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Leather Repair work by Norm Wear of Stillwater Tack Shop in Seattle Tacoma area

My Leather Repair Philosophy

1. An animal gave up its life to provide that leather. Don't discard it, fix it.
2. Continuing to ride on damaged tack is unsafe. Repair worn and damaged items pronto!
     (The worst I've seen was a kids' saddle with a bale tie holding the rigging together.)
3. Keeping your tack in good repair will add to your enjoyment of riding.
4. Therefore, repairs are treated as important work, and are cheerfully completed.

Saddle Restoration & Repair

An example of my repair work is this 1940's vintage Visalia Stock Saddle that came in for restoration.

Restoration Performed:
Complete cleaning and conditioning, Reline skirts, Replace saddle strings and leather rosettes, polish brass, sand stirrups, and replace stirrup treads.

Before
After

Western Tack Repair Pricing:

Complete cleaning and conditioning, with turned stirrups	from	$125
Replace stirrup leathers  (price dependent on width of leathers and length type - long or short)	from	$135
Reline skirts with sheepskin ( I will not use artificial or synthetic woolskins)  price dependent on the amount of rebuilding needed inside the skirt)	from	$300
Replace horn cover, leather	flat	$100
Install Dees for breastcollar or martingale	flat	$ 60
Replace saddle strings, depending on length	from	$ 25
Replace cantle binding (leather only)  (Cheyenne roll extra)	from	$125

English tack Repair Pricing:

Complete cleaning and conditioning	from	$95
Restuffing, whether with long clipped wool, short wool, or artificial fibres	from	$250
Replace regular billets (only done in sets of 3) (Price dependent on the amount of disassembly / re-assembly required)	from	$105
Replace dressage billets (only done in sets of 2) (Price dependent on amount of disassembly / re-assembly required)	from	$105
Install dees for saddlebag	from	$125
Replace hooks in reins or bridles (each)	from	$15
Replace elastic on girth (double, one end)	from	$40
Replace elastic on girth (triple, one end)	from	$50

Prices on other repairs by request.  ALL REPAIRS MUST BE PAID IN FULL BEFORE WORK BEGINS.

Maintaining your Saddle

Your saddle needs to be cleaned fairly often to get the sweat, dust , mud, manure and grime off.  How often depends on the amount of riding you do.  I usually thoroughly clean mine at least twice a year. 
So how does one go about it?   A lot of folks are afraid to get the saddle wet.  You needn't be.  Hose it off.  Wash off any large deposits of mud and manure as soon as you can after they are deposited on the leather.  For the general cleaning and conditioning, just wet the saddle down.  Then, using a sponge and saddle soap, scrub it off.  You can use a soft bristle brush to get stubborn spots and clean in the tooled areas.  Don’t scrub too hard or you can abrade the surface of the leather. 
The key is rinsing.  Saddle soap needs to be rinsed off to carry away the loosened dirt and grime.  Lots of the accumulated waxy crud I often see on saddles brought in for repair is saddle soap that hasn’t been rinsed off.  You can keep a spray bottle of water handy and rinse as you go, or continue to use the hose.  Just keep scrubbing and rinsing.
When everything is clean, let it dry.  It should be in a cool place, like in the garage or breezeway.  Let it dry slowly.  When it’s almost back to its normal color, and cool to your cheek, it’s time to apply a coat of oil.   It’s important to apply the oil when there is still a little water in the leather.  That prevents the oil from being absorbed too fast and darkening the leather.  That way, you can apply a light coat and allow it to replace the water as it evaporates.
Don’t forget your cinch and saddle blanket.  Dirty sweaty cinches and blankets are responsible for a lot of sore horses.
At least annually, the stirrup leathers need your attention.  Unbuckle them and pull them out (NOT ALL THE WAY!) so you can inspect the part that goes over the tree bars.  Check for cracking and drying.  Apply a coat of oil to this part.  And check the latigo leather where it is fastened to the rigging.  That is the most common area to wear out.  If needed, cut it off and re-attach on solid leather.  Saddle soap the latigo to keep it soft and pliable.
In between cleanings, you can just wipe the saddle with a rag wetted with conditioner like Leather New, Lexol, or Harness Honey.  Just remember, next time you clean, you'll be removing the build up of conditioners.
That’s it!  For a more thorough cleaning, with disassembly and stirrup turning, bring your saddle in to the shop.