Which Is The Best Saddle Soap? Top 15 Explored
Are you new to horse riding and looking for the best tack cleaners on the market? Or are you already a seasoned equestrian who’s keen to try a new saddle soap?
Either way, you’re in luck!
I’ve tried and tested some of the best saddle soaps and have put together a fantastic list for you. And believe me when I say: It comes straight from the horse’s mouth!
1. Best Gel Soap: Pessoa Gel Saddle Soap
- Size: 250 ml
The Pessoa Gel Saddle Soap is a lovely glycerin-based soap. Its gentle formula is tough enough to clean dirty leather but light enough to preserve the leather’s natural shine.
Mix the solution with a bit of water and use it on all of your leather equipment, from leather boots to reins and saddles. It also has a nifty hook-shaped bottle, making it easy to store in your tack room!
2. Best Scented Saddle Soap: M.O.S.S. Scented Saddle Soap
- Size: 200 ml
Cleaning leather just got a whole lot better with M.O.S.S’s range of fantastic scented saddle soaps! This glycerine saddle soap is enriched with goat milk and comes in four scents: tea rose, vanilla bean, citrus basil and lavender.
This saddle soap is made from natural oils. It cleans, conditions and nourishes all your leather equipment.
3. Best Leather Cleaner: Fiebing’s Saddle Soap Tin
- Size: 85 g
You can’t go wrong with Fiebing’s – they have been around since the 1890s after all! Their traditional yellow saddle soap tin is my favourite and is one of the best leather conditioners around, leaving leather beautifully supple.
This leather balsam is sort of like a ‘polish‘. All you need is a cleaning cloth (or a damp sponge) to buff, clean and shine your leather equine equipment. It’s a fantastic saddle soap that seals pores and is well-priced too!
4. Best Saddle Soap Spray: Fiebing’s Glycerine Saddle Soap Spray
- Size: 450 ml
Another Fiebing’s product makes it onto my list because they really know what they’re doing! This time, it’s their glycerin-based soap spray. It comes in a handy ready-to-use spray bottle so there’s no mixing required. It’s great for horse saddles, tack, shoes, boots, jackets and more!
5. Best Natural Saddle Soap: Bee Natural Saddle Soap
- Size: 220 ml
Made from natural ingredients, the Bee Natural Saddle Soap is great to use for a thorough clean! It goes deep into leather items and effectively removes embedded dirt, dried sweat and ingrained grease.
Its natural ingredients leave leather supple and well-nourished. And, with just a quick wipe, your leather care duties are taken care of!
It’s great to use to prevent mould and mildew growth too.
6. Best Conditioning Soap: Carr Day Martin Brecknell Turner Saddle Soap
- Size: 250 ml
This saddle soap is designed to thoroughly condition your leather saddlery, making sure it stays in tip-top shape for all your equestrian needs.
Its soft wax formula, made from glycerine-free soap, is easy to apply. Gently rub the saddle soap into your cleaned tack using a cloth or sponge. Once dry, use a soft, dry cloth to bring out that leather lustre!
The Carr Day Martin Brecknell Turner Saddle Soap keeps leather soft and supple with its matt finish and is great to use to prevent cracking.
Just take note: This product is not suitable for untreated leather, aniline, suede or nubuck items.
7. Best Saddle Soap Bar: Fiebing’s Glycerin Saddle Soap Bar
- Size: 196 g
This tack cleaner is wonderful to use to add shine to your riding equipment. Its glycerine base does not stain, discolour or dry leather out and leaves a wonderful satin finish.
It effectively removes dirt and grease from mucky leather goods and is one of the best saddle soaps in the lower price bracket.
8. Best Synthetic Leather Saddle Soap: Leather Therapy Wash
- Size: 450 ml
The Leather Therapy Wash spray will definitely ensure a superior clean. With minimum effort, its residue-free formula effortlessly removes dirt and grime from the inner fibres of leather products. And, it’s perfect to use on those intricate bits of Western riding tack, too!
Its premixed formula is quick and easy to spray onto synthetic or genuine leather. It’s alsoa great tack cleaner that’s mild enough for everyday use. It prevents colour loss and cracks and leaves leather soft and supple.
