I’m kind of interested in using olive oil on my Ovation saddle sometime in the near future. I’ve been told by some that olive oil will both darken and somewhat condition and soften the leather which is what my saddle really needs. Truths in this?
What’s the best way to do this? Heat some olive oil up and then paint it on in a liberal coat and let it soak in? How long do you think it will take to see some results?
I used olive oil on my Smartpak Plymouth bridle. Definitely darkened, but not a ton. I might be afraid of using it on a saddle though (mainly because I’m a big wuss), I would probably just stick to using some kind of lederbalsam and if you insist on oiling, only do the underside.
If you heat it up slightly and then paint it on it will darken your saddle.
That said, I prefer to use Neatsfoot since it doesn’t make me hungry while doing it.
It now looks like this:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/Dakotawyatt/CIMG0283.jpg)
I used warm olive oil painted on with a paintbrush. I did the WHOLE saddle. Top, and bottom. Soaked it up almost instantly, leaving no residue. Put on 2 additonal coats, until it was taking a little longer to go away.
I will caution, the seat did “bleed” a little of the oil on my beige breeches the first 5 times or so I wore them. I have turned completely to oo and don’t use neatsfoot any more.
Olive Oil is the ONLY thing David Stackhouse wants used on his saddles when they are new and getting broken in. So…when I got my two saddles that’s what I used and it darkened the leather nicely. I don’t really know if it helped to soften the leather as the saddles came very soft and supple to begin with 
Should it be extra virgin? Or the er… other kind of olive oil?:lol:
Any olive oil is fine. No need to warm it. It will darken and condition your leather. I pour it into my hands and slather it on… no need for a paint brush. Added bonus, soft hands… If you want really soft hands when you are all done with your saddle dump some salt into your oily hands and rub them together for a minute or two. Then rinse with warm water and pat dry.
Nothing magic about olive oil, other than its price.
I’ve used all sorts of oils on my tack through the years, from neatsfoot to extra virgin olive oil–they all work in the same general way, but are absorbed by the leather at a rate and in a way that are more dependent on the particular characteristics of the leather than of the oil.
but they look the same to me…
[QUOTE=ktm2007;5331777]
Olive Oil is the ONLY thing David Stackhouse wants used on his saddles when they are new and getting broken in. So…when I got my two saddles that’s what I used and it darkened the leather nicely. I don’t really know if it helped to soften the leather as the saddles came very soft and supple to begin with :D[/QUOTE]
Works great! Use it on all my tack with no worries and beautiful results
Looks the same to me also, don’t see any noticeable difference. 
However, I have used olive oil myself and so do many others I know, and it does a good job darkening leather.
but they look the same to me…
:lol:
open both pics in a single window & compate side by side - saddle IS rather darker after oiling.
Note “proper” technique is to apply a thin coat of oil, ride in saddle, then apply another thin coat: this takes longer but insures that you never saturate the leather - which is BAD as this weakens the structure of the leather … of course it is your saddle so you may choose any method that suits 
Alto, that’s what I’ve been doing with mine - very thin coats over time. I used hydrophane darkening and it’s darkening up nicely.
What us tge best thing for softening up saddle leather? I thought that the leather of my saddle was just “the kind it was” – stiff. Then I felt another saddle of the same kind (TCPS). It felt like butter.
I cannot remember if I had a choice of leather, but I know that, if I did, I would have gotten the softest kind. So the other saddle must have gotten some sort of wonderful treatment that mine has not gotten.
Is your saddle new? Generally, regardless of what particular oil you use initially, regular riding, cleaning and conditioning will help break it in and the leather will soften. I oil new tack, then use Akene or Effax Lederbalsam to condition.
Calfskin is especially soft and comfy, maybe that is what the other saddle is? Grain leather is a little stiffer and may take a bit longer to soften up. Of course the quality of the leather to start with also makes a difference.
I oil all my tack rather generously about once a year, LH. I’ll put nearly as much oil on my saddle flaps as they will absorb, which, applied on the underside can be quite a bit. Afterwards, I’ll wipe off any excess and condition with a blend of glycerine and Lexol.
what is a TCPS saddle?
Sooooo I olive-oiled my saddle tonight and I really like the results I see! It’s darkened quite a bit and seems to be a little softer. Can’t wait to ride in it definitely thought it worked a lot better than neatsfoot oil.
I think it does too! My bridle DEFINITELY absorbs the olive oil WAY better than it did neatsfoot.
Applying nf oil with a brush caused it to just sit on top of the leather. Applying oo with a brush caused it to completely absorb with NO residue whatsoever. Why? No idea. Bridle is 13 years old. Apply oil appox twice a year.
My guess is a Tad Coffin saddle…but I could be wrong…lol.
[QUOTE=alto;5333823]
what is a TCPS saddle?[/QUOTE]
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
