Care & Use of the Barefoot Saddle

Leather Products

Leather is a natural product, therefore irregularities in its shades and consistency may occur.

Leather needs to breathe, and must be stored in a dry and airy space. It is essential to maintain your saddle and tack regularly. Barefoot saddles are made of a natural dyed nubuck leather. To avoid and / or minimize rain spots, use a nubuck leather conditioner or the Effax or Barefoot leather products on a regular basis. During your first rides on a new Barefoot saddle, wear darker pants, since the dyes can still tend to stain in the beginning. If the leather begins to feel dry, treatment with a light leather oil like the Effax oil is recommended. Leather soap may also be used to clean the saddle. Always use products intended only for use on nubuck leather. All articles made of flat leather (fenders, leathers, girth straps, billets) should routinely be cleaned with saddle soap and then oiled & conditioned with a flat leather product.

Before our leather products are shipped to you, they undergo a quality inspection and are conditioned. Over time, leather changes, the suede type finish will turn into a smooth leather finish with use. We recommend that before every ride, you inspect all stitching, stirrup leathers, stirrups, girths, billet straps and all tack items. Do not use the saddle if you notice any damage. We also suggest an approved safety helmet and safety vest be worn at all times when riding.

Saddles

We recommend the use of a mounting block or aid for use with any saddle, to protect the horse’s back. A treeless saddle should be cinched tightly for best fit. When riding treeless, always use a therapeutic saddle pad between the saddle and the horse’s back. Position the saddle on the horse, so that the rider will be sitting in the area they would naturally sit if riding bareback. The Barefoot saddle may be placed over the shoulder of wide set low withered horses while we stay behind the scapula of higher withered horses. The pommel is affixed to the soft leather to allow maximum flexibility and it will not place extra pressure on the shoulder blade through the weight of the rider provided you have the correct size insert in the pommel pouch. You should be able to get your hand between the pommel and your horses shoulder. However, do not sit directly on the pommel or the cantle. The cantle is made of a semiflexible foam piece, you may want to replace the foam with fleece material for any horse that is in rehab due to prior loin injuries or if your bottom is a bit big for the saddle. Break in time for the saddle is approx. 10 hours of riding with the exception of the London saddle, this saddle is so soft that the breaking in takes just a couple of hours. During this breaking in time you will adjust the treeless feel, the saddle will soften considerably and the padding will compress. Please keep a keen eye on your girth during the breaking in phase. It is best to start with short rides building up to longer rides to save both you and your horse muscle soreness.

Cheyenne, Cherokee, Atlanta and London Saddles

These saddles allow for removal of the fiberglass form in the pommel pouch to fit extremely broad or sensitive horses or to make the saddle fit very differently shaped horses. To remove/exchange the pommel piece lay the saddle flat on the ground, lift the seat over the pommel to give you some space, open the zipper, remove the fiberglass form gently and insert the soft or xl pommel in replacement of the standard fiberglass insert. We recommend to replace the cantle foam insert for wool or fleece material if your horse is extremely sensitive or is small compared to the size of the saddle or if you only just fit into the saddle.

Arizona Saddle

The horn on the Arizona saddle is meant only for decoration. Please do not apply any intense force to the horn i.e. do not tie an animal or other heavy object to the horn, do not hang on to it while mounting. It is alright to use the horn to stabilize yourself once in the saddle.

Saddle Pads

You do not need to remove the inserts of the Grandeur saddle pads prior to washing your pad on cold cycle. You do need to remove the inserts of the Equipedic pads though. All our saddle pads are machine washable. The foam inserts of the pads need to be replaced when the foam is visibly squashed down or compressed. The one set of standard Grandeur insert will last you between 6 and 18 month before you need to replace them. Endurance riders need to check the foam inserts every 3 months please and will have to replace them more regularly than people spending less time in the saddle.

For further questions on use and care of Barefoot saddles, please email us.

Note: Equestrian activities can be extremely enjoyable, but are also dangerous. Horse Connection Kind Solutions Pty Ltd is not liable for any damages of any kind arising from the purchase or use of products offered for sale by Horse Connection Kind Solutions Pty Ltd, including but not limited to direct, indirect, incidental, punitive and consequential damages.