[irishequestrian29]

I just got a used Beval saddle from eBay, and it looks in good shape in the pictures, but when I get it I'm going to want to give it a good clean and condition, what in your experience has worked the best to really make your saddles hold up?

[HorsRdr477]

Passier Lederbalm is the best as a conditioner! I have been using it for many many years. Nothing compares

[caradino]

my new favorite cleaner is belvoir tack cleaner... nothing cuts through the nasty gunky sweat/dirt/hair/grease like that stuff!

[BAC]

For something that's really dirty I use Castile soap. Akene is my favorite conditioner. Most of the time I use Effax Leder Combi for cleaning, and will condition with glycerine, my favorite is Epona but I also like Belvoir glycerine as well as their Tack cleaner too. Tattersalls saddle soap is another favorite. I use Effax Lederbalsam for really old, dried out tack, its wonderful for restoring IMO.

[Go Fish]

my new favorite cleaner is belvoir tack cleaner... nothing cuts through the nasty gunky sweat/dirt/hair/grease like that stuff!

The grooms were using a bottle of this stuff today. I picked it up and it said "FLAMMABLE" on the bottle. What's in that stuff, anyway?

[KateKat]

Passier Lederbalm is the best as a conditioner! I have been using it for many many years. Nothing compares

I love this stuff too! I think it does a great job. I have started using castile soap as well, does a good job. Generally though I just wipe down with a damp towel and condition lightly about once a week.

[mojo7777]

I've been reading all the tack cleaning and conditioning posts here for months, and trying out different methods and products, and after all the thought and experimentation... My favorite method is the classic I started with many years ago. Clean with a damp washcloth and (if nec) with castile soap, oil (if nec) with neatsfoot or Hydrophane and seal and polish with glycerine saddlesoap. Perfect.

[Dressage.For.Life.]

I like Leather CPR and Stubben's line.

[indygirl2560]

Belvoir, hands down. I use the cleaner and the conditioner on all of my tack and everything looks wonderful after every cleaning.

[Pirateer]

Cleaner:
Effax Ledercombi
Belvoir Glycerine
Mad Cow
Leather New

Conditioner:
Effax Lederbalsm
Passier Lederbalsm
Lexol conditioner
Belvoir Conditioner

[BAC]

The grooms were using a bottle of this stuff today. I picked it up and it said "FLAMMABLE" on the bottle. What's in that stuff, anyway?

Flammable? I just bought a bottle too and thought it did a good job, but the print on the label is so small I could barely read the directions, I will have to look more carefully.

[huntereq7]

I use the Akene cleaner and conditioner on all of my Beval products- that's what they recommended when I bought my saddle

[REH]

Cleaner:
Effax Ledercombi
Belvoir Glycerine
Mad Cow
Leather New [this is the only one I don't rave about here]

Conditioner:
Effax Lederbalsm
Passier Lederbalsm
Lexol conditioner [this is the only one I don't rave about on this list]
Belvoir Conditioner

see comments above, i'd also add if you want a light oil, the Effax oil is THE BOMB. It has beeswax in the oil and doesn't leave any greasy residue. On the conditioners I'd also add Leather Therapy and Akene (which someone else mentioned). Anecdotally, the Belvoir conditioner used to be their liquid saddle soap. Then about 5 or so years ago, they split the product into two, putting out a cleaner, which is more of a degrimer like the Effax product, (both of which are great for de-griming) and repackaged the liquid glycerine as the conditioner. It's great for adding that conditioned shine of days of old, but isn't really a deep-penetrating conditioner.

Can anyone tell I love cleaning tack

[BAC]

see comments above, i'd also add if you want a light oil, the Effax oil is THE BOMB. It has beeswax in the oil and doesn't leave any greasy residue. . . .
Can anyone tell I love cleaning tack

I wanted to try the Effax oil since I love their Leder Combi so much but then I read somewhere that it contains whale oil? I didn't want to contribute to the hunting of whales so have never bought it. Since our local tack shops don't carry it I haven't been able to read the ingredient label for myself.

I love cleaning tack too.

[mvp]

mojo7777, Pirateer and others have it right, IMO.

Cleaning and conditioning are separate steps. I think "sealing" in the oil is a third step.

All-in-one products will promise you a shortcut. But it comes at a price. And "soaps" like Murphy's or Glycerine can work as cleaners or in the sealing process depending on how much water is added to them.

It takes time to care for tack well. It's a question of giving the leather what it needs at every step.

[REH]

I wanted to try the Effax oil since I love their Leder Combi so much but then I read somewhere that it contains whale oil? I didn't want to contribute to the hunting of whales so have never bought it. Since our local tack shops don't carry it I haven't been able to read the ingredient label for myself.

I love cleaning tack too.

Sh!!!t, I'd never heard this--I'll check my bottle and get back to you. It does do a lovely job! Being a vegetarian animal nut, I certainly don't want to be contributing to whale oil consumption--I never even thought to look

[REH]

It looks like the "leather oil" has whale oil and the "ledersoft" that I use does not, but I'll double check the bottles tonight. This might explain why I've only seen the ledersoft in tack shops and not their other leather oil product

http://www.totally-tack.co.uk/acatal..._Products.html

described the different products and lists the whale oil on the straight oil product. I think I'm going to be sick now

[alibi_18]

I use Forestier saddle cleaner and their conditioning.
and not just because it has a 'citrus, lemon' scent that I personnaly like but it does a really good job.

Effax balsam and Belvoir are also really good as well as Passier leather balsam and soap.

BUT I was really dissapointed with the Effax Leathercombi which I found neither cleaning nor conditionning properly and having an alcool smells...

[forestergirl99]

Passier Lederbalm is the best as a conditioner! I have been using it for many many years. Nothing compares

Agreed. that stuff is amazing!!!

[Catomine]

Effax saddle soap and Effax Lederbalsam or Passier Lederbalsam. Cleans thoroughly without stripping and drying, conditions without getting slippery or greasy, and gives a nice natural shine.