Good leather care is important...
Why treat your leather well?
Reason number 1: Well-cared-for leather lasts longer! This way, you'll enjoy your riding shoes or boots, and your leather horse equipment like your bridle or saddle, for even longer. Leather handbags, loungers, or car seats also benefit from regular maintenance.
When leather is dirty and/or dried out, it's more likely to crack. In the equestrian industry, leather can sometimes take a beating. Think of your reins or girth, which often come into contact with horse sweat, or your boots, which you sometimes have to walk through mud or manure.
But how?
For thorough maintenance, you can work in several steps. First, clean the leather, then nourish it, and finally polish it. For daily maintenance or a quick polish in between, there are handy 2-in-1 products. As you can see, there's quite a lot. choice !
Cleaning leather
Good leather care always starts with cleaning your leather. If there's still a lot of sand or mud clinging to your boots, leather girth, etc., rinse the dirt off with water first or remove most of the sand with a soft brush.
In addition to the classic “saddle soap” of the past, there are now also leather soap products in the form of a spray or gel or Soap in a jar , usually glycerin-based. Apply the product to your leather and use a damp sponge to remove grease, sweat, mud, dust, and other dirt.
In leather care you will usually find these products under the name “ Cleaner ” or “Soap”.
Nourish leather
Once the leather is clean, you can nourish and protect it. Besides classic leather oil or leather grease, there are many modern leather conditioner products available for this purpose.
Leather balm , leather gel or leather creams They have a soft consistency and are therefore easy to apply. These products are user-friendly because they are easily absorbed into the leather.
For old, very dry leather, it is best to leather oil use. Compared to the previous products, it usually takes a little longer for the oil to fully penetrate the leather. Apply an additional coat if necessary to make the leather truly supple. It is also suitable for nourishing slightly larger surfaces, such as those of a Western saddle. oil highly recommended.
Leather grease As the name suggests, it's greasier ;-) and should therefore be rubbed in well. Leather grease can be useful for making the leather more water-repellent.
For a beautiful result, finally polish the leather with a soft cloth until it shines.
There is also leather " polish " available, for example, to give your riding boots an extra shine. Did you know that there are also leather creams in natural , brown or black , with which you can “renew” the color of dull leather?
Caution! Use leather products only on "regular" leather, never on patent leather or suede.
Ready quickly!
For daily maintenance or a quick cleaning in between, there are handy 2-in-1 products . These so-called " Combo " products are an innovative combination of a non-greasy cleaning product and a care product. The nourishing substances penetrate deep into the leather fiber, keeping it soft and crack-free. The product removes stubborn dirt and dried sweat and prevents damage from moisture and mold. This preserves the leather's natural properties, leaving it clean, supple, and shiny.
The Clean & Care spray Apply evenly to the leather, rub in immediately with a soft, damp, clean cloth or sponge, let it dry, and you're done!
Maintaining synthetic leather
Do you have a Wintec saddle, girth, or other synthetic leather material, then regular leather maintenance is not really necessary. Only when your Wintec material is dirty should you use a special cleaner spray .
Spray the product onto the surface to be cleaned, buff with a damp sponge, and rinse. Let your Wintec saddle dry thoroughly, but never in direct sunlight.
Good luck!
