Frequently asked questions explained briefly!
A new saddle does not need to be greased.
Oh yes, definitely. New shoes also need to be cared for before wearing them for the first time.
The saddle should be treated with leather care products such as cleaner and balm or grease. No soap or oils!
Care should not only be superficial, but also under the saddle and between the saddle flaps.
We recommend Saddler's. Please send us an enquiry regarding costs and shipping.
If you want to scratch the new saddle leather, old stirrup straps are a solution.
It is better to use new stirrup straps and grease them well.
Make sure they have soft, recessed seams with a low nylon content.
Nylon is needed for its tear resistance, but it should not make up the majority of the material, as it scratches the leather.
Synthetic leather or plastic straps should not be used. If the stirrup strap has an open leather interface on the underside, it should be aligned towards the front of the saddle to prevent abrasion.
The saddle slips.
There can be various reasons for this.
Lateral slippage can be caused by uneven girthing or the horse or rider being crooked.
To ensure that the saddle sits optimally, all horses, especially round horses, should always be girth-tied alternately.
Place the right side completely in the lowest hole (at the tip of the girth) and then girth on the left side, alternating (1 left, 1 right, etc.) when tightening. This will keep the saddle in position. Only mount when the saddle is securely girth-tightened. Ideally (for the sake of the horse's back), use a mounting aid to mount.
For round horses, we recommend not using elastic saddle girths.
If the saddle slips forward, it may be that the width width is not optimal or that it has been saddled in the wrong place.
The saddle girth can also pull the saddle forward. This may be due to the girth position or the girth used. Experimentation is required here.
If the saddle still slips, your dealer should take a look at it.
Washing the saddle with saddle soap makes it supple.
Saddle soap and water are a no-go for today's leather. In the past, leather could be cared for with cream from a blue tin and soaked in saddle soap with a high glycerine content beforehand.
Today, tanneries are also mindful of the environment, which means that care must be different than in our grandparents' day.
Water and soap wash out the leather. This causes rot inside the leather. The result is mould and tears in the leather (e.g. strap loops). We recommend the American Saddler's care range for our products. You can find care instructions here! And you can order the two care components here!
Is saddle leather dyed through?
No, it is surface dyed. Thick leather (as used for saddles) is rarely dyed through.
This is often the case with thick leather, which is not a quality defect.
Many people believe that a lambskin pad under the saddle is great for the horse.
The saddler usually fits the saddle without a lambskin pad, so only a thin saddlecloth should be used afterwards.
Lambskin narrows the width of the saddle by up to two sizes.
If the horse is struggling with significant weight loss, lambskin can temporarily compensate for the lost width.
When having your saddle fitted, be sure to discuss your preferences for saddle pads with your saddler so that they can take this into account when adjusting the saddle.
Adjusting the width of the size ...
Whether and how often a tree can be adjusted depends on the material used.
Wooden spring steel can be adjusted in the width by a total of 4 sizes widths. 2 sizes up or down. After that, the point of contact and the angle of the panels no longer match and, in the worst case, can injure the horse.
Adjustments for summer and winter figures should be made via the saddle pad, or simply by adjusting the feed and training.
If the wooden spring steel tree is adjusted too often, rivets can become loose and, in the worst case, the tree can break. The tree shape is simply not suitable for permanent back and forth adjustment.
Our Saddle Up range features a synthetic tree that can be adjusted by up to six sizes. It can be adjusted up to five times under warranty. But here too, less is more!
A new saddle does not need to be refilled.
Your saddler will decide when a new saddle needs to be refilled.
Depending on the horse, it may need to have reflocking a little straight away.
The intensity of use determines when reflocking is necessary.
This can be after 2 weeks, 2 months or 2 years and everyday between.
You can check the saddle yourself regularly for lumps. To do this, apply light pressure to the panels. If you feel a lump, inform your saddler.
Always try to store the saddle in a dry and warm place. Extreme heat or moisture damage the leather and wool.