My relationship with this saddle started well before I actually purchased it. It had sat at my local tack shop for years, good for a laugh every time you stopped by for a visit. “Who would buy such a hideous thing?”, I’d chuckle to my shopping partner.
That is, until I had a hard to fit TB, and a hard to fit me. All of a sudden, that MN, skid row panelled, short flapped saddle was looking pretty damn tempting. I ignored temptations for over six months, trying in vain to find another saddle to fit.
I finally caved, and went to pick it up. “Fit like it was made for her!” was the verdict of the saddle fitter, and oh, it fit me too.
The sole consolation was that instead of the $2500 asking price, I paid $1300. For a like-new, custom County Innovation. A rare unicorn for the bargain saddle shopper.
I have ridden in it for almost a year, enduring taunts from the bolder friends, and casual “…did YOU pick that color?” inquires from the more polite ones.
It usually lives on a dark bay, but the grey horse brings out it’s very, very orange color even further.
In a pitiful attempt to deal with my quarter life crisis and lack of control over my own life, I bought saddle dye in a fit of rage after seeing very nice clinic photos ruined by horrid orange saddle.
Here it is at the beginning of the process. Doing a great job of highlighting my swinging leg. Please note that this is after several HEAVY applications of Hydrophane Darkening Oil, that didn’t even begin to touch the orange.
I bought the Fiebring’s stuff, the $5/bottle stuff, in Dark Brown.
I went about the whole thing in a particularly whimsical manner. I didn’t deglaze it, just washed it well with Dawn dish soap, figuring the calfskin would be happy to soak anything up. I just brushed the dye on there with the little dauber. I went light at first but then got bored when the process was taking more than 15 minutes, and started really globbing it on there.
And after a good coat of Belvoir tack conditioner.
And here’s an easy-to-see before and after, since I was too lazy to actually do the undersides of the flaps.
There is still orange lurking underneath…certain areas have a mahogany twinge in my sterile kitchen lighting. But it is way, way better.
Moral of the story? Why not try it yourself…it’s not like ugly orange saddles can get any uglier, amiright?
Bullet points of helpful hints:
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I used a whole bottle of the stuff, which worked out to about three and a half liberal coats. (Last coat was just touching up areas.) The orange was strong in my saddle, so this is just for anything visible while on the horse (exposed panels, blocks, flaps, seat.) If the orange is similarly strong in your saddle, and you want the entire thing done, I’d grab two bottles.
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I used the included dauber to apply everything. A fine paint brush is recommended if you want to get every crack and crevice.
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The dye easily came off my skin with some rubbing alcohol. The few drops I spilled on the edge of the kitchen table did not…oops?
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The Fiebring’s dark brown is indeed, a lovely dark brown.
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I definitely take like, no responsibility if your ugly orange saddle does, in fact, get uglier.
), it looked much better after several coats of Hamanal & was actually 
