My Saddle (Leather) and the Ocean

[lachelle]

I am going trail riding this weekend, and part of the organized ride includes riding on the beach. Assuming that my horse is not totally terrified of the water, I’m hoping to get him in the water for a swim. The problem is my saddle…

It’s a 7 mile ride to the beach (and then 7 miles back) so bareback isn’t an option. I also don’t think I’d have the option of stopping to take the saddle off before we go to the water.

So my question is: Will my saddle be totally ruined if I ride in it one time in the ocean? Is there something I should do to my saddle before I head out on this little adventure?

The saddle is a newer leather Bates close contact saddle.

Thanks!

[Appsolute]

Oh, I would not volentarily take a new leather saddle of mine in the water!! Does a friend have a wintec you could borrow? Pulling the saddle off first shouldn’t take much time.

If you must take the saddle in the water, oil and treat it well with something like a beeswax leather conditioner, to hopefully reduce the amount of salt water it absorbs.

But I wouldn’t do it, unless you are willing to have your saddle permanently stained, or at worst, permanently damaged.

[poltroon]

Riding on the beach is not the same as riding in the ocean. I agree, I would not take a leather saddle into salt water. Where I am, we have serious rip currents and the coast drops off sharply, so it’s not even advisable for that reason. YMMV in terms of how suitable your beach is for horse-swimming.

[jaybird660]

I would not take a saddle into the salt water. The parts aside from the leather can also be corroded and there are parts that you would not be able to access.

[quarterhorse4me]

I absolutely do not take my saddles in the ocean. I will either ride with a pad or use a cheap wintec that I got just for the ocean. Also remember that after going in the ocean, your horse will have sand under their girth and saddle it will be a long 7 mile ride back. Just remember what it was like to be a kid at the beach with all the sand rash at the end of the day…translate that to your horse.

[lachelle]

Concesus says…
We will NOT be swimming then Or I will just have to figure out a way to take my saddle off and get on/off…I’m not very limber and have a hard time mounting when I have stirrups to help. So I guess I will need to take a ladder with me

[Kitt]

Soaking-wet saddles are a pain to dry out thoroughly and correctly, esp. if the flocking gets wet. Salt doesn’t do leather any favors, either - one reason you should wipe your saddle down to remove sweat after you ride. Probably best to skip the swimming unless you can remove your saddle.

[Mukluk]

When I rode my horse at the beach we mostly rode on the shore but she would sometimes trot and canter in shallower water. She’d walk in up to her belly- and liked pawing at the water. She always had a leather saddle and a synthetic nylon/fleece girth. Perhaps I’m just lucky but saddle looks fine- I’d always wash the girth after being in the ocean. Now if I was taking her swimming, I’d just lead her into the water in a halter.

[lachelle]

[QUOTE=Mukluk;7596533]
When I rode my horse at the beach we mostly rode on the shore but she would sometimes trot and canter in shallower water. She’d walk in up to her belly- and liked pawing at the water. She always had a leather saddle and a synthetic nylon/fleece girth. Perhaps I’m just lucky but saddle looks fine- I’d always wash the girth after being in the ocean. Now if I was taking her swimming, I’d just lead her into the water in a halter.[/QUOTE]

We pretty much ended up doing the same thing…trotting/cantering through shallow water. My reins, bridle, fleece girth, and the bottom flaps of my saddle were soaked, but I just cleaned and oiled it the saddle thoroughly before and after, and you can’t tell it got wet at all!

We didn’t go INTO the water since it was low tide. I would have had to ride all the way out, which just wasn’t an option. We had just as much fun galloping in the shallow water!

[wildlifer]

For future reference – cows do not melt in the ocean. Or freshwater. Otherwise I don’t think anyone in England or Ireland or…anywhere it rains a lot, could ever ride!

You just need to make sure you rinse, clean, and oil all parts thoroughly when you are done. I have ridden many miles on several continents and to this day, no tack has spontaneously disintegrated.

(Hint: do you know what your horse’s sweat is? Salt water.)