While old time horsemen expected their leather to change color over time, today's riders are often more concerned with keeping the leather the same color it was when they bought it. The trick is to use leather care products that are easy on both the leather and on leather dyes. Some of the old standbys used by grooms of yore are no longer the best possible choices on the market. Don't be too quick to clean brand new leather. Instead, use a conditioning product for several weeks to help dyes to set completely.
Some cleaners can break the weak hydrogen bonds between dye and leather fibers.
Then the dye leaches out. Clean your leather using a pH-neutral product that lifts dirt out of the leather's pores and stitching lines without leaving excess foam or any gummy residue behind. Alkaline products, like many saddle soaps, may move dyes. Conversely, an anionic product like Leather Therapy WASH actually creates a negative electrical charge that helps repel dirt. Avoid saturating the leather when you clean it.