Mold & Mildew: Bad News For Saddles

Both mold (green and hairy) and mildew (white-ish gray and powdery) are fungi that thrive in damp, moist environments. And by “thrive,” I mean grows and spreads. It can start from a single spore and multiply like crazy. Ewww!

Mold damage on leather tack can be extensive and usually irreversible. Mold penetrates the leather pores and eats away at the fibers, causing stains and damaging the leather.

Obviously this problem is a much more prevalent in humid clients. In dry Montana we seldom see mold, but it still occasionally rears it’s ugly head.

Steps for preventing mold damage:

1. Wipe down your tack after use removing dirt and sweat.
2. Use a leather cleaner that contains a fungicide and is Ph neutral rather than one that contains humectants such as glycerine. Humectants trap moisture in.
3. Apply oil sparingly. This is good practice regardless of the mold situation. Most folks over oil their saddles.
4. Don’t resort to harsh chemicals that are recommended for hard surfaces such as bathroom grout. They will damage your leather.
5. Don’t store your tack in a moist, damp environment

Cleaning Saddle Tooling

Leather carving and stamping (commonly called tooling) is one of the elements that make western saddles so unique and beautiful. But that beauty comes with a price. Keeping tooling clean can be quite a challenge.

All of the nooks and crannies of the tooling catch every kind of dirt and grime that you run into. Simply wiping off the saddle won’t make much of a dent in cleaning the tooling. And even standard cleaning methods with a sponge or rag won’t get into the crevices and remove the grime.

Cleaning tooling requires using an implement such as very, very soft toothbrush with a bit of cleaning agent (glycerine soap, liquid saddle cleaner) and a lot of elbow grease. You need to work the cleaner and toothbrush into each crevice. Be generous with the warm water to loosen up the dirt and wipe often with a soft rag to remove the dirt you’ve loosened.

There’s no quick solution. It takes time and patience, but why have that beautiful tooling if you’re not going to show it off?  The colder months are a great time to settle in with your saddle and get that tooling sparkling. One way to reduce the amount of cleaning you have to do, is to always use a saddle cover when your saddle isn’t in use.

Clean the Back Side of Your Saddle For Your Horse

The other day I went on a ride where we went through plenty of water and a good bit of mud. Today I was cleaning that crud from my saddle and was reminded of how important it is to clean the back side of your saddle.

Cleaning the top side of your saddle is for you. Cleaning the back side is for your horse. All the mud, sweat, and grime on the back side of your flank cinch and billets, off billet, breast collar, cinch, fenders and latigo is what will be next to your horse on your next ride, causing irritation and sores.

A good habit to get into is to check the back side of your saddle after (or before) every ride and to clean when you see crud. Too often, folks will clean off the top side of their saddle and ignore the back side. Dirt on any surface is bad for a saddle. But dirt on the back side is bad for your partner.