Tanner's Oath Wood & Leather Salve

The left photo is why this saddle had been sitting in the tack room instead of getting used. The leather had gone dull and dry, especially across the seat and fenders, and there were pale areas you could see from across the barn. I’d clean it, put conditioner on it, think it looked a little better, and then a few days later it would look tired again.

I’ve had this saddle for years. There’s nothing wrong with it. The tree is sound, the rigging is good, and it still fits my horse better than anything else I’ve tried. But I honestly thought getting the leather looking decent again meant sending it out to be professionally reconditioned. I wasn’t looking forward to paying for that when the saddle itself was still perfectly usable.

Tried a little of this underneath first where nobody would see it, then worked across the saddle with an old cotton cloth. Used less than I thought I’d need and wiped off the extra afterward. Right photo is after I finished.

The pale, dried-out look isn’t showing in the right photo, but the old scuffs, creases, and wear are still there. I wanted the leather looking healthy again, not twenty years of riding erased.

The color is showing properly again, especially through the seat and fenders where it had looked the driest. It doesn’t have that greasy, over-oiled look either. Just looks like a well-kept saddle again.

It’s back on the saddle rack by the barn door now instead of shoved in the corner. I rode in it again this week. And yes, I’m probably going to be a little better about cleaning my tack from now on.

That’s the fender on the saddle I ride in all the time. It had gradually gone pale and rough, especially down through the lower part where my leg rubs every ride. I didn’t realize how dry it had gotten until I moved the stirrup leather and saw the difference between the leather underneath and the part that had been exposed.

I’d tried saddle soap and conditioner. They cleaned it, but that dry-looking patch was still there afterward. I started telling myself I’d deal with it properly before the next season, which somehow kept turning into “later.”

The saddle itself is still solid. Tree is good, stitching is good, and it still fits my horse exactly how I want it to. Replacing or sending the whole saddle out because one fender looked worn seemed ridiculous, but I didn’t know what else to do.

Worked a small amount of the salve over the fender after testing it underneath first. Went carefully around the tooling, stitching, and edges, then wiped it down with a clean cloth.

The creases and old wear are still there. They’re just not pale and dried-out looking anymore, and the leather feels a lot better when you bend it. You can see in the right photo that it’s still the same used saddle. The tooling hasn’t disappeared and the leather hasn’t suddenly gone shiny.

My husband walked through the tack room later and noticed it before I said anything. Asked whether I’d done the other fender too.

I hadn’t. Apparently that’s next.

That’s my mom’s old saddle. The little brass name plate was hers too, and it’s pretty much stayed on there since the saddle came to me.

The seat and skirts still looked decent, but the pommel had gone so dull and pale that it almost looked dusty right after I’d wiped it down. Around the horn and the front edge was the worst. I kept telling myself I’d condition it properly, but it turned into one of those jobs I was always going to get around to later.

I thought about sending it out to be reconditioned. Even asked around. But between the cost, hauling it in, and not knowing how much they’d change the look of it, I kept putting it off. That was probably two years ago.

Ordered this thinking I’d at least try it before doing all that. Gave the leather a clean and let it dry, then worked a little salve in with a soft cloth. Did a small section first because I wanted to see what it was going to do before I touched the whole pommel.

What surprised me was how much of the original brown had been hiding under that dull, grey look. I hadn’t dyed it darker. I could just see the leather properly again.

The right photo is the same saddle, including the little worn spots and old marks around the horn. I didn’t try to buff those out or make it look like something brand new.

Put it back on the rack afterward and left it alone. My sister noticed it the next time she was at the barn. She asked if I’d had the saddle professionally done.

Wasn’t getting rid of this saddle. Everything on it is sound, it fits me and my horse, and I can ride in it all day without thinking twice. The seat just looked terrible.

You can see it in the left picture. All those light-colored lines and dry-looking creases across the seat made it look much worse than the skirts and tooling. I’d wipe it down when I cleaned my tack, but clean wasn’t really the problem. It felt dry, and every crease showed.

My wife had ordered Tanner’s Oath for another piece of leather in the house. I used some on the saddle before she’d even finished with it.

Did a small hidden patch first, then used a cloth to work a little over the seat. Wiped it thoroughly afterward because the last thing I wanted was anything greasy or slick where I actually sit.

It didn’t fill in the creases, and I wasn’t expecting it to. They’re still there, but they blend into the brown leather now instead of standing out as pale lines. The seat feels better too. Not slick. Just less dry.

Right picture is after. Same saddle, same wear in the seat from all the years I’ve ridden in it. Looks looked-after instead of like something that had been forgotten in the tack room.

We’ve agreed the saddle stays. I’ve been told to get my own jar.