How To Repair English Saddle

'Tis the season…

Before it gets whatsoever warmer out, here are some simple repairs that yous can exercise at dwelling. Offset, though, a word of alarm. At that place are many things that nosotros tin can do to continue ourselves prophylactic in the saddle. Some things, which I'll listing throughout the blog, must be seen to past a professional. Meanwhile, with just a few simple tools, we can begin.

What you'll need to do most jobs.

Nosotros need very few tools to do modest, homemade repairs. First, a warm, well-lit place where you can work. I like a bench where I can lay my gear out but I've too sat on the flooring. We have an excellent leather supply store very close to home but if you do not, you can make a little tack-fixing kit past ordering online from Tandy for starter quality tools at tandyleather.com, all the way to professional grade tools from Abbey at abbeyengland.com.

One soft cover booklet that I'd urge yous to buy, available from Tandy, is 'How to Mitt-Run up Leather' by Al Stohlmann. Otherwise, you lot can google just virtually any techniques you'll demand, including 'double-needle hand-sewing', which is the most usual method to mend tack.

A spool of waxed linen or nylon thread, either white or brownish to match existing sewing
2 glovers needles
A small-scale sewing awl
A large, round awl
Scissors to snip threads
A screw-on tabletop clamp or vise
A regular saddle soap such as Fiebing's, or a glycerine bar
A bucket for plain, warm water
Deep conditioning leather cream such as Oakwood, Lederbalsam, or Skidmore's
Small-scale sponges and rub rags
Saved scraps of leather from broken reins and latigos
3/8″ flat leather lace, or in a pinch, new leather bootlaces
Hole dial
Utility pocketknife
Needle-nosed pliers
Hammer
Slotted screw commuter
Heavy-duty garbage bags for clean-upward and deliveries

When yous are finished your repairs, this kit tin be kept in a tote or bucket in the tack room or equus caballus trailer. Y'all're now prepared to exercise all manner of emergency fixes on the job.

1. A sew in time saves ix.

When our grandmothers said this, they knew what they were talking virtually. So many little frayed seams on saddle flaps or horse clothing could be stopped before they become expensive, extensive repairs. As I'm cleaning my tack – and I practise a real thorough job of this during our long, cold Canadian winters – I set aside all things that are coming undone. I decide which seams are small enough to be doable, then I brand a pile of all the bigger jobs.

The life-saving things must be taken to a saddler for a professional fix. Some things are only too important to risk learning on, or worse, making a life-threatening mistake.

These important jobs include: replacing dried, cracked or otherwise worn billets on a saddle; shortening stirrup leathers at the buckle ends; adjusting flock that has pounded down; just about every repair that is needed on a gear up of harness; broken bridles; shortening western breast collar billets, which are almost e'er made too long.

As I'm manus-sewing the stitches that take worn or come up loose on bridles, cleaved keepers, edges on saddle flaps, worn spur straps, brushing or splint boots, saddle blanket wear leathers and other more than cosmetic fixes, I'm checking the condition of the leather. If this is and so dried with horse sweat that information technology won't agree a sew, or tears when I utilize the needle, I know that it isn't prophylactic for me to utilise.

Hand-sewing leather gives an appreciation of the huge amount of work that goes into the average piece of horse gear. We acquire this and soon, we're taking better intendance of our tack.

2. If yous ride western, you must plough your stirrups.

Nevertheless, we see people who should know better, who do not. This 1 thing will upward your game significantly, allowing you to ride with soft ankles and a full range of motion in your lower leg. A rider who has non turned her stirrups – riding with them hanging parallel with the sides of the horse – will always take to ride with a tense, ugly 'hooked' foot.

Worse, unturned stirrups will not release your human foot when you dismount, so they are dangerous. There are three means to do this and all methods are easily establish past Googling 'how to plough your western stirrups'.

The commencement way is to deeply wet your stirrup leathers and fenders, and so twist hard and run a broomstick through them when the saddle is on its rack. Really stiff leathers can be made improve behaved with a heavy saucepan hung from the broom stick to add weight. I tend to store whatever unused saddles this way equally a matter of class, and so that they are prepare for action when needed. This old-fashioned, piece of cake fix is my preferred way to plow the stirrups for those who accept short legs, or for the costless range of movement my lower legs demand to arena-school horses.

The next way is to put a Texas Curlicuein the leather that is then wrapped with a latigo string and buckled. Usually a stirrup leather will need a piffling 'finessing' with a saddlemaker in order to make the gyre possible but information technology's an easy fix. This method is the preferred one with most working cowboys.

