TLC for Your EQ Saddle

With regular care, an EQ saddle can last for decades! Here are some tips on how to keep the leather in great shape and the components of your saddle working as they should.

Keep Your Leather Clean & Lightly Conditioned

Regular cleaning helps remove sweat and grime before they have a chance to build up on the leather. It is important to factor in the weather and your saddle storage conditions in determining how often to clean, and whether or not to condition lightly, heavily, or not at all.
Leather is actually skin: it has pores. The secret to getting many years out of your leather is in keeping the pores the same size. If you over-condition your saddle, the pores will get larger, and the leather will become overly flexible. It will almost certainly stretch out and lose shape. On the flip side, if you let the leather dry out, the pores will contract and the leather will become hard and stiff; eventually stiff leather will crack.

For everyday care, Effax Leather Cream Soap cleans and conditions leather in one step without requiring water. It contains avocado oil, coconut oil, and aloe vera to help keep the leather soft.

When your saddle needs some additional conditioning, Effax Leather Balsam combines lanolin, oils, and beeswax to condition the leather and provide a moisture-repellent finish.

When your saddle is overly dry and needs a “facial”, we recommend olive oil. Be careful not to saturate the thin seat leather or knee/thigh pad leather as oil is not good for the underlying foams.

A good rule of thumb: Leather should feel supple, yet hold its shape.

For more info, click here to get our “EQ Saddle Sclence Inspection Routine”

Don't Forget Your Pads

Keeping your saddle pads clean is part of caring for your saddle, too. Sweat, dirt, and oils can accumulate, and may be hard to notice since many EQ riders leave their two-piece pads on their saddles.

Be sure to wash your pads in soaps and detergents that won’t harm your horse. For regular pads, we recommend unscented detergents. If you’re using sheepskin-lined pads, then we suggest MELP Lambskin & Leather Wash, which is formulated specifically to clean without stripping the essential oils in the lanolin that are essential for your sheepskin pads to remain soft and flexible through repeated washing.

Allow your pads to dry completely before putting them back into your saddle.

Take a Few Minutes to Inspect Your Saddle

An EQ Saddle Science saddle does not require reflocking and may be maintenance-free for many years. To be sure - and to stay safe - we recommend inspecting your components regularly.

A few things to check:

  • Panels: Remove your saddle pads, but don't remove the panels. Make sure the panels are attached symmetrically and check underneath them for dents, which can sometimes be caused by certain saddle racks.

  • Screws: Your saddle has eight screws. Check that all eight are secure and tightened.

  • Discs: Look for peeling Velcro, divots, or tears in the rubber.

  • Billets & webbing: Look closely at your billets, the stitching that connects them to the webbing, and the webbing itself. Watch for anything that appears stretched or worn.

  • Velcro: Grab your saddle by the panels and give it a shake. If anything comes loose, stop using the saddle and contact us so we can help with a Velcro upgrade or repair.

Store Your Saddle With Care

When your saddle isn't in use, try to keep it in a clean, dry area away from excess moisture and extreme conditions.

It's also worth taking a look at the saddle rack you're using. Certain racks can create dents in the bottoms of EQ panels, so check your panels periodically to make sure your storage setup isn't putting unnecessary pressure on them. The ideal rack shape is an “A” frame.

For more info, click here to get our “EQ Saddle Sclence Inspection Routine”