How do I clean and condition leather tack?

That is the sequence in Horse & Hound's six-step tack guide, and it matches the advice in a University of Florida extension handout: clean first, dry, then put oil back.

• Take it apart. Unbuckle the bridle fully, and take the stirrups, leathers and girth off the saddle. Dirt and sweat do the most damage under the buckles.
• Dry wipe. Remove hair, dust and dried mud with a dry cloth first, or you will paint mud into the leather's pores.
• Clean. Use a damp sponge, not a dripping one, and focus on the grease and sweat on the undersides of straps.
• Rinse and dry. Wipe off excess soap with a slightly damp cloth and let the leather air dry naturally.
• Condition. Once clean and dry, apply conditioner with a clean sponge or cloth in a light coat.
• Buff and reassemble. Buff with a dry cloth, put it back together, and check that the runners and keepers are in place.

The Florida extension handout says leather in frequent use should be kept as clean as is practical, that the parts that touch the horse's sweat can be wiped with a cloth after every use, and that saddles and bridles should get a thorough cleaning several times a year. Horse & Hound suggests a daily wipe after every use, and admits that most owners don't clean as often as they should.

In practice, how often depends on how much you ride, how sweaty the horse gets, and the weather. Tack that rides daily in summer gets dirty fast. A saddle on a rack through a dry winter needs less. When leather starts to look dull, feels dry, or leaves a dusty film on your hands, it is asking for attention.

The Florida extension handout says liquid glycerin saddle soap, with a sponge or cloth and water, is the cleaning step, and that bar and cake soaps can build up in tooling and stitching where they are hard to rinse out. It says cleaning removes oils that need to be replaced for the tack to stay flexible, and that leather conditioners contain oil, natural waxes and lanolin, with one or two coats being enough.

Makers describe their lines in similar terms. The table shows what a few of the makers we carry say, which is a description of what the product is for, not a verdict on which is best. Our brand pages for Lincoln, Leovet and Pharmaka list the full ranges.

Horse & Hound says to avoid over-oiling because leather will attract more dirt, and to avoid heavy oiling on the seat of a saddle unless you fancy a slippery ride and oily breeches. The Florida handout says one to two coats is sufficient, to let the leather dry after oiling, and not to over-oil in high humidity. It adds that pure neatsfoot oil on its own can lead to mildew in humid environments.

Two practical points from the same sources. Make sure the leather is dry before you oil it, and let it dry after, and never dry leather on a heater or in direct sunlight, because Horse & Hound says it will shrink and crack. If you aren't sure how a new product will behave on colored leather, the maker Leovet advises checking colorfastness on an inconspicuous spot first.

The Florida handout says to avoid submerging a saddle or blasting it with a hose, but also describes rinsing soap and dirt away with a hose on light pressure after scrubbing with liquid glycerin saddle soap. Horse & Hound works with a damp, not dripping, sponge and wipes soap off with a slightly damp cloth. Either way, the leather needs to dry naturally and away from heat afterward.

On oils, the Florida handout says 100% pure neatsfoot oil is a nourishing choice, that extra virgin olive oil can also be used to condition saddles, and that corn or vegetable oils should be avoided because they tend to promote mold. Those are one extension office's recommendations for Florida's humidity. If you are unsure, follow the maker's instructions for your tack.

Horse & Hound says to soak the bit to loosen dried saliva and grass, to use a toothbrush in the links, and not to use leather cleaner or chemicals on the bit. It says to treat stirrup irons the same way, with the toothbrush on the tread, and to polish buckles with a dry microfibre cloth at the end.

One thing to watch is the leather next to the bit. Rinsing a bit can get the cheekpieces and billets damp, and that leather needs conditioning afterward. A rider describes the effect in her own words.

Horse & Hound says to wipe the mold away outdoors to avoid spreading spores, with a damp cloth soaked in boiling water with disinfectant if you plan to use it again, then treat the tack with a leather-specific mold inhibitor, condition the leather, and check that stitching hasn't rotted and spores haven't spread to other items. It suggests a low-wattage bar heater in the tack room to help prevent mold.

The Florida handout makes the same point from the humidity side: heat and humidity are tack's enemies, healthy leather in occasional use can still harbor mold in humid weather, and a dehumidifier or air conditioner helps. It says not to store saddles in hot, humid tack rooms, and recommends watching for mildew and removing it when you see it. Horse & Hound adds a bridle bag and a shaped saddle cover for extra protection.

Horse & Hound says well-maintained leather can last for decades, and that a bridle or stirrup leather breaking while you are riding is a safety problem. The Florida handout lists what to look at: stretched holes where buckles sit, loose hardware such as buckles, screws and hooks, cracks in the leather (usually where it is under more stress), rusted or bent buckles, signs of wear on the girth, and frayed stitching around buckles.

If something looks wrong, don't ride in it. Replace the piece or ask a saddler. Our Barn Talk pages on stirrup leathers and girths cover other parts that wear.

Horse & Hound says synthetic tack is easier to maintain and needs no soap or conditioner, just a damp cloth or sponge, and that faux suede can be brushed with a stiff brush to lift the nap. The Florida handout says suede can be cleaned with a stiff plastic brush to remove dust and dirt. Leovet and Lincoln both describe their leather care as made for leather, and Leovet specifically lists suede, nubuck and patent as exceptions.

If you aren't sure, check the maker's care instructions on the product.