results I had was with Walsh’s Clean n Treat, which actually has dye in it. I never used olive oil though.

[goodlife]

@TheJenners;7230821

And none of it matches your horse! HORRIBLE! Quick, send that loathsome chestnut to me and get a horse that matches! :lol:

The horror! Such is life when you buy used and put fit ahead of fashion. :lol: I’ll send her over to you right away, TheJenners.

[batman_the_horse]

That saddle will darken, although stubbornly. I used olive oil, sealed in with Passier Lederbalsam. Once the Lederbalsam was applied, I rolled the flaps while applying heat with a hair dryer on “warm.”

Here’s a picture of my saddle - not the best but you get the idea. The pads and seat stayed very red, but the flaps and body of the saddle became a dark Havana.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8254/8622840617_ee6a7c1e25.jpg

[beowulf]

[QUOTE=batman the horse;7230844]
That saddle will darken, although stubbornly. I used olive oil, sealed in with Passier Lederbalsam. Once the Lederbalsam was applied, I rolled the flaps while applying heat with a hair dryer on “warm.”

Here’s a picture of my saddle - not the best but you get the idea. The pads and seat stayed very red, but the flaps and body of the saddle became a dark Havana.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8254/8622840617_ee6a7c1e25.jpg[/QUOTE]

The flaps and seat probably stayed red because it is a different leather; calfskin and pigskin are both used commonly - pigskin is very, very enduring. You’d need a darkening oil for pigskin, IME.

[ShesMyKeepsake]

[QUOTE=TheJenners;7230821]
And none of it matches your horse! HORRIBLE! Quick, send that loathsome chestnut to me and get a horse that matches! :lol:

On a serious note, when I was growing up (did I finish?) I was always taught to attempt to match your bridle to your horse, and then try to match your saddle to your bridle if you cared enough.

I rode a grey :rolleyes:.

And then a black.

I have the opposite issue as goodlife, my saddle is lighter than my bridle. I see it, it bothers me, but I don’t think anyone else cares

I’d definitely try to get rid of the redness of the saddle, but as to what level of brownness you achieve to match the bridle, that’s less important. :yes:.

FWIW, I have used lots of oils that promise to darken leather. Mainly because my saddle won’t darken, at least not for the long term… Best results I had was with Walsh’s Clean n Treat, which actually has dye in it. I never used olive oil though.[/QUOTE]

I must admit no one had passed on the advice to me about trying to match tack color to horse color, just taught to focus on fit. :o Probably because I never had to buy tack for a horse that was show quality, the horses I leased/lessoned on had their own and my gaited horse needed his own special tack anyways! Also probably because my mother just never gave a rats patootie about it, haha. She claims that why she switched to western in her adult life.

Thank you for putting my mind a bit more at ease. I’m still going to work on it some and definitely try the warm olive oil, but good to know that it’s not the end of the world if it doesn’t match.

BTW, does it matter if it is extra virgin olive oil or not?

@goodlife;7230827

The horror! Such is life when you buy used and put fit ahead of fashion. :lol: I’ll send her over to you right away, TheJenners.

:lol: That is exactly what I was more concerned with. Then when I started looking for bridles and received the one from my BF, I thought “uh-oh”…

[Dewey]

It won’t matter at all to the judge.

If it matters to you, then it matters. Otherwise, it doesn’t matter!

That color looks like the Stubben havana. Their dark brown is “ebony.” You might consider getting a Stubben bridle in Havana; that way, you could oil saddle and bridle together, and they will probably end up close to the same color.

http://www.stubbennorthamerica.com/stubbenbridles.php

[hunterrider23]

I’m pretty sure the oil doesn’t matter, but we only buy evoo in big jugs from costco so I’m not sure.

[ShesMyKeepsake]

[QUOTE=Dewey;7231041]
It won’t matter at all to the judge.

If it matters to you, then it matters. Otherwise, it doesn’t matter!

That color looks like the Stubben havana. Their dark brown is “ebony.” You might consider getting a Stubben bridle in Havana; that way, you could oil saddle and bridle together, and they will probably end up close to the same color.

http://www.stubbennorthamerica.com/stubbenbridles.php[/QUOTE]

That’s what I was thinking, but my BO thought it was too light to be Havana. As I was searching google pictures and their website this morning, that was the closest color I could come up with too.

I wish I could afford one of their bridles, sadly it is just not in the price range any time soon. If I start showing more seriously in any of the bigger name shows in the next few years it might be worth the investment, but at this point the bridle I was gifted is nice quality, has good reviews and looks exactly like the Stubben 2006 snaffle bridle only about $240 cheaper!

It doesn’t matter a whole lot to me, I was mostly worried about judges. :yes:

[equisusan]

[QUOTE=ShesMyKeepsake;7231074]
It doesn’t matter a whole lot to me, I was mostly worried about judges. :yes:[/QUOTE]

Judges dont care at all.

[Dewey]

As I said earlier, do not worry about the judges. They want you and your horse to be neatly and traditionally turned out. They do not worry about the brand of clothes or helmet you wear, the color of your tack (unless it’s something like neon pink), or whether or not you have a square cantle–all things I have seen people on this forum obsess over. Your performance is what matters.

[snaffle635]

I don’t think it matters AT ALL.

Not sure if this link will work, but here’s a pic of my lighter (reddish) saddle and a dark bridle. Not sure if you can see my tack underneath the mud splatters.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tvzhtytoym08vq5/Z77A2801.JPG

I’ve been showing at the A/AA’s for a while and I’ve never heard anyone talk about matching their bridle and saddle.

Think about this…in the pro divisions, you’ve got pros riding several horses and they’re not worried about making sure each horse’s bridle matches their saddle. I think it’s more important that the bridle is flattering to your horse. What matters is what you like.

ETA, yes I am showing in the hunters in a pelham! gasp

[Big_Grey_hunter]

Doesn’t matter at all. Besides, mismatched tack will look 100x better than finding all bright orange tack, especially if your horse is dark colored.

[mroades]

I am a judge. It. Does. Not. Matter.