Goatmother Report post Posted December 4, 2023 I have just acquired a work harness (with collar and hames) for my equine. It is not the fancy black multilayer high-polish carriage harness but rather flat, square-cut brown plain leather, 6 mm thick on stressed areas (breast strap, britchin, etc.) and 5mm thick on support straps. While dry and stiff from storage/disuse, there is no sign of cracking. I would appreciate any advice on restoring the leather to the natural flexibility it should have for harness work. My plan was to give it a good saddle soaping to clean and add moisture to the leather first and then to give it as many coats of Neatsfoot oil as it will absorb. I believe that I should not wait for the leather to be completely dry before oiling it, as the skin does need to be at a normalized level of moisture but I am not sure how to determine just how much moisture it needs. Should I: keep soaping it until I see a darker color going all the way through the leather as viewed from the edge and then let it dry until the surface lightens or should I just soap it up and wipe down once and then oil immediately? Once it is oiled, is there any way to add more moisture if it needs it? Please share your experience! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomE Report post Posted December 5, 2023 I've cleaned my share of tack and I start with saddle soap, a sponge, and a bucket of warm water. I would aim to thoroughly clean the surface using enough saddle soap to make some suds then wiping down with clean water. Rinse the sponge often. No need to soak the leather with water. To clean areas encrusted with dried sweat/sebaceous secretion you can use dilute household ammonia to remove the scum then clean thoroughly with saddle soap and water. Neatsfoot oil is a good choice for restoring moisture to the leather. You can apply it before the leather is completely dry if you like. The pure neatsfoot oil is probably better than neatsfoot compound, which includes petroleum based chemicals. Nonetheless, Al and Ann Stohlman note in their Encyclopedia of Saddle Making that they often used neatsfoot compound to good effect, but preferred the pure neatsfoot oil. Apply the neatsfoot oil in thin coats and allow it to soak in before applying more. It doesn't take much, and you can permanently ruin leather by over oiling it. The leather becomes sticky to the touch and spongey/weak in temper. I usually apply conditioner after oiling the leather to add a little gloss and some water repellency. My favorites are Blackrock Leather N' Rich, Fiebings Aussie, and Bickmore Bick 4. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Goatmother Report post Posted December 5, 2023 (edited) Thank you TomE, exactly what I needed! As I see your interest is fixing things that horses break, can you recommend a source for leather for repairing or replacing straps on harnesses, bridles, etc.? Edited December 5, 2023 by Goatmother to ask for additional information Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mulesaw Report post Posted December 30, 2023 @Goatmother In the old book called saddle makers illustrated journal there is a recipe for a leather nourishing paste. It is just beef tallow and neatsfoot oil. 3 lbs of tallow melted and 1 lb of NFO poured into the melted tallow. stirred until cooled. I have tried to make it and it works really well. You can off course make a smaller batch. It was originally mentioned as being for work harnesses. Brgds Jonas Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
