(photo taken from artfire.com)

Your saddle is probably one of the most valuable items in your tack collection, and one you use almost every time you ride your horse (unless you ride bareback from time to time!) Because it's such an important and expensive piece of equipment it should be regularly cleaned and conditioned. If you have all the right supplies and set aside 10-15 minutes every week or every other week, it'll be easy to keep it in good shape!

1. You'll need some leather conditioner/cleaner and either a rag, sponge, or fleece squares. Apply the conditioner to the rag/sponge/fleece and rub it into anything leather on the saddle. Make sure you get the latigo and rear cinch too!

(photo taken from americashorsedaily.com)

If your saddle has a lot of tooling, use a soft bristle brush to get into the crevices, a soft toothbrush works great!

(photo taken from flickr.com)

We here at Saddle Up recommending using Leather CPR. This product will condition and renew your leather and keep it soft and supple.

(photo taken from bedbathandbeyond.com)

If you're looking to add a shine to your saddle, Leather New will give it just the right amount of sparkle! We have both in stock so make sure you check em' out, they're great products to start your saddle cleaning tool box!

(photo taken from farnamhorse.eu)

2. Most Western saddles have at least silver conchos if not silver plates and other silver decorations. To keep these in good condition as well as looking brilliant, you can use simple silver polish or just give it a buff with a silver polish rag! We have also found toothpaste to be a great alternative for cleaning/polishing silver! It must be plain toothpaste with no tartar control or whitening agents. These may damage the silver. Don't use gel toothpaste as it doesn't have enough abrasive ingredients in it to scrub the silver. Apply to a soft cloth and rub gently into the silver. You can use a soft toothbrush to get into the silver's grooves.

3. This is also a good chance to check your saddle to make sure there is no damage. If you come across something wrong, make sure you get it repaired immediately for your safety and the safety of the horse. Saddle Up provides saddle and leather repair, so if you're in the area and need some repair work, be sure to give us a call or stop by!

4. Make sure you check the flocking (the fleece on the underside of the saddle) every once and a while to make sure it remains in good condition. You can re-fluff the fleece by using a soft slicker dog brush.

And there you go! Just a few simple steps combined with frequency and you will have a saddle that will last a lifetime and look amazing!

(photo taken from theequinest.com)

"Spending that many hours in the saddle gave a man plenty of time to think. That's why so many cowboys fancied themselves Philosophers. " --Charles M. Russell

~ Saddle Up