The third way to turn your stirrups is to unbuckle the leathers, and then put a plain half-twist in the bottom piece earlier doing back up. This way works well if you lot have stirrup leathers that aren't buckled, but are laced.

What will happen with all three methods is that your stirrups volition now hang perpendicular to your equus caballus. Your feet and ankles will no longer take to hold the stirrups in position. Yous tin mountain upward safely without angle downward to concord your right stirrup when inserting your pes to ride.

Cheque that both stirrups on your saddle take the narrow hobble strap buckled just to a higher place the stirrup. This is not a decoration. Information technology holds the stirrup in place and keeps it from rotating on the stirrup leather. A hobble strap tin relieve a life. Bachelor at every tack store for mere dollars, if you don't have them on your saddle, put a pair at the top of the above shopping listing.

iii. You do non demand to pay anyone to deep-clean and status your tack.

Doing this job yourself keeps you mindful. You'll run across the areas that get wear. The longstanding habits of how y'all hang your equipment. Whether or non y'all put upward your reins properly. Where your kick marks show your leg position to exist on the saddle flap. While y'all note these things, you become more mindful of your gear, your horse and the function you play between the ii.

Disengage all buckles and mark which holes are in utilize, if not readily apparent. Lay the items out flat on your demote. Working from the underside of the leather, wet your sponge in the warm h2o and lather some of the saddle soap. Using a circular move, rub until the clay, sweat and jockey marks are removed. Wipe the dirty foam off with a dry rag. Repeat over all of your saddle, determent pieces, reins, chest collars, girths and whatever other leather straps. Plow them over and repeat on the top sides of the leather. Exercise non wet or scrub any suede parts.

When all is clean, you can work in some of the deep conditioner. Exercise not condition muddied leather, as this clogs pores and causes rot. Some people use a sponge only I employ my easily, working it in until the leather feels alive and grippy. A buff with a clean cloth can put a flake of shine on the leather and keep the conditioner from soiling gloves, breeches or prove chaps.

I sometimes go teased about how 'greasy' my gear is but as someone who does a fleck of repairwork for other riders, I seldom run across saddles or tack that are well cared for. Living in a dry climate as we do, leather left untended gets glace, difficult and dried out.

While yous're working, put some good music on, savor yourself and check all parts, especially reins and billets, for heavy wear and cracks… If y'all observe them, they will go in the pile above to visit the saddler before being used again.

Exist particularly mindful of the linings on chest collars and leather girths. The pH balance gets out of whack with the build-upwardly of dried horse sweat. Information technology'due south important to keep the sweat wiped off these parts and to neutralize this with the acid plant in the conditioner. Some of the gear we use against our horses gets and then brittle that if bent, will really break.

4. A chip of prevention.

Wash your bits. There is no excuse for a build-up of crud on the mouthpiece. Not only can a dirty flake exist uncomfortable, it'due south unsanitary and shoddy horsemanship. Keeping your bits make clean is as unproblematic as dipping them in a bucket of water when you're washed riding. I seldom let my bridled horses eat, which helps.

When I'chiliad cleaning the $.25, I'chiliad checking them carefully for burrs, the chew marks that happen with wear. These tin can be filed off with a shop rasp. Are the cheeks shine and snug or are they becoming 'pinchy'? Sometimes the bits we retrieve are our favourites demand to hang on the wall and exist replaced.

If yous are using a bit with cheek pieces, accept a proficient look and run across that the top rings that go to the bridle are bent out at about thirty degrees. Most bits are fabricated and sold with these rings congenital straight upward and down. Horses' faces, however, are not. They widen through the jaw right where these flake rings are. Bending the rings out is 1 modest matter that can improve horses with turning or caput tossing issues.

While you're at it, remove whatsoever metal or stapled keepers on your chin straps. These are cheap shortcuts that have no place against your equus caballus'southward tender mentum groove. You lot tin can put sewn leather runners on a chin strap, or run a bead of gum inside your mentum strap to keep it stacked. Better nevertheless, purchase a 'cow horse legal' chinstrap that is sewn without whatsoever metallic parts to rub against your equus caballus.

5. Get bridle-wise.

After you've cleaned and conditioned your bridles, make sure they're fix right. All buckles should be in the same holes while on your horse. That is, if one is buckled in the tertiary hole from the bottom on the nearside, the buckle should be in the matching hole on the offside. The pharynx latch should be buckled in the corresponding hole, too. If they are as well long, every bit they so often are, they can be shortened at the buckle end. If you lot are enjoying your hand-sewing, this is a doable fix. If not, marker how many inches must come off and put it in the pile for your saddler. When the bridle is on the horse, these buckles on the nearside of his face should sit down next.

Another easy fix is making a western brow band bridle a snugger fit. You will know yours is floppy if the brow ring slides down the cheek pieces of the determent when it is not in use, or if you are frequently 'losing' your throat latch when you're carrying your determent. When on the equus caballus, the brow band must be loose enough that it sits almost three-quarters of an inch below the horse'due south ears. Western or English fads bated, brow bands that flop lower on the forehead are annoying to the horse, especially at the lope or canter.

Taking a piece of your medium-weight scrap leather, almost the same thickness as your bridle straps, trace out two little circles near i″ in bore, or the corresponding size of your bridle rosettes. Cut these out with your utility knife and do your best to make the edges smooth.

Unbuckle your bridle and remove the browband, so remove the rosettes from each end. Place the rosette on the center of each leather disk. Mark where the loop sits. With the hole punch, put a hole at each end, the width of the loop back. Run into the illustration below.

With your utility knife, cutting a line directly from ane hole to the other. Condition your leather disks well so they are soft and pliable. These should exist able to slip firmly onto the back of each rosette. Reassemble your bridle. Information technology might accept a little effort to go back together but volition now agree its shape, on or off the horse. Remember to set up the throat latch that its buckle will sit right beside the cheek piece when done up.

Thereis an easier way to do this, by running a narrow strip of leather betwixt the browband and the rosette. This strip will keep the browband, crownpiece and throatlatch held snugly just it won'thelp your beautiful silvery rosettes from getting dented or aptitude.

six. Fit to be tied.

Even so in the western army camp, one of the things I come across sloppily washed are those 'bleeder ties' on the bit ends of bridles and carve up reins. These ties are popular because different Chicago screws, they don't come undone. That is, not if they're properly put on in the first identify. Annotation that th ere is no knot on the bleeder necktie.

This is either put on with a loop that is tightened and holds the ends of the necktie… or else it is bled through, only the same as the strings on your saddle. If you change your bits with any regularity, I'd become with the start pick. Notation that bleeder ties are easily pried undone with your large, round awl. If y'all proceed your gear well-conditioned, the laces tin can be used over and over once again.

This second method is a nice, ranchy look that is super-durable. This is done by threading the tie through both holes then that the ends, pulled snugly, hang in equal lengths to the outside. Using your utility knife, cut a 3/viii″ long slit in the top tie. Thread the bottom necktie through this slit, requite a twist to get in sit down cross-wise and pull tight. Cut another 3/8″ long slit in what is now the meridian tie. Pull the bottom one up snugly, so hammer apartment. This looks after your headstall.

Split reins are a dissimilar matter. The bleeder ties are put on that if your horse has a wreck, or steps hard on a rein, he will not break information technology. The necktie will 'requite' and come undone. Remove the ties from your reins or else start from scratch with two 12″ pieces of whang leather or lace.

Saddle soap these so they are pliable and sticky. You might have to re-cut new abrupt points on the ends with your utility knife. With your large, round awl, work open the holes in the reins. Thread one terminate of the lace through all six holes and pull until the ends are fifty-fifty.

Don't pull tight quite withal. Y'all'll want to open up the holes over again with the awl and by criss-crossing the ends, lace the opposing holes over again. I like to lace only four holes this time, so that my lace ends are coming out inside the reins. The wait is just a little neater. Pull these really tight by hand, or else winch them tight with the pliers. Terminate by placing the rein flat on your bench and pounding apartment with a hammer. This 'locks' the lace in identify.

I leave my ends on the lace quite long, four or five inches, as this makes it easy to run into if the lace is loosening off. If so, it's easy to tighten them by hand when I bridle my horse. Kept saddle soaped, they volition concur for years and yet, volition slide undone if my horse has a wreck.

If your headstall has Chicago spiral bit ends, know that there are skillful ones that stay done upward and at that place are cheap chrome ones that practise non. Estimate which ones most off-the-rack bridles use? I have bought machined brass ones online but so that I have some faith that they'll concord up, even in a bad spot.

Otherwise, dab a chip of 'Loctite' thread locker, or fifty-fifty clear nail polish, in the screws before tightening. This will help agree even the cheapest set. Then, always continue some spares, along with your slotted spiral driver in your emergency prepare-it kit… and one 24-hour interval, you'll be glad that you did.

