How to clean a saddle

Question
Hi Becca!  I have recently come to possess the very first pony saddle my dad bought for me when I was 3 years old.  That was 45 years ago.  It's a beauty!  It has been kept in my parents bedroom on a stand where it served as a 'clothes hanger' for my father.  It is in absolutely perfect condition, but very dusty and the silver is slightly tarnished.  How do I clean it?  The leather is black, with a red leather inlay for the seat.  It is heavily carved with detail and completely outlined with silver brads and conchoes.  Can you offer any advise on the best products to use, how to use them, along with any cautionary advise to avoid ruining this beloved treasure?  The underside of the saddle is in great condition and needs no attention as I can tell, but the upper leather needs some TLC to restore it to it's original lustre.  What are the do's and don'ts of saddle cleaning/restoration. Thanking you in advance for you help!  Lee Annie

Answer
Lee Annie,
There are three steps in sadle cleaning,
clean
conditon
protect
I like to use a liquid sale soap for the first step, applying with a tack spong and a tooth brush into har to reach places.
Then once your saddle is clean use a leather conditoner on the undersides of the leather, applied with a paint brush. While applying play with the the leather, wiggling it around to make it more supple.
Last but not least put a thin layer of good old traditonal glycerine saddle soap on to keep the sadle clena and the moisture in.


To make the metal shinney, use metal polish and allow it to sit on for about 54 min, before wiping it off. I personally like semichrome polish but any polish will work.

I hope that I have been of some help...
Becca