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 naturally dyed nubuck leather. To avoid and / or minimize rain spots, use a nubuck leather conditioner or the Effax 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, wipe down the saddle with a light leather oil like the Effax oil or Barefoot moisturising cream is recommended. Please do not 'soak' the saddle in oil or conditioner and do not use softening leather conditioners under the stirrup D's of the Barefoot saddles. 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. We recommend that before each use, 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.

All 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 one of our specialised saddle pads 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, right behind the horse's withers. The Barefoot saddle may be placed over the shoulder of a low withered horse, horses with defined withers you saddle up as with any traditional saddle. The pommel of the Barefoot saddles 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. However, do not sit directly on the pommel or the cantle. The Freeform saddle is put on the horses back like a traditional saddle, meaning behind the horses scapula to ensure free movement. Please always pull the saddle pad up into the gullet of any of our saddles.

The buckles of your stirrup leathers need to sit by your ankle joints and not under your thigh, otherwise you can easily get pressure points.

Endurance riders please read the section on endurance on the FAQ page of this website.

 

Barefoot Cheyenne, Cherokee, Atlanta and London Saddles

These saddles allow for removal of the fiberglass forms in the pommel and cantle, if necessary to fit extremely high-withered horses, very broad or sensitive horses.

To change the pommel or cantle please lie the saddle flat, lift the seat over the front of the pommel, open the zippers, remove the fiberglass form and insert your replacement pommel, the soft pommel or soft material (such as wool, cotton or fleece)carefully without forcing the zipper. You should be able to get a finger under the saddlepad at the front where the pommel sits when you stand in the stirrups leaning forward Another sign of a tight gullet is if the saddle sits higher at the front than at the back. Many horse's need increasingly wider pommel inserts with these saddles because they build / rebuild topline so nicely while being ridden in the Barefoot.

Arizona and Missoula 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. We have an extra wide pommel insert with horn available for very wide horses.You should be able to get a finger under the saddlepad at the front where the fork/pommel sits when you stand in the stirrups leaning forward, if you can not the saddle is too tight for your horse's shoulders and needs to be adjusted. Another sign of a tight gullet is if the saddle sits higher at the front than at the back or if you tip towards the back of the seat against the cantle. Many horse's need increasingly wider pommel inserts with these saddles because they build / rebuild topline so nicely while being ridden in the Barefoot.

Saddle Pads

Please check the foam inserts in your saddle pad every 3 months for compression, if the foam has visibly compressed you need to order replacement inserts from Horse Connection. You find those foam inserts by opening the Velcro which is usually located at the front of the pad. With the exception of the Grandeur pads please always remove the inserts prior to washing your pad, machine wash on cold cycle is recommended for all saddle pads sold by HorseConnection.

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

 

Note: Equestrian activities can be extremely enjoyable, but they are also dangerous. Horse Connection Kind Solutions P/L 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 P/L, including but not limited to direct, indirect, incidental, punitive and consequential damages.