Another Saddle With Frozen Leathers

[Saddlebag]

Next time I open my mouth about a saddle problem would someone please clamp it shut. Just got a saddle in with frozen leathers. I've wetted, slathered oil on them and finally by swinging them side to side did I get them to move. I need to go to church tomorrow and beg forgiveness for my language. Gotta nurse the knuckles a little too.

[dirtclod]

Raise the seat jockey and spray liquid saddle soap on them. Then turn the saddle upside down and spray the other side of the leathers and then do the same thing at the skirts and pull hard. You may have to get somebody to hold the saddle for you if their really stuck. Works just about ever time.

[Saddlebag]

dirtclod, I did all that. Thanks for the helpful tip anyway. The saddle is new and the owner is petite. I have to get the top of the fenders low enough that I can trim off two inches. Donning my leather winter gloves sure made it easier on the knuckles and provided good grip. After dampening and oiling the leathers I swing them in opposite directions then pull on one leather as I push on the other. The seat jockey wasn't interfering as I put wedges in there instead of trying to undo and damaging the conchos.

[dirtclod]

If the saddle is new check the skirts and see if somebody drove a nail into the sturrip leathers. I have seen that before.

All you need to do the jockey is lift it up with your hand and spray on both sides of the leathers same thing for the skirts. Don't be afraid to spray them good.

If the saddle is a pretty nice one i would try my best to talk the lady out of cutting the tops of the fenders off. Even if it's a cheapie that will ruin the resale value as in zero. Try to get her to let you make some shorter fenders.

[JRedding]

All the saddles I've seen with this condition were usually cheap trophy saddles, the ones I've worked on for people can only be remedied to be better not good. They usually don't have an actual ground seat built in them it's a pre-formed (supposedly to fit your butt) fiberglass seat strainer / ground seat and when they're nailed in they sit so close to the bar there isn't enough room for the stirrup leather to hardly pass through let alone enough for it to swing and slide like it should. The only thing I've found to help is if it has a 3" stirrup leather you can convert it to a 2 1/2" , oil the heck out of them, if it's a cheapie like the ones I've worked on they're usually dry as popcorn, and trim the tops of the fenders down to a shape that will allow them to swing a little. If, and the key word is" If " it is a cheap saddle and that is the problem you really can't hurt the resale, they're not expensive to start with and worth less if they've been rode, it will resale better if you can cure it's problem than it will like it is with uncut fenders.

[Saddlebag]

"Leathers as dry as popcorn". You've got that right. I've "cleaned" the leathers for a third time with glycerin saddle soap and they are just now feeling more like they should. The tree appears to be a ralide knock-off only it's black. Can you tell me anything about these? Now that the leathers are reconditioned I'm better able to pull them through the bars. We just had another big dump of snow. Anybody want some-it's free!