Repair and Restoration FAQs

Maybe, maybe not. Most saddles that come in for repair have some age, about 15-20 years or older. With time and age, leather fades from all kinds of variables: sun, salt in sweat, cleaning (or lack thereof) or just plain age. Sometimes the leather that was made 10 or 20 years ago simply does not exist anymore. We do our best to match color and texture with the best quality leather on the market today. We purchase our saddle leather from top English leather suppliers in England.

The short answer is, it needs it when it needs it. The best way to decide is to feel the leather. If it feels dry and a little stiff, it likely needs a little conditioning. Leather that feels soft and supple most likely will not need conditioning. If it feels greasy or oily, definitely not! Always keep your saddle and tack clean with a top-quality cleaner. We like products from Leather Therapy, Carr & Day & Martin, and more. Remember, when it comes to conditioning, too much is just as bad as not enough. Don’t over do it!

YES! If a horse rolls on your saddle you should have it evaluated by a qualified saddler. In some cases the saddle will look OK from the outside but in most cases, something will be wrong with the tree. While saddle trees are hardy enough to withstand a rider bouncing around on them, they will not survive a horse rolling on them. Think of it in these terms: 1200lb horse vs. 20 lb saddle – horse wins every time!

Yes, only if it is a flocked panel, i.e. the panel is filled with wool or synthetic wool. Some saddles are made with foam panels – these cannot be re-flocked or adjusted. With foam, what you have is what you have. We are able to convert foam panels to wool-flocked panels. We prefer to have information about the horse in the form of issue description, wither tracings and photos if we are working with you from a distance. If you are within our travel area for saddle fitting, we would prefer coming to the saddle together with the horse. Please click here for travel area and information about scheduling an appointment.

No, we do not replace or re-make foam panels. If the foam panels must be replaced, you should try contacting the saddle manufacturer for the replacement first.

YES! Sometimes a squeak is excess leather care product on the leather rubbing together. Other times, it is the rivets. If it sounds like a squeaky floor in an old house or barn, it is most likely the rivets. If you let it go too long, it will go from bad to worse! The tree will flex more and more and in some cases, the metal plates reinforcing the pommel arch can break which will necessitate getting the entire tree replaced.

Absolutely! Replacing seats is one of our specialties. We have replaced seats in English, Western and Australian stock saddles. Pricing begins at $595. Please visit our gallery of repair photos for examples of before and after photos of a few of the hundreds of seats we have replaced!

Yes! We are able to re-fleece the under side skirts of any Western saddle. Please see our repair price list.

Sure can! If you live within driving distance, we recommend that you set up an appointment with Jim to bring your saddle in so he can determine how to alter the length.

Yes! We are happy to repair both English and Western bridles, halters, and strapgoods of all descriptions. We are able to shorten cheek pieces and throat latches, replace broke or snapped chape ends, replace girth buckles and halters snaps. Please refer to our Repairs Price list for prices. Need a repair done that isn’t listed? Please contact us with a photo for an estimate!