How many saddles can I take on trial in one go?
Saddle trials are only available in the Republic of Ireland.
You can take as many saddles as you like! Most take 1 or 2 saddles (But we generally say 3 to get a good idea of fit!)
Each saddle shall be sent in one box. ( but if we can fit 2 in a box we will!)
Each returned box shall be subject to the return fee of €20.
What if I do not know how to fit a saddle?
Saddle fit should never be underestimated. You should have a good grasp of saddle fitting or employ an equine professional you trust. Ideally you should use the services of a respected Master Saddle Fitter.
When you choose to trial saddles through us you will find in the box a pack, this pack will contain basic saddle fit advice and details of how the trials work.
Alternatively feel free to send us images and details of your situation and our True Master Saddle Fitter will work through it with you.
Do you offer a Nationwide Saddle Fitting Service ?
Our cheif advisor SMS QSF MSFC qualified true master saddle fitter Lauren Coxhead will come to you no matter where uou are in Ireland both North and South.
But this service is only availble for premium level saddles.
We do not fit used or lower end new saddles through our Nationwide True Master Saddle Fitting Service.
Do you offer saddle fit advice?
We do offer saddle fit advice when you wish to trial saddles!
For example if you wish to find a saddle for a specific breed of horse we can suggest generic brands that tend to suit that breed.
Or for example if you have a horse with high withers we will steer you away from saddles that would not suit a high wither and suggest saddles that do suit high withers.
Once our advisor is armed with all the information they need they will be able to suggest specifically which saddles to try!
However the advice is not definitive! and the responsibility for fit is your when trialing saddles.
Can I send you pictures and videos of my horse?
You can, pictures and videos will help greatly and will normally be requested by our team under most circumstances. However we cannot fit saddles remotely, we can only offer suggestions on what may fit. The responsibility of the actual fit falls to you.
What happens if I fail to notify you of the return of my trialled saddles before the trial end?
Your payment for the saddles will be put through at the trial end automatically.
If we do not hear from you within the trial period we assume you are keeping the saddle!
Once the trial has ended we will not be able to refund your deposit. Instead we will buy the saddle back from you directly for the sale price less €150 and the return delivery becomes your responsibility and must be carried out in a timely fashion.
This offer remains open for 1 month after the trial end.
Do you do trade in's?
No we do not do trade in's remotely. However we will buy your saddle directly or sell your saddle for you......You can find further information and an upload form here..........Sell Your Saddle
We may take saddles as trade in's through our Nationwide True Master Saddle Fitting Service.
Can you sell my saddle for me or buy my saddle directly?
We can and will be happy to do so!
There is further information and the facility to submit a saddle for sale found here..............
Sell Your Saddle!
What payment methods can I use?
All major CREDIT and DEBIT CARDS by phone. This is your best option as we can impart advice and potentially save you time and money.
All major CREDIT and DEBIT CARDS online.
Paypal.
Bank Transfer by request.
What courier service do you use and how much?
All orders over the value of €150 and Trial saddles will be sent to you for FREE via AnPost.
All orders under €150 will cost just €6.99 for delivery with AnPost.
When selling a saddle for me, will you pay the final sum in cash or to another bank account?
NO! The agreed Final Sale Price will only be paid via bank transfer to the bank account of the named seller, without exception. NO CASH!
How long does it take to sell a saddle?
This is a common question and one we simply can not answer. Sometimes our associated fitters will have a client waiting for a specific saddle or size so the sale can happen quite quickly, otherwise all we can say is "You never know". Sometimes the most unlikely saddles are gone immediately and highly desirable saddles can take a while.
What if I want the saddle you are selling for me back?
If you have given a saddle to us to sell on your behalf and then you want it back we will happily facilitate and return it to you, however it will be subject to the return fee of €50 and we will need at least 1 weeks notice.
Should your saddle be on trial when you request it back and the trialee wants to purchase the saddle it will be your choice as to whether it is sold or returned. In the case of you wishing to have it returned when under trial you will be asked to cover both the courier fee from the trialee €20 and then from ourselves €50......Further details can be found in our
T&C's
Can I share the specific advertisment of my saddle with my social media?
Absolutely! On each individual saddle advertisment, you will find links to all the popular social media outlets, we encourage you to use these links to share your saddle with your friends through social media.
Can I visit you for a Saddle Fitting Consultation?
No!
All used saddles and lower end new saddles are only available through our trial facilities.
However our cheif advisor and SMS QSF MSFC Master Saddle Fitter Lauren Coxhead will be available for consultations through our Nationwide Master Saddle Fitting service for premium level saddles only!
How much does it cost me to trial a saddle?
Saddles must be secured with a full value deposit via all major debit or credit cards both online or over the phone, PayPal online or Bank transfer by arