Water spots

[Besthorsegear]

My wife's saddle got hit by a sprinkler, left spots. Tried wetting the area and oil, neither worked. Like Resolene wore off in spots. Any ideas?  Thanks!

[bruce johnson]

Some saddles are finished with a pigmented topcoat. If water hits it potentially could make it run and show patchy discoloration. It is odd that sprinkler water made the spots but then water didn't change the surrounding area when you applied it. You could try contacting the maker and see what they use for a finish. If they will tell you, you've got more to go on. 

Otherwise option B - experiment with stuff and option C - ride it and you probably won't know it happened in a year. Sun, oil, and sweat cover a lot of finish blemishes over time. 

[Handstitched]

@Besthorsegear

Yep, thats happened to me a few times on my belts that are on a belt spinner. You're at the mercy of the elements when selling  at outdoor venues. And some idiot forgot to turn the sprinklers off at one venue...OOPS!! 

Anyway, I experimented with a little antique dye , and to try and match the original colour, that seemed to work . That looks like a ' whisky antique' .  Hope this helps a bit.

HS

[Besthorsegear]

Kinda thought I might end up trying a dye, thanks

[fredk]

Sounds like it was 'hard'water. Have you tried washing it down with a mild dilute distilled vinegar / water solution?

[SUP]

Mineral oil brings back/refreshes faded color. That might help; either mineral oil on its own or in a mix with a little beeswax. 

Edited July 10, 2023 by SUP

[bladegrinder]

For starters I’d try a few good rubbings with saddle soap.