Leather Care Instructions

How to care for your David Quayle bespoke or DQ Diamond range leather saddlery

DQ saddlery predominantly use English J&E Sedgwick leather and the finest Italian leather available, widely recognised as the best bridle leathers in the world. With proper care including oiling and regular cleaning & conditioning your saddlery can provide you with years of enjoyment. We understand you are keen to use your new leatherware however the initial treatment of the leather is imperative to ensure its longevity and quality of appearance.

Step 1 Before you use your gear for the very first time, make sure you oil it thoroughly with a quality saddle oil eg. Equinade or Effax.

Step 2 Place gear in a warm room out of direct sunlight or extreme radiant heat allowing the oil to naturally penetrate.

Step 3 The oiling process may need to be repeated if the oil is quickly absorbed.

Step 4 Apply a quality leather dressing or balsam to nourish and restore the leather keeping it soft and supple.

Step 4 should be repeated regularly.

* A new gear will soften best though oiling followed by use, the body heat from the horse will naturally warm the leather and increase the absorption of the oil to soften the bridle.

* Using gear without sufficient oiling first may cause cracks in the surface

* Exposing gear to water, even mist, prior to being sufficiently oiled may cause the surface to blister, this bubbly appearance may never be fully restored.

With good care, a DQ Saddlery leatherware is extremely resilient and durable, take the time initially to prepare your gear for years of enjoyment. As leather is a natural product every hide has its own unique characteristics, not only do colours and surface marks vary but so does the leather’s elasticity and ability for each hide to absorb oil and moisture. While ever effort is made to obtain consistency in our products by using only the best quality of leather available, variations are unavoidable.

How to care for a rain affected leatherware…

On occasions when your gear has been subject to rain you should wipe over with a damp cloth to remove the extra moisture. Then apply a light application of leather dressing or balsam to restore the moisture to the leather to keep it supple. Leather will recover best by drying at normal room temperature, never dry quickly by direct radiant heat as this may cause it to become dehydrated and brittle. If the leather has been correctly conditioned and maintained from the outset, a shower of rain should not leave a lasting impact.