How Do You Condition a Leather Saddle and Tack? A Shea Butter Tack Balm

Leather tack lasts longer when it is kept clean and conditioned. This page gives you a simple balm to make yourself from pure shea butter and beeswax, with plain answers to the questions saddle owners ask most. The balm is for the leather, not for the horse or dog.

It has two ingredients, or three if you add a little shea oil. Everything in it is a pure, natural ingredient, as long as you buy pure beeswax: nothing synthetic, no fragrance, no preservatives and no fillers.

How do you condition a leather saddle and tack?

To condition a leather saddle and tack, clean the leather, let it dry, then rub in a thin coat of this Baraka shea butter tack balm and buff off the extra. A thin coat is the whole secret. Thick coats sit on top, feel tacky and make tack slippery.

What you need

• 4 oz (113 g) raw shea butter
• 1 oz (28 g) pure beeswax pastilles, or beeswax grated fine
• 1/2 oz (14 g) shea oil, optional, for a softer balm
• A double boiler, or a heatproof bowl set over a pan of water
• A clean tin or jar that holds at least 6 fl oz (177 ml)
• Soft cotton cloths, such as old T-shirts, and a soft brush for stitching

Yield: about 5 1/2 oz (155 g) with the shea oil, or about 5 oz (141 g) without it. That is enough for several tack cleans, so you will not need to make it often.

Shea butter is the hero of this recipe. Baraka's shea butter is made by hand by the women of the Konjeihi Women's Enterprise Centre in Wa, Ghana, and Baraka is Community Certified Fair Trade. You can read more about the women and the work in the Impact Report. The shea oil is made from unrefined shea butter and made by hand in Ghana. It is one ingredient, 100% shea oil, with nothing added.

How to make it

1. Pour about 2 inches (5 cm) of water into a pan and bring it to a gentle simmer.
2. Put the shea butter and beeswax in the bowl over the pan. Melt them together on low heat, stirring now and then, until the mixture is smooth and clear. Beeswax melts at about 145°F (63°C), so the shea butter will be fully liquid by then.
3. Take the bowl off the heat. Stir in the shea oil if you are using it.
4. Pour the mixture into your tin and leave it to set at room temperature for a few hours without moving it.
5. Label the tin with the date.

Shea butter can turn grainy if it cools slowly. If that happens, melt the balm again and chill the tin in the fridge for about 20 minutes so it sets faster.

How to use it

1. Clean the tack with saddle soap or a damp cloth. Get the dirt and sweat off first, so you do not rub them into the leather.
2. Let it dry until it feels dry to the touch. Dry it in the shade, away from radiators and direct sun.
3. Test the balm on a hidden spot, such as under a flap, and wait a day. Shea butter, like any butter or oil, can darken light leather a little. Do not use it on suede or nubuck.
4. Warm a pea-sized amount between your fingers, or on a soft cloth, and work it into the leather in small circles. Use a thin coat.
5. Leave it to soak in, then buff with a clean, dry cloth until the surface does not feel tacky.
6. Keep the balm off the seat, the stirrup treads and the part of the reins you grip. Slippery tack is a safety risk.

This is a conditioner, not a waterproofer, and we do not promise any weather result. Check your saddle maker's care instructions too, because some makers name the products they want used.

Storage and shelf life

Keep the tin closed, cool and out of the sun. There is no water in this balm, so it keeps well. Plan to use it within about 12 months, and make a fresh batch if it smells off or looks different. If you only have one saddle, a half batch is plenty.

Melt-point tips for barn temperatures

Shea butter starts to soften at around 90°F (32°C), and beeswax holds firm up to about 145°F (63°C). In a cool tack room, the balm stays firm. In a hot trailer, a car or a sunny tack room it will go soft or melt, so store the tin in the shade. If your barn gets hot in summer, use 1 1/2 oz (43 g) beeswax and leave out the shea oil. In a cold winter the tin gets hard, so warm it in your hands or bring it indoors for an hour.

What is the best oil to use on a leather saddle?

There is no single best oil for every saddle, so start with what your saddle maker advises and use any oil sparingly. Many saddlers use neatsfoot oil, which can soften leather a lot and darken it. All oils and butters can darken leather a little, so always test a hidden spot first.

In this balm, shea butter does most of the work. It is a firm, rich plant fat that stays near the surface of the leather. A small amount of shea oil makes the balm softer and easier to spread. The shea oil is optional. If you leave it out, you still have a good balm. For the best homemade leather conditioner in general, and for stiff leather, see our leather conditioner recipe.

Is olive oil good for a saddle?

