My saddle is in an air conditioned, really nicely kept, tack room. I clean it and oil it. I haven’t been able to ride lately to my mare’s injury. My saddle gets moldy all the time. I have tried cleaning it and oiling it. Then just cleaning it. I tried to just wipe it with a rag. I will be able to ride another horse starting this weekend until my mare heals but what can I do to make the mold go away?!
TIA!
You’re going to need something that actually kills the mold, instead of just using soap/water to wipe it away. My guess is that’s why it “keeps” getting moldy; you’re not killing the germs, so they grow back.
Also, do you use a saddle cover? That will help keep it clean once you get the mold taken care of.
Even though your tack room may be well kept by your standards, it sounds like the perfect breeding ground for mold/mildew. You probably have a moisture problem, which mold and mildew LOVE!! Also, like most tack rooms, yours is probably dark…a moist, dark room is the perfect environment for mold to thrive in! The air conditioning is probably just adding to the problem since the mold spores are “floating” around in the room due to the draft of the air conditioner. If there is a window in the tack room, I suggest moving your saddle near the light source. Also, make sure the rag or sponge you are using is clean. Every time you wipe your moldy saddle, the mold spores are spreading all over your tack. It only takes a few mold spores to “repopulate” all over your stuff. Also, limit oiling your saddle to only once a week. Depending on what product you use, it may be adding to the problem. There are products out there that contain a fungicide…they would probably be good in your situation. When cleaning tack, do it outside and make sure it’s dry before putting it back in the tack room. These are just a few tips I’ve picked up over the years. My tack is also prone to mold/mildew since my tack room is in one of those old, damp bank barns! After dealing with mold each time I wanted to ride, I winded up just taking my saddle and bridle home with me each time and storing it in my house. Hope these tips help!!! Good Luck!! 
Ugh that sucks. I have this with some of my tack. It usually occurs on the softer, less finished tack. By finished I mean less sealer which produces the shine.
Clean the tack in a well ventilated area with CLEAN/New sponges. Wipe off the mold with a water dampened sponge, discard, then clean with a leather soap like Fiebling’s saddle soap. I like Fiebling’s since it restores leather to it’s proper PH levels and conditions too.
Try keeping the cover off the saddle, if it needs to be covered use a pillow case so the leather can get air.
Be sure to wipe down after each ride in mold prone areas. The sweat and dust makes a great place for it to grow.
Good luck and I sympathize!
Clean it and set it in the sun for a few hours.
Also, get some of those desiccant crystal packets and put them in the tack trunk and also between your saddle and the cover. That will help absorb moisture. Replace often.
This is the one time I like ammonia or a water/ammonia solution to clean off (and hopefully kill) the mold spores. You can also clean your sponges in the microwave (make sure they are wet so they don’t catch on fire) so you can keep re-using them. Then clean with Kirk’s Castile soap or any leather product that specifically mentions that it helps inhibits mold production, like Leather Therapy. Sometimes if the mold spores are ingrained in the leather it will continue to be an ongoing problem. My friend has a saddle that we have tried everything on (ammonia, Lysol, etc.) and nothing works, the mold comes right back. Mold thrives in damp, dark, moist areas so if you want to cover it I suggest something light and breathable, as already suggested.
This isn’t the first time I’ve answered this…this is copy pasted from another thread:
<<MOLD:
In NY we are near the ocean. We are Mold Central, and it’s not just tack–it’s clothes, rugs, linens, furniture…
LYSOL DISINFECTANT SPRAY is your BEST FRIEND to remedy this. (Not Lysol cleaner, or tub and tile scrubber–just the old fashioned spray) I apply it to my tack in either of these ways:
or
From the sound of things, it seems like your tack is constantly wet–too much rinsing in straight water will encourage the growth of mold–this is just one more reason to add the ammonia to the water you wipe the tack down with initially. Going forward, I suggest that you wipe your tack off with a strong ammonia solution (you can even use straight ammonia), then let it dry out completely (in the sun, or hanging someplace with CAC). Spray it with Lysol, then oil it. Then apply the glycerine. Spray it again lightly and you should be able to keep most of the mold at bay.>>
Effax Mildew Free works wonders. It’s a little pricey ($15 for a small spray bottle) but it has seemed to work well for all of my heavy mold issues.
[QUOTE=oceanwarmbloods89;7250298]
Effax Mildew Free works wonders.[/QUOTE]
This :yes: there are several cleaners on the market that advertise mold control.
I’d personally not use Lysol on my saddle, with ammonia you mix up yourself, you know exactly what’s in the mix.
ETA Lysol msds (effective 2012- 2015) - note ingredient blend is proprietary so only the components of toxicological interest are listed.
Be prepared for your tack to smell like Crisp Linen Scent or Spring Waterfall or Crisp (?) Berry, etc :lol:
Leather therapy advertises mold inhibitor in their treatment formula but I’ve still had things go furry after using in.
I’ve used a mixture of white vinegar and water to clean mold off of tack and it works wonders.
It’s probably better for your leather than Lysol.
Wipe it down with a vinegar/water mix then sit in the sun for the day. When it is completely dry I usually wash with saddle soap and oil as usual to soften it back up.
Are you 100% positive it’s mold? It may be something called “saddler’s bloom”, which is actually a good thing. Bloom is the natural fats in the leather rising to the surface; normal use rubs these back into the saddle, but if the saddle is sitting unused, it will appear as a cloudy white film on the leather. If you point a hairdryer (low heat setting) at the film, it will melt back into the leather. If it doesn’t go away (or if it’s fuzzy), it’s mold.
If it’s the latter, try using a conditioner with phenol (Leather Therapy) or tea tree oil in it to control the growth. However, do NOT use straight tea tree oil; it can lift the dye and (though this may sound counterintuitive) dry the leather. Sadly, once mold is in the leather, it’s all but impossible to eradicate (even harsh measures like using bleach or Lysol won’t kill the spores unless you saturate the leather with it), but you can control the growth.
My saddle came to me reeking of mold. while I never saw actual mold, it reeked so it was in there somewhere!
I did the vinegar/water method several times. it helped. I sat it in the sun and cleaned it. that also helped. I used the cleaner that has the green top that just says “wash” and it also helped.
But I had to stay consistently after it to keep it from smelling. it was also VERY thirsty so it got a ton of cleanings/oilings. I believe I started a thread about a similar topic you can search. but the advice here is the same as mine. Plus I adore anything Effax puts out! Highly recommend their products!
Get thee to the Eventing Forum and get ahold of some Higher Standards products. I think the name of the thread is “Review of Bensmom Saddle soap” or something like that. The thread is currently 53 pages long and growing.
Libby has some seriously good products. And they’re homemade from one of us COTH-ers!
I did the wiping with vinegar and leaving it out in the sun/using Leather Therapy about ten times with mine. It took most off but the saddle still smelled of mould and mildew. What finally did it was a couple of applications of Carr Day and Martin’s Ko-Cho-Line. That stuff is nasty and full of chemicals (God knows what is in it) but it seems to work. I also think a lot of tack stores use it or mayble something similar is used by manufacturers of leather goods because my local tack store reeks of it when I walk in.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
