How to Clean Suede on a Saddle

If your saddle has a suede seat it is important to know how to keep it clean. Suede can be a very durable material, but when it comes to stains the material can be particularly hard to clean, especially if stains have been allowed to set in. By knowing how to clean your own saddle you will be able to save yourself some money and keep your saddle looking like new season after season.

Things You'll Need

  • Paper towels
  • Brown gum eraser
  • Saddle
  • Toothbrush
  • Soft bristle horse brush
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Instructions

    • 1

      Deal with water stains immediately. The sooner you can deal with a stain or water spot the better off you will be. If you are riding and get caught in the rain be sure to cover your saddle seat with a plastic poncho or other type of protection as soon as the first raindrop hits. If there is already water on the suede saddle seat use a paper towel to wick the moisture away.

    • 2

      Use a toothbrush to deal with small set-in stains, carefully rubbing against the grain of the suede. If the stains are larger you can use a soft bristle brush like the kind you use to brush your horse--just make sure you thoroughly clean the brush before using it on your saddle seat.

    • 3

      Take a soft gum eraser across the seat to remove deeper stains. Make sure you use a brown eraser--using a pink one could stain the saddle seat. Rub the eraser vigorously across the saddle in the opposite direction of the grain.