[RC] RE:: RC question for those riding in leather saddles - Paul Sidio
OK Marta,
You have gotten some good advice here on saddle
care. Here is some real world practical advice for your
consideration.
#1) A little water stain from a wet sponge is
the least of the dings your new leather saddle will endure over time.
Endurance riding can be a "contact sport". My suggestion is to tie
your saddle to your trucks bumper and drag it down a gravel road for a few
hundred feet. Then all the worry about that first scratch is
over. No one will notice the little sponge
water stain then.
As for all the advice you got about oiling the
saddle, it may be over rated. Here is something you may not have
considered as one of the benefits of not oiling your saddle. Consider the
common situation we all face out on trail as we catch up to a group of
riders or an individual slower rider. It is discourteous and dangerous to just
come up unannounced behind them. Their horse may spook, or run away with
them. So we should let them know we are approaching. But how to do this? We need
enough volume in our voice to alert them. A mumbled quiet warning may not
be heard, and when their horse spooks, they will be angry with us for not
letting them know we were coming. If we pitch our voice too high, the
warning may sound fearful or panicked. "Look out! I'm behind you!" as if we were
on a runaway horse. If we lower the pitch of our voice and raise the volume, it
might sound too triumphant or boastful " I've caught up to you and am ready
to pass!" Where is the correct social balance for this situation ? They
didn't cover it in the ride meeting.
This is the time when a carefully un-oiled
saddle will come to your rescue. As you approach people at the trot with the un-oiled saddle, they will hear, "thud, thud,
squeak, thud.... thud , thud, squeak, thud. They will be
alerted that another horse is coming up from behind. For heavy traffic or
deep foliage areas where more volume is needed, I recommend even less
saddle oil. Then your horse will sound like "thud, squeak, thud,
squeak.... thud, squeak, thud ,squeak" However, do not go to
the completely un-oiled level where you sound like "squeak, squeak
squeak, squeak......." At that level, you will have other riders oiling your
saddle for you. They may put extra oil on the saddle seat and stirups just
to make certain there is enough.
You may find the squeaking helps you time your
horses trot better. Or adds extra ommph to the rhythm if you sing while you
ride. ( Here comes SQUEAKY cottontail, SQUEAKing down the horsey Trail . SQUEAKY
clip clop SQUEAKY clip clop, SQUEAKY all the way...)
This has been my warning system for years, and it
has worked great for me. Many times as I have approached people on trail from
the rear, They have said they heard me coming a long ways off. I tell them that
trail safety has always been one of my top priorities. They always invite
me to pass and go ahead of them. Also when coming in for vet checks, your crew
is alerted and prepared for your arrival well before you are in sight. Sure you
could carry walkie talkies, but who needs the extra weight, and what if the
batteries die? A wisely prepared un-oiled saddle is the proper
technology in the proper place. Sure some people may sneer at you, and ask if
you are just too lazy or can't afford saddle oil, but you just tell them that
their safety is more important to you than a quiet ride.
Hope this advice is helpfull and useful for you as
you adapt from a synthetic saddle to leather.