9. Best Versatile Cleaner: Farnam Leather New Spray
- Size: 946 ml
This nifty 3-in-1 formula cleans, conditions and adds shine to leather tack, saddles and boots. It comes in a spray bottle for easier cleaning and effectively removes dirt and grease.
You can use this product on stiff leather to soften it or wet leather to prevent stiffening. This makes it one of those versatile leather conditioners that’s handy to have in your store room!
10. Best Budget Saddle Soap: Gold Label Glycerin Leather & Saddle Soap
- Size: 100 – 500 g
Don’t let the price of this cheaper saddle soap bar fool you – it seriously packs a punch! Simply use a damp cloth to work up a lather on the bar and clean leather products with ease. Leave it to dry, then polish off with a dry cloth. Easy peasy!
11. Best 2-in-1 Leather Care: Farnam Leather New Total Care 2 in 1
- Size: 170 g
Apply this product with a damp cloth directly onto leather tack or saddles. It has a creamy, mess-free formula and is enriched with avocado oil that leaves leather clean, soft and deeply nourished.
With no silicones, waxes or petroleum distillates, you won’t need to stress about any rot stitching. And its portable and convenient size allows for leather care on the go! Brilliant!
12. Best Multi-Purpose Leather Soap: Supreme Products Saddle Care Spray
- Size: 500 ml
You read that right, this product is best for all things leather. That means that it’s a brilliant deluxe spray soap that can be used on saddles, leather riding boots, and… handbags!
This multi-purpose leather product not only cleans but also shines and cares for your leather. The simple spray and wipe method makes it quick and easy to use as well!
13. Best No Water Saddle Soap: Oakwood Liquid Saddle Soap
- Size: 500 ml
This is a handy saddle soap to have when tack cleaning as it requires no water. The simple “wipe on, wipe off” formula is perfect to use at shows or equestrian events, where running water can be limited.
The Oakwood Liquid Saddle Soap has a pH-neutral formula and does not leave any sticky residue. It effortlessly washes away dirt and grease, keeping leather cleaner for longer!
14. Best For Bulk Cleaning: Fiebing’s Liquid Glycerin Saddle Soap
- Size: 3.7 l
If you have a riding school or own a herd of horses yourself, you’re going to need a heck of a lot of saddle soap to clean all those horse saddles! Opt for Fiebing’s Liquid Glycerin Soap for all your tack-cleaning needs, from saddles to bridles and reins… I even clean my boots with it.
The generous 3.7-litre bottle is budget-friendly and guarantees to clean, maintain and rejuvenate your saddlery, ensuring the leather remains supple with a luxurious satin finish.
15. Best Leather Balsam: Bates Leather Balsam
- Size: 90 g
A leather balsam is a type of leather conditioner used to maintain, protect and enhance leather products and Bates Balsam is a great option to go for! Enriched with natural waxes and oils, you can’t beat its protective properties!
Its specialised formula penetrates deep into saddles, riding boots or jackets and will preserve the longevity of your riding equipment, while giving it a clean too!
What To Consider When Buying Saddle Soaps
- Budget: Knowing how much you want to spend on a new saddle soap is a good place to start. Choose a saddle soap that is best suited to your budget. 3-in-1 tack cleaners may be a good option to go for.
- Ingredients: You need to consider the type of ingredients used in each saddle soap. Natural ingredients like lanolin and beeswax are often preferred because they not only clean equestrian tack but condition it too. It’s important to avoid harsh chemicals – like ammonia- as this can damage your leather tack and potentially cause skin irritations for your horse.
- pH: Leather tack is sensitive to pH levels and may become brittle if you don’t use the correct cleaning formula. Opt for saddle soaps that are pH neutral, to ensure the longevity of your riding gear.
- Moisturising properties: In addition to cleaning, good saddle soaps should also condition tack, especially leather. This helps prevent cracking or excess drying out in various weather conditions.
FAQs
How often should I be cleaning leather saddles?
It’s best to clean your saddle, whether it is leather or synthetic, after every use to prevent dirt, sweat, and grease from building up.
Can I use coconut oil to condition my riding tack?
Yes. Coconut or olive oil makes a great choice to nourish and condition leather riding tack, but don’t use too much, as it can be quite greasy!
