Leather care guide.
Leather is a quality material that requires care. Its longevity will depend on its maintenance and the specific care you give it.
Time patinates and embellishes leather provided you take care of it and protect it from direct sunlight, heat, or water.
Our leather care guide gives you the keys to maintaining your saddle and leather accessories in a durable way.
Leather care: the saddle
The guide to maintaining your saddle.
Step 1: Cleaning.
The Soap
It is important to clean your saddle properly. First, remove all of dust and sand with a soft brush or a dry, clean cloth. Then, take your Arion Glycerine Soap (or other brand) and your glove or a sponge.
Apply the soap directly on your glove or sponge. Make continuous circular motions on your entire saddle with the soaped glove or sponge. This will clean and remove dirt from your saddle while nourishing the leather. Moving your soaped glove or sponge in a cirucular motion is very important to prevent stains from penetrating the leather.
Be sure to clean every part of your saddle with the soap – underneath the flaps and girth billets too!
Step 2: Feed the leather.
The Grease
Once your saddle has been cleaned with soap, you can feed it with our Arion Leather Grease. Put on your Arion Sheepskin Glove and take the grease directly from the jar and apply it to your entire saddle. Use circular motions. The soap cleans, the grease nourishes.
Be careful not to grease your saddle if it has taken water (following a shower or a walk in the sea). Let it dry well in a natural way before coming to grease it!
Let us answer your questions.
Q
A
Maintenance protocol for a new saddle:
Upon receipt of your saddle, grease it generously all over (use at least 1/8 of the grease jar).
Let the saddle sit for at least 30 minutes to let the grease penetrate the leather. Then use the sheep glove with the liquid soap (no water added) and clean the saddle to remove the excess grease.
For daily maintenance, you can clean your saddle every day with the glycerine soap, grease the saddle once every 1 to 2 months depending on the state of dryness.
Q
It rained and my saddle is wet. What should I do?
A
Let your saddle dry naturally. Once dry, grab your Arion sheepskin glove or a sponge and apply glycerine soap to the leather in a circular motion over the entire saddle. Then, nourish it with grease because water dries the leather. Find all the material in our maintenance pack.
Q
A
Leather gets moldy when it is not sufficiently ventilated and when it is stored in a humid room.
To remove mildew from your saddle, clean it with Arion’s glycerine soap and rub it in well. Let it dry for a good day.
Q
How often should I grease my saddle?
A
Q
How to use glycerine soap?
A
Be careful though, because some soaps require the addition of water.
Q
How do I take care of my equipment (bridle, girth etc)?
A
Use glycerine soap on your bridle every week to remove perspiration from your horse.
The same goes for your girth and the rest of your equipment. Remove sand with a soft brush and then soap the entire leather.
Grease your equipment every 1 to 2 months depending on how dry the leather is.