Saddle Care
Your new Timberline saddle
comes to you oiled, conditioned and ready to ride. After some riding, you will want to perform some saddle care, cleaning and conditioning. Below are step-by-step
instructions to care for your investment.
Leather Cleaning and Conditioning
Drying and Cleaning
Let your saddle dry slowly and naturally after use. Do not set it in the sun or in front of a heater as this can damage the leather.
Use a soft brush to
remove excess dirt, grit and sweat salts. To clean the saddle we
recommend using a damp, moist rag or tack sponge. Using the least amount
of water possible, go over the entire saddle removing all remaining dirt, dust
and debris. Allow to dry, then move on conditioning.
How Often?
How often you need to condition your saddle has to do with
how much you ride and the climate in which your saddle is kept. If you
ride a couple of hours a day a couple of times a week, you will not need to oil
and condition your saddle near what someone would who rides 5-7 hours per day,
7 days a week. Climate is also a factor. The drier the climate, the
more you need to oil and condition the leather.
Products We Recommend
There are several different oils and conditioning products out on the market today that work well. We recommend using natural oils and creams as they are not petroleum or alcohol based which is hard on the leather and stitching of your saddle.
For Light Conditioning - Bick 1 and 4 Leather Cleaner and Conditioner. These products will not
change the color of the leather.
For Deep Oil Conditioning - Extra Virgin olive oil (great for light
colored saddles), peanut oil (great oil but will darken the color of the
saddle) or Dr. Jackson's Hide Rejuvenator (again, great for light colored
saddles).
For your convenience, we offer the Bick products
and Dr. Jackson's Hide Rejuvenator for sale.
How To Condition Your Saddle
To oil and condition your
saddle, use either a piece of sheepskin or a soft cloth. If you are using
peanut oil or Dr. Jackson's Hide Rejuvenator, heat the product until it is very
warm and apply. This will allow it to penetrate into the leather and not
leave a white residue. If you do get some white residue, just apply gentle heat to it with your
hairdryer. Use a small to moderate amount of the product to go over the
entire saddle evenly. If your saddle is extremely dry, repeat the
process. Allow to dry and then buff with a clean piece of sheepskin or
soft cloth to a shine.
Cleaning the Skirts
Skirts are the underside of the saddle nearest the horse's back. Skirts are usually covered with either sheepskin with wool or microfiber.
Sheepskin Skirts - Take a dog slicker brush to the bottom of the
skirts to remove any dirt. Then fluff the sheepskin back up. Doing
this will keep the sheepskin looking like new.
Microfiber Skirts - Use a soft cloth and warm water to wipe the bottom
of the skirts down. You can add a little Lysol to the water if you have
been riding the saddle on different horses without a pad to control any dermal
or fungus problems from horse to horse.
Cleaning Silver and Hardware
Montana Silver conchos and horn
caps only need to be wiped off with a warm damp rag as they have a protective coating on
them. Stainless steel hardware also only needs to be wiped down with a
damp cloth to remove any dirt and grime.
Sterling Silver or Brass conchos, horn caps and brass
hardware can be cleaned using any type of silver cleaner. Brasso or Ever
Nu can be used to bring back the sparkle to custom silver.
Caution: Do not spill any type of silver and/or
brass cleaner on the leather of the saddle as it can leave marks on the leather.
Storage
Always keep your
saddle on a saddle rack or saddle stand out of the elements, preferably covered
to avoid excess dirt and dust. Keep it in a cool, dry area.
Never store your saddle in a damp basement or on the ground. Do not leave
your saddle standing on its nose for long periods of time as this will deform
the leather on the front of the skirts.
Take care of your investment and enjoy it for years to come!
Contact us for an appointment:
12 Tapeworm Road
New Bloomfield, PA 17068
Phone: 717-582-7831
Please copy and paste: tnthorse123@gmail.com
