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Help! What can I do to help my saddle that keeps drying out?
I received a beautiful old saddle from my neighbors as a gift. It hasn't been taken care of in a long time because its been sitting in a hanger for 20 some years. (no joke.) I oiled it and oiled it, but it seems like in a matter of a day or so its dried out again. I put over 20 hrs. into oiling it. Its getting ridiculous because I want to really use it but i have to "break in the stirrups" my riding instructor said. I tried that many times and one time a stirrup tore a little bit. I got the stirrup fixed now but I am tired of doing the same thing over and over again. The guy who fixed my saddle said its really dried out but all you need to do is brush on oil. You dont need to soak it. I done that 5 times before it even went to the shop! What do I do? Saddle soap nearly ruined it. I'm afraid to soak it in water. What can i do?
2 Answers
- JSHaloLv 68 years agoFavorite Answer
What oil are you using on it, and what on EARTH did you use as saddle soap that almost ruined it?!
Here's what I would do: Get a rag and soak it in white vinegar, ring it out really good, and wipe over the leather with it - you don't want the rag to be saturated or dripping (also wear gloves if you don't want your hands smelling like vinegar). This will help remove any mold spores (even those you can't see) that might be keeping the oil or soap from reaching the leather. Then I'd either use Leather Therapy or Leather CPR.
The problem with oiling is that if you over-oil it, you'll actually do more harm than good. That said, the leather is super dry, so it's going to absorb the oil more quickly (hence, it looking dried out again). I like Neatsfoot Oil, but you've got to be careful using it over stitching.
You certainly don't want to soak it in water.
If the leather was not quality to begin with, you're going to have a difficult time getting it to come back to life.
