How to soften a English saddle

[joshua7357]

Hi guys, so I have this second hand saddle that I have been riding on for about half a year now. I clean it everyday using an Effax Leather-Combi+ but it only gets soften to an extent compared to other saddles I have ridden in or my friends saddle. I am now looking to purchase another type of saddle cleaner, maybe something like the effax leather soft etc but I’m not sure if it works. Anyone have any advice as to what to purchase or what to do?

thanks!

(My saddle is a Passier Marcus Ehning saddle, about 6 years old)

[Jackie_Cochran]

I have had the best success with lard, the lard one can buy in the grocery store.

A riding teacher, who I lesson with once a year or so, one day told me that they had been cleaning out the dusty corners of their barns and found a stash of old dried up jumping saddles. She asked me if I knew of ANYTHING that would bring those saddles back to usability.

I told her about the lard. Well the next year when I had my yearly lesson she told me that the lard had worked well, the only down side was it was messy getting the lard into the leather. But when she saw the results it was fine, they saved the saddles and could use them again. She gave me my lesson for free in thanks for helping her save the saddles.

WARNING–lard melts rubber big time. Keep it off of any rubber like material, if you get some on rubber clean it off immediately.

WARNING–lard corrodes chrome covered metal, turning it into a corrosive green substance that eats leather. Again, if you get any lard on metal clean it off immediately.

Otherwise it works super well. When I lard leather thoroughly, working it into the leather with my fingers, it leaves the leather soft and supple after several applications (I do three applications at first, then use the leather on a horse so the lard will soak in better, and I re-apply the lard maybe three more times in the first year.

When I do not use the leather it does not dry out anywhere near as much as it does without the lard, and it is super easy to bring back the leather when I work the lard in a few times.

Every once in a while my main riding teacher finds an old bridle that had been lost years ago and forgotten. Every time she asks me to do my leather magic with the lard. I do get the bridles usable again if there are no cracks in the leather.

Lard is cheaper than the made up leather care products, and a tub of lard can last me for years.

[Scribbler]

First what part of the saddle do you want to soften?

Any oil such as lard, neatsfoot, even mineral oil, will work over time to soften the flaps and the billets. Passier ledersbalm has worked wonderfully on my Passier saddles.

However the seat is what it is. If it’s a padded calfskin seat it will be cushy and if it’s solid hide it will be less cushy and that won’t change.

[Willesdon]

How ‘soft’ it becomes depends on the type of leather used to make the saddle, as Scribbler said above. You can make leather supple with various treatments (and my favourite go-to is Belvoir Leather Balm, made by Carr, Day & Martin, which I’m certain could make a dead cow get up and walk) but you can not change hide into calf skin. The leathers are designed to do different jobs and that silky smooth French calf will not last as many years as English butt leather. But do take care because it is possible to over treat leather and make it spongey and disgusting, particularly with too much oil.

[Mouse_amp_Bay]

Effax Leather Combi is a cleaner. I would not use that every day. Try applying multiple light coats of effax lederbalsam, preferably with your hands so the heat can help make it soak in nicely. Underneath, on top and in all the cracks. This should soften it up nicely.

[ThreeFigs]

Or Passier Lederbalsam – it’s good stuff, too!

Passier saddles are made to last – the leather they use is good, heavy stuff. You do not want to over condition any leather – as yes, the leather will get too soft and mushy.

[ElementFarm]

@Mouse&Bay

Effax Leather Combi is a cleaner. I would not use that every day. Try applying multiple light coats of effax lederbalsam, preferably with your hands so the heat can help make it soak in nicely. Underneath, on top and in all the cracks. This should soften it up nicely.

^^^ this. A cleaner like the combi will just dry out the leather. Something with the word ‘balsam’ will work best. For really dry stiff tack, I might use an oil product a few times first, before then switching over to Effezx Lederbalsam.

[16_Hands]

According to Pony Club, you should clean your leather with plain warm water, then apply a conditioner - I like the Belvoir too, then apply glycerin like Leather New as a sealer. I tried it with my tack and was very pleased with the results - soft and supple.