TLC for a soaked Butet?

Gamebird

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Despite being covered all day by a rug/saddle cover/my bum
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my saddle has copious rain-splash marks all over it and looks very sad. I wrapped it in a towel to come home and am now wondering on the best plan of action. It's still damp/stickyish to the touch and marked where it's been wet.

What should I do now????
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Please help - it cost more than the horse I was using it on!
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let it dry naturally in the house, not near a heat source, is what i was always told.
then effax/saddle soap/oil etc as much as you fancy.
if the saddle got that wet, i deduce that you were definitely part of yesterday's Drowned Rat Brigade.
 
Don't panic, they come up really well once they've dried out (as K describes) and are "fed" again. I got some lovely white leather dressing when I got mine, but Effol is just as good.
 
Not too much stuff you can overkill with kindness, let it dry naturally and then feed little and often depending on how the leather looks and feels, but don't put too much stuff on. i would rec saddle soap to start then see then look at lether conditioners if needed.
 
My Devoucoux got so wet a few weeks ago, that i could actually wring out the knee flaps to produce a puddle on the floor.. it had doubled in weight with water!!
It's fine now, with plenty of TLC
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sometimes before the drying out process giving it a wipe with a damp cloth to even out all the wet patches so you don't get any tide marks is a good idea. My poor orange exselle has got repeatedly soaked for the last 2 weeks and it goes from grey to brown to bright orange! I have given up trying to keep it a normal colour and we have lots of splash marks
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it seems to change colour every season, maybe it's loosing it's coat
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Mine got soaked at the Steven Hadley clinic I went to last week, so I put it outside on the saddle rack for a couple of mornings while I was on the yard and it completely dried out. Then I put dubbing on it and its fine now.

Don't put anything on it until it is dry as you will lock the moisture in.
 
Give it a wipe over with a pH balance wash product to remove any grime & help get rid of rain marks then dry it out slowly (likely to take several days if the knee rolls etc are drenched too). Then sparingly apply a good conditioner & if you are going to be riding in the rain regularly I'd treat your saddle with a water repellant - avoid wax or silicone based ones, go for an acrylic polymer instead & your saddle will remain beautiful for years to come.
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My very old Butet got very wet a few times, either from what fell from the sky or if i managed to fall off in the water jump. Have to say I have never sat on a saddle more like soap once it was wet.
I left it to dry out, but not too quick, and then just soaped it as normal, I found oiling it as per normal leather did not agree well with it.
With me Devoucoux I use the grease that comes with it and on my Butet dressage and it seems to be ok with that. Butet do their own as well, it is more a grease to rub in rather than an oil.
 
Gamebird, I hope your saddle gets better, sadly I rode in one recently and then found out the price!It does indeed cost more than my horse!(I would love one though!
JC
 
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