How do I finish it so that it does not dry out, crack, or just get totally ruined? Is there a special product and procedure or do I just use saddle soap??
Answers:
Oil If it is a light saddle then they have non darkening oil. Then they have a regular oil for dark saddles. If you want to make it dark then you can put the regular oil on it. I worked in a saddle shop for 6yrs.
Take the saddle back
Paint neatsfoot oil liberally over it and let it soak in for 24 hours. Will darken the leather just so you know. You can then start riding in it and soaping it and just do the neatsfoot once a week for about a month so it starts to soften.
I'm uncertain by what you mean by unfinished. Do you mean it isn't oiled or stained at all?
Most decent leather is finished with a product even if the leather color remains light. They apply a product that prevents easy staining to the leather, and it also makes the leather more shiny than it would naturally be. You can still oil over this finish.
If your saddle does not have this protective coat I would wonder at the quality of workmanship it has! Is it made in North American, or is it a foreign saddle? Saddles made in foreign countries are often not made with cattle leather and are weak, dry and cardboardy, hense the cheaper price! I don't think there is anything you can add to the top of that sort of leather to make it less likely to dry out or crack. It is weak, cheap leather and will not improve with anything.
But if your question is on normal saddle care, then just buy proper saddle oil and saddle soap and care for your saddle as instructed on the bottles. Be aware that there is non-darkening oils for light colored saddles, but even those do slightly darken your saddle.
Good luck.
Neatsfoot oil is the preferred oil to use on tack, but if you're a cheapo like me, olive oil does the job just as well and a bit more cost-efficiently. It is a messy job so be aware of that beforehand. You can use a rag or a large brush to apply it; but, where possible, apply it to the flesh side (the rough under side) of the leather rather than than to the grain side (the smooth top side).
Are you sure? I mean leather is leather it is softened and treat and then dyed to a color or left natural. But there really is no finishing to it. I think you may have bought a rough out saddle and if so there is nothing that needs to be done to it. Just wipe it with a rag after each use and clean as needed. Not to much and not to much oil as it will get moldy then and neats foot oil is great if it 100% but it seems imposible to find these days.
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