The TSF ones have a generous trial period with free shipping and returns, so it may be worth trying them
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Now my Ovation stirrup leathers disintegrated (mid ride, I almost fell). So despite being told by RW that there was no defect/recall… I highly suspect that there were/are issues with these leathers.
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I have had zero issues with my Millbrook leathers, except the ones I ordered off the size chart were WAY too short for me. I gave my first pair to my riding lesson stable and the saddle that has them on is the most popular saddle with the adult ladies.
I have been using my current pair for years (the longest ones). They are well made and substantial. I switch them from side to side a couple of times a year when I condition them.
Yes they are sort of thick and stiff. With decent care they might well last me the rest of my life (I’m 70).
I just ordered the TSF ones for my dressage saddle. Hoping they are as great as I heard.
@vxf111 that sucks.
I felt really bad having publicly endorsed the Ovation leathers and now I want to correct the record because what happened was pretty darn scary!
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I just retired my Millbrooks (5 ish years old?) because they were unevenly stretched from a combo of me having different length legs and not switching them often enough. I’m riding in the TSF but find the buckle & leather are so bulky under my leg.
If anyone is interested in the Millbrooks but turned off by the owner, you can buy them direct from Pravins Sellier in France for less than what they cost from Millbrook, even with shipping to the US - $173 from Pravins with shipping, $191 from Millbrook.
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I hope that doesnt happen to me lol I have short enough legs as is, I dont need any more bulk!
Apologies for the terrible photos. I have them in both brown and black. The brown was taken against my black saddle. They were probably about nine months old at this point. The black was taken when they were brand new. They will never be butter soft, but I guess that’s the point. In fact, they’re still stiff as a board, even after a year. That said, they do stretch quite a bit. I also noticed the dye wore rather quickly even though I rarely clean my tack. I didn’t like the quality of the TSF when I saw them in person. When I first hop on, I do notice them under my leg but forget about them after a few minutes.
All in all, I really like them and think they absolutely work to keep the leg stable. I would absolutely recommend them.
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Yikes! Glad you weren’t hurt!
Do you think it was a petroleum type product in a leather care treatment that rotted the stitching? I know Horseman’s One Step, Neatsfoot Oil Compound and even other expensive imported leather care products contain petroleum distillates. This stuff can dissolve and weaken stitching. Happened to me but not on a saddle or bridle, luckily.
Or?
Scary.
I don’t use any products of that type on leathers. I use plain old water/ammonia to clean and glycerine saddle soap occasionally to seal/condition.
Also the nylon core was frayed and ripping. I don’t know any tack cleaning products that can cause that. Something was not right about how these were sewn, I suspect.
I think petroleum distillates can dissolve nylon?
Maybe the glue they used in assembly? Although that piece of nylon looks inadequate to me. Hard to know what stuff is make like inside where you can’t see.
Edgewood leather has a care suggestion about mixing 10% neatsfoot oil compound with 90% pure neatsfoot oil, on new leather only because the distillates help penetrate new leather. Then suggests avoiding petroleum distillates products.
I think after just one year that no matter what the leathers were cleaned with, all that stitching should not have failed.
It is fun to blame the person using them but logically this should not have happened in this time frame.
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I didn’t used petroleum distillates so this seems completely besides the point.
Yeah it was probably bad workmanship in your case.
I do have past experiences with a product that dissolved stitching on leather which was a real bummer. That’s when I learned about petroleum distillate damage. Hope to save someone else from the same situation.
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