The most common question that I have received recently in my shop is “Are saddles and tack ruined after hurricane Harvey?
Many of us in Texas have been affected directly or have someone close to us that has been affected directly by hurricane Harvey and the effects will surely be felt for many months from now. I grew up on the Gulf Coast in Aransas Pass, TX so I am aware of the damage that hurricanes can cause but in my lifetime I have never seen this magnitude of damage in our state. I have so many friends and family along the South Texas Gulf Coast that are dealing with the aftermath of Harvey and are working hard to help others while trying to also assess the damage to their homes, barns, communities, livestock, and countless other recovery concerns.
In this article, I want to help you see if your saddles and tack are ruined after hurricane Harvey. Saddles and tack are surely some of the most treasured items that were damaged due to flooding and or damaged barns and saddle houses. As you begin to go through these areas and find your saddles and tack severely water damaged and possibly beginning to mold or mildew, the first instinct may be to put all this in the ruined pile and possibly claim them as part of items lost due to damage from the hurricane.
This may be the case in some instances, but there are some things that I want to discuss that may save some of those pieces of equipment so that you can continue using them. Although water damage is surely not good for leather in general, it does not always mean that they can not be salvaged. Continue reading