Olive oil is not the best choice for a saddle, and many tack-care guides advise against it. It is a thin liquid oil that can soak deep into leather, darken it and leave it greasy. Plant oils like olive oil can also go rancid over time and start to smell.

A firmer fat such as shea butter stays nearer the surface and is easier to buff off. If you have already used olive oil on a saddle, do not panic. Wipe it over with a clean, dry cloth, let it rest, and use only thin coats of balm from here on.

Can I use Vaseline on leather tack?

It is best not to use Vaseline on leather tack. Petroleum jelly sits on the surface of leather, can leave it tacky and tends to collect dust and dirt. Many saddlers say it does not suit tack for those reasons.

A plant fat balm made with shea butter and beeswax buffs to a smooth, dry-feeling finish when you apply it in thin coats. If you want a petroleum-free balm for animals, our all-purpose animal balm is made without it.

How long after saddle soap should you condition?

Condition once the leather feels dry to the touch after saddle soap, which is often an hour or two, or the next day if it was very wet. Follow the label on your saddle soap too, because some soaps need a wipe with a damp cloth first.

Conditioning damp leather can trap water and leave patchy, dark spots. Let the leather dry in the shade, away from radiators and direct sun, because fast heat can dry it out and make it stiff. If you are not sure, wait the extra hour.

How do you make saddle leather soft?

You make saddle leather soft by cleaning it well, then conditioning in thin coats and letting each coat soak in before you add another. A thick coat does not work faster. It sits on top and has to be buffed off.

Work the balm in with warm hands and flex stiff spots, such as the flaps and the areas around the billets, as you go. A new or very dry saddle often needs several thin coats over a few days rather than one heavy one. Riding in the saddle helps too. If the leather is cracked, splitting or has weak stitching, take it to a saddler. Tack that fails is a safety matter, and no balm repairs it.

Safety notes: licks, skin and what the balm leaves out

Patch test first. Try the balm on a hidden spot on the leather before you do the whole saddle. Keep it away from eyes, so buff browbands and cheekpieces well. Use small amounts, and stop using it if you see any redness on an animal's skin where the tack sits.

Horses and dogs sometimes mouth or chew reins, halters, leads and collars. Small licks of pure shea butter are harmless. Shea butter is a vegetable fat that has been used for cooking in West Africa for generations. A dog that eats a large amount of any fat, such as a whole tub, can get an upset stomach, so keep the tin out of reach. For more on dogs and shea butter, see natural skincare for pets.

This balm uses only ingredients that are fine if an animal licks a little, and it leaves out the rest on purpose:

• No essential oils and no fragrance. Some essential oils, such as tea tree, are toxic to dogs.
• No cocoa butter. It contains theobromine, which can make dogs ill.
• No kombo butter and no red palm oil. Both stain, and red palm oil can stain light coats and light leather.
• No black soap.

This page is about leather. Rubs, sores, broken skin, hot spots, mud fever, rain rot, thrush, lameness, infections and swelling all go to your vet, or your farrier for hoof problems. Do not put a leather balm on them.

What each ingredient does in the balm

• Shea butter makes the balm rich. It is the firm, creamy base, and it contains vitamins A and E.
• Beeswax makes the balm hold its shape. It gives a firmer tin and a smooth buff on the leather.
• Shea oil makes the balm soft and light. It helps the balm spread, and it is optional.

How to change the texture

The rule of thumb is simple: butters make it rich, oils make it soft and light, wax makes it hold its shape. Change one thing at a time, and make a small batch to test.

• Firmer or harder to melt: use 1 1/2 oz (43 g) beeswax with 4 oz (113 g) shea butter, and leave out the shea oil. This is good for a hot barn.
• Softer or runnier: use 3/4 oz (21 g) beeswax and up to 1 oz (28 g) shea oil with 4 oz (113 g) shea butter. This suits cold weather.
• Lighter: add a little more shea oil and a little less butter.
• Richer and thicker: add a little more shea butter and keep the wax the same.

Make it your own

These recipes are a starting point, not a rulebook. Use your judgement, be inspired, and don't be afraid to experiment. Everything here is a pure, natural ingredient that blends happily with the others. Start with a small batch, write down what you did, and test it on a hidden spot on your tack. When you find a blend that works for your leather, make it again.

More shea butter care for horses and dogs

If you are making things for your animals too, start with Natural Pet Care with Shea Butter: Dogs, Cats, Horses, Goats. For hooves, see What Can You Put on Dry, Cracked Horse Hooves? A Shea Butter Hoof and Heel Balm. For dogs, try the dog paw balm, or see What Can You Make for Your Dog and Horse with Shea Butter? 5 DIY Recipes.

Quick answers

Raw shea butter and shea oil are both in the Baraka shop, ready for your next batch of tack balm.