Saddle Cleaning?

Question

A friend of mine recently went from an English rider to a Western rider after her horse passed and she purchased a new one...anyways I bought her English saddle because it was only a couple of years old. She kept the saddle in the barn, so it has a sunny buildup where the leathers don't rub. I have tried just about everything to remove it, what ever it may be, any ideas how to remove it? I have tried leather new and saddle soap and many others, it is almost as if the leather has something on it. Where the stirrup leathers rub the saddle it is nice and smooth, but at the back of the leg flap it appears rough and textured.

Answer 1

It could be that the top has worn and the underside hasnt. If the flap is made of two pieces of leather sewn together the company might have cut cost by using nice leather on top and cheap leather on the bottom. It would cause a difference in texture

EDIT: I would probably just oil it. I doubt it will ever become smooth though.

Answer 2

I can think of two possibilities:

1) the "rough, textured" part is how the entire saddle flap looked when it was new, and the smooth part is where it has been worn down by the leathers.

2) What you're seeing are "jockeys", which means she didn't clean her tack well enough or often enough.  Jockeys are little dots of stuck on dirt that won't come off with a sponge.  If you think that's what they might be, see if they'll scrape off with your fingernail or a very dull scraper like a butter knife, or gently scrub that part of the saddle with a soft but scrubby sponge, like something you'd wash dishes with.  Be careful to take it easy and avoid scratching the leather.

Answer 3

You are seeing the difference between leather that has been "worn" and leather that has not.  Think of the inside of your chaps, boots, etc.  You will not be able to clean that away.

Answer 4

It probably started drying out. Definately oil and maybe try some "Leather Therapy" its my altime favorite product GOOD LUCK =]