7. It's a sure-fire.

A dominion of pollex with saddle billets and western latigos is if y'all're wondering about them, even a little fleck, information technology'southward probably time to supplant them. Exercise not ignore your inner voice! Y'all should be able to bend both billets and latigos sharply and have them bounce back. There should never be cracks of any kind in these pieces of leather. Billets, while straightforward to sew together in, are a job all-time left for your saddler.

Western latigos, whether the well-nigh or offside ones, are easily replaced. The long, nearside latigos must never be saddle soaped or conditioned. Once we understand why, it all makes sense. Conditioning leather improves its pliability and its 'stick'. If we practise this to our latigos, they can't be tightened smoothly and effortlessly past sliding. They get grabby and must be jerked, which is unfair to the horse and is the cause of much cinchiness.

Instead, when they're looking worn and dry, they are replaced, laced in with the leather string provided. Over again, no knots! Google 1 of the several trusted methods for lacing in a long latigo. The old, worn ones can be rolled up and kept for spare leather in our kits.

viii. You've got boom.

While you're working on your saddle, a few times every year, carefully turn it upside down on your bench. Yous'll desire bright calorie-free so that you can practise a visual, as well as fingertip, inspection underneath. You're looking for nails – yes, nails! – and screws that were used in the building of the saddle, especially western rigs. These work loose and come undone.

While you're at it, you're checking for lumps in the shearling, even burrs. In your English language saddle, feel for areas of shifted or uneven flock. Look carefully and and then with eyes closed, feel with your bare hands.

If you discover a loose nail or spiral, remove information technology. Once it has worked its way out, it will not stay in. Be particularly mindful of the areas underneath screw-in silver conchos, as these are often put on to 'pretty up' production-line saddles. They come with standard-length screws. If as well long for your particular saddle, these volition actually protrude through the jockeys, tree and skirts later on enough riding, to put sharp pressure points on your horse.

If you lot get the feeling that something working loose is key to the integrity of your saddle, take it straightaway to your saddler before the next ride.

ix. Blanket statements.

There are horses who can wear the aforementioned clothing for years with nary a scratch. Others will have their blankets shredded within days. Either way, many of our horse-blanket repair bills tin exist reduced. Every flavor, I take the prior flavour's sheets, coolers and blankets out for a careful check. Some of them just demand a trip to the machine wash for a good hosing downwards. Others might need a piddling paw-sewing on seams, surcingles and trim to go on from worsening.

The big jobs need to go to a trusted repair place. Good blanket fixes involve taking the bounden off the blanket, fitting a good patch and sewing without flattening the fill. No seams are left within the blanket to rub the horse.

Every flavour, I replace frayed or lost leg straps and keep a spare pair on manus for emergencies. I'll take mesh coolers, western saddle pads, including wool felt, likewise as equus caballus boots to the car wash. Don't forget your dirty grooming tools while you're at information technology. I never use the lather merely I do use a expert blast of hot water on them and information technology saves my washing machine.

Western saddle pads don't need to be made very wet in order to have the sweat washed off. They dry flat on the floor of the store or more quickly, on the backyard. Contoured pads dry best on saddle stands. Simple cleanliness does a large office in keeping our gear – and our horses – in tip-summit shape.

Otherwise, go through all the horse clothing and bag and mark needed repairs. This fashion, yous'll have the winter clothing prepare for next autumn. Are your sheets and fly masks ready for the coming summer? Now'south the fourth dimension.

10. Yep, we deliver!

In that location you are, amongst piles of organized chaos. I pile of important repairs for your local saddler, one pile of torn and dingy vesture for the blanket repair shop, a third pile of cleaned and fixed tack that y'all, yourself, have worked on.

Get the first two piles delivered. Sweep out your tack room and hang your bridles correctly on their racks. Saddles proceed their stands with western cinches buckled upwards. English girths, unbuckled, lie over seats, tucked into run-up irons.

Blankets and pads can either by prepare over the saddles, as dust is hard on gear, or else put on racks or shelves. Brushing boots are organized in a handy bin by the tack room door. The grooming kits are reassembled with newly-cleaned tools.

Gear that doesn't work, doesn't fit, is out of style, or was a regrettable buy is put in a box to either be donated to a riding group or sold in a consignment store. Out-of-season blankets are either hung up or folded neatly and put into mouse-proof tack trunks. And now…

Congratulations. Y'all are likely too tired to ride!

What is a repair that you are ready to try in your tack room? Tell us how it went! Thanks for post-obit the Keystone Equine weblog. Be certain to check the states out on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. Share with your friends and please, 'follow' the blog past subscribing with the red push on our home page. Thanks for now, Lee.