New Saddle Company Verona - best leather treatment and wrinkling?

Scunny

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 October 2005
Messages
103
Location
North Lincolnshire
www.ponydaze.com
Well yesterday our saddle arrived after biting the bullet and having a made to measure saddle for my daughter and her welsh c.

It's a lovely saddle and I'm really chuffed with the fit and the level of customisation the saddle fitter and saddler went to for us but am a bit stumped as to what to use to treat the leather with?

The fitter told us that as the Verona is leather bonded with synthetic to NOT use any oil or saddle soap as after a while they dissolve the bond and ruin the saddle but to only wipe over with a damp cloth when dirty and to treat with a good quality saddle cream or leather balm once a month.

Yesterday my daughter only rode in it for about 20 minutes for the fitter as the heavens really opened up but today went out for about 50 minutes before getting drenched again
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After getting home I noticed that the leather is wrinkling quite a bit and am concerned about treating it asap before it gets ruined!

I've used the Jeffries leather cream in the past and effax leather balm, does anyone have any suggestions as what they use on this type of leather to keep it in the best condition as I usually use neatsfoot oil on new leather?

Thank you
~~Angela~~
 
i have a SC saddle and clean it daily as you would with any other saddle and its year sold and stil going strong! so cant be doing any harm!
 
I sell these - and do not under any circumstance use neatsfoot oil. it is no good. the jeffries leather cream will be fine. Just leave it to dry fully then wipe it over with a damp cloth to remove any dirt then feed it with the leather cream. You don't need to use saddle soap on it. Just feed it. It will last for years. I have saddles out with customers that are over 5 years old and they look great. Just don't use synthetic stirrup leathers on them as they debrade the surface.
 
I have a verona. Clean it now and again (maybe every couple of months). I use Colecroft saddle soap and leather food on it. I've been out in the rain in mine plenty. Only other thing I do is re-waterproof the suede with nickwax suede spray stuff. It still looks like new. Brilliant saddles.
 
I'm probably going to get shot down but I give my WH SC saddle a quick wipe with some baby wipes every couple of days.
 
Thank you everyone who has replied, for some reason I'm not getting any email notifications but just thought I'd check up before bed.

The saddle is a wh square cantle and really looks great on our pony. My daughter had a short trot in it today and it was the most balanced, rhythmic trot I've ever seen from her she said it was soo comfy and put her in just the right position. She usually rises too high and looses the rhythm.

The fitter ordered it with a cob tree (roly poly welsh on a diet), adult something or other and pony panels, plus as at 5 he is still very bum high she asked the saddler to make the padding under the cantle (sorry don't know the name!) to be thinner than usual so as not to tip daughter forwards. The seat also was made to fit better as pony could only take a 16.5" which would have been too small for my daughter but it seems to fit her fine
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I'll go and get either some Jeffries leather cream or some Stubben Hammanol from my lts tomorrow depending what they have in. Is the wrinkling normal or should I be worried?

Thank you for mentioning the synthetic leathers Bosworth - daughter has wintec webbers (less bulk under leg) so she can swap them for my old leather ones tomorrow. I wish I had known before as there are already slight marks from the webbers
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One other problem was that our pony is very one sided and the fitter (who also does massage amongst other things) pointed out that his right shoulder is very stiff and undeveloped compared to his right which is why we have had such problems getting a saddle to stay in place (well apart from the fact that he as no withers and is so round...) The fitter is coming back next weekend with some special saddle cloths and shims but has shown me how to pad the saddle with sponge until then. She recommended that we look for a prolite pad that takes the shims as they are cheaper than the ones that she sells but after trawling ebay, robinsons etc I'm a bit confused as to which one these are? Prolite seem to do so many models! She also recommended that we get an osteopath check him out just to ruleout any other problems but feels that once in regular work should level up (fingers crossed!)

~~Angela~~
 
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