How to Care for A Pessoa Saddle

High end English saddles like Pessoa brand saddles are a worthwhile investment for any rider interested in the English disciplines of jumping, hunting and dressage. Once you have purchased your Pessoa saddle, give it the proper care and maintenance. Care for your saddle correctly and you will have a saddle that looks and feels great, impresses spectators and judges and holds a high dollar value for many years, if not decades.

Things You'll Need

  • Leather oil
  • Leather soap (glycerin)
  • Leather conditioner
  • Sponge
  • Saddle bag or clean towel
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Instructions

    • 1
      Clean your saddle after muddy, rainy rides.

      Avoid oiling a brand new Pessoa saddle before your first ride. Your new saddle has not been broken in yet, so it may seem slightly stiff for your first ride. Refuse the impulse to over-oil it. Modern English saddles from quality manufacturers, like the Pessoa brand, are made using higher quality leather and treatments than in past years, and over-oiling it can cause the leather to break down. For example, the "Chamont" French calf-skin used on Pessoa's Amateur Owner (A/O) should all ready feel buttery soft.

    • 2

      Clean your saddle after sweaty or muddy rides using saddle cleaning products. Start by wiping away the biggest chunks of mud with a dry towel, then use a leather cleaning product designed for use on horse tack. Some leather cleaning solutions come in a spray bottle. Just spray the solution and wipe it away. Others are available as handy wet wipes. Do not use any product not intended for horse tack on your valuable Pessoa saddle. Various soaps, detergents and even newer versions of Neatsfoot Oil (an old horseman's standby product) can cause your stitching to deteriorate. Note that "saddle soap" is not actually soap, but a glycerine product that will provide a protective layer of glycerin onto the leather, to keep dirt out of the porous leather.

    • 3

      Wipe away dirt with a slightly damp sponge to touch up a relatively clean saddle (for a show, for example). Dry with a towel before applying the glycerin.

    • 4

      Oil your Pessoa saddle correctly. Plan on oiling your billet straps and leathers regularly (at least monthly) and the entire saddle once or twice a year. You can also use leather conditioning products designed for horse tack that will soak in quickly and not rub off on clothing.

    • 5

      Store your saddle properly between rides. To store your saddle for more than a few weeks, clean it, put it in a saddle bag or wrap it in a clean towel, and put it on a saddle rack in your home. You must avoid temperature and humidity extremes, so do not store your Pessoa saddle in a basement, automobile trunk, attic or garage.