help! my saddle is growing mould!!

G

Gooby

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 June 2008
Messages
674
Location
Manchester, UK
Visit site
I have given Gil about a month off and so haven't been in the tack room to see my saddle but I went in yesterday to find green mould growing on it!! It brushes off with a cloth but this has never happened to any of my saddles before and I'm fairly sure it isn't meant too! I've brought it home to see if maybe its just a little damp and needs to dry out in a dry environment. Any suggestions as to what it could be and how to stop it regrowing!? Thanks
 
ours do this even with th heather on, its because of the samp and cold. We put fleece covers over the event/dressage saddles when not in use and it seems to keep most of the mould off, we also have a heater on to help prevent it becoming too damp.
 
Make sure you wipe the mould off with a dry cloth first before cleaning / treating saddle as it you get the leather warm with the mould on it can come back easier as it gets into the leather. Agree with keeping covered and somewhere less damp should help stop it happening again if not being used regularly.
 
All saddles do this when it is damp. I've never owned a saddle that doesn't.

Just make sure it is kept well covered with saddle covers and a few towels and give it a clean once a week.

I once didn't ride George for months due to illness, and when I came back to his saddle it was green!
 
*phew* thanks all, that a relief! I'm getting the saddler out in the new year and thought he would take one look and say nope you've ruined your saddle thats £500 for a new one please! I almost bought a fleece saddle cover at olympia but got a bucket cover instead! lol
 
[ QUOTE ]
Make sure you wipe the mould off with a dry cloth first before cleaning / treating saddle as it you get the leather warm with the mould on it can come back easier as it gets into the leather. Agree with keeping covered and somewhere less damp should help stop it happening again if not being used regularly.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good advice here. Also I find that using a greasy saddle soap helps (I like Effax leather balsam)- glycerine based soaps seem to make things go mouldy more quickly in my experience.
 
Mould on a saddle is not too bad - as long as you don't let it grow for years.
It's much better than leaving the saddle in the warm, where it will dry out and crack.
Don't worry!
S
grin.gif
 
Agree with the others it is the cold and damp that does it! But dont bring it into the house as it will dry out too much this time of year as you may have your heating on etc....
The mildew thrive on horse sweat and if you use oil it comes more quickly?! I also use effax leather balsam which is great! 3 of my saddles are on racks in my garage uncovered and I havnt used them for a while either but there isnt any mould on them yet!
I have had saddles get so bad they could walk around on their own but have always come up like new without any lasting damage.
 
My house isn't that warm, I wish it was! My hands are frozen from just typing up an assignment now
frown.gif
I have put over the banister which goes down to the garage, so one of the colder parts of the house and no radiators near by. Will buy a nice saddle cover and leave it at home til the saddler is due out. Thanks for the help
smile.gif
panic over!
 
On my tack that isn't used regularly (or ever in the case of a couple of saddles that I haven't got round to selling) I wrap newspaper round them and in the case of the stored tack then put a pillow case over that. It seems to work really well.
 
When you clean it (with soap and water) use some disinfactant in the water. Dettol (dilute!) or milton should do the trick. It should help kill any lurking bugs. You also get antinould sprays.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top