kaitlin

Hi Tim, Thanks for writing - I'll take your advice re: Neatsfoot oil. I found a saddle guy about 30 miles from me who may be able to help me clean it properly. I read all of the cleaning products advice on the forum and hope I can pick the right one in case I'm the cleaner. It's actually a little bizarre how I bought this saddle. I went to see a guy with lots of saddles for sale, didn't like any of them, asked "Don't you have something else?" and he dragged this one out of the back of his barn - it was really filthy and he didn't want to sell it to me. He was a hay truck driver and he had traded hay for this saddle with the local country music star. So it had probably been sitting in her barn for years too. I hope I can restore it properly. If you have a favorite cleaning product you recommend, would you let me know? Thanks! Kaitlin

Thanks for the reply. I had no idea it was old saddle when I bought it - just loved the classic styling and the deep seat. I've stored it in my living room since I bought it (except when riding) - it's just a pretty saddle - much nicer than the overloaded frilly saddles being made now. It's also surprisingly lightweight. Can you give me any idea what I should use to take care of it? II've used Neatsfoot oil and saddle soap on it. I welcome all suggestions. Does anyone else think this saddle could be a collectible? I took a closer look at the stamped number and it is definitely 683. Is there any way I can research what this saddle is called and when it was made? Thanks! Kaitlin PS - Apologize for so many questions but I really don't know what to do.

Hi, I bought a saddle about a year ago to use while training my horse - it has the deep inverted swell. I found your web page and it spurred me to look for the maker's mark - which is H.H. Heiser Saddle Company of Denver, CO. I searched on the Internet and found that this particular mark was used on their saddles from 1880s to 1920. There is also a number stamped on it - looks like 683 but could be 688 and just worn. I've attached a photo I took yesterday. It's not in mint condition, has some nicks in the leather on the swell, but still looks pretty decent. Can you tell me anything about this saddle? I was just about to sell it as a regular saddle. Are these saddles just generally kept in use until they wear out or is there a reason to preserve this saddle for the future? Thanks for any insight here. Best, Kaitlin