Mary’s Tack & Feed offers a trial period on all saddles we sell; English and Western, used or new. The saddle you choose is critical to the health and happiness of your horse and is greatly responsible for your comfort and safety as well. After you receive a saddle, you have four days to ride in it to be certain it’s the right choice for you and your horse.
How it works:
1. Purchase the saddle. You can order it online, in the store, or by phone. We recommend you call and discuss the saddle with a sales associate regardless of how you want to order it. Our trained staff can answer all your questions and some you might not have thought to ask! We will always have one of our associates make an effort to reach out to you before we ship a saddle order.
2. We’ll ship it out with a statement of condition so you know it was looked over and comes complete with everything that should go along with it. Since our saddles routinely go out on trial, they may have some modest “riding wear” that we consider acceptable. Any blemishes are noted to put you at ease and ensure there is a record showing we are aware of them. Your job will be to keep it in that same condition while you trial it.
3. Ride in it over the next 4 days. Do everything in it you want it for. If you jump then jump in it. If you run barrels then run a few barrels. If you decide to return or exchange the saddle, it must come back to us in the same condition you received it.
4. Decide if it’s a keeper!After 4 days without word from you we’ll assume the saddle is working out and you are keeping it. If it is not, contact us to let us know you are returning it. We do not pay for return shipping, but we do include a return label that will afford you the best rate. That return shipping value will be deducted from your return.
Guidelines to keep the saddle in the condition it was sent:
- Wrap your leathers/top of your fenders before you ride. Try plastic wrap or an old tube sock with the toe cut off. This will minimize chafing on saddle leather while riding in it.
- You may ride in your tall boots or half chaps to get a true feel for the saddle but don’t if if you think you could transfer any polish or grip product to the flap!
- Be mindful not to wear black jeans or dark chaps when trialing Western Saddles. Depending on the seat leather, dark jeans/chaps can rub off dye.
- Always use a saddle pad between your horse and the saddle to keep panels and flaps sweat-free.
- Never apply any leather care product to the saddle until you have decided to keep it. Using the wrong product on a saddle may impact its return eligibility.
We encourage you to call us during your saddle trial period to let us know how it is going or if you have any questions. Our expert Sales Associates are here to help and ensure you get the perfect fit. We get that “life is what happens when you are trying to plan” so if you need more time, we are only a phone call away. We can make accommodations we just need to hear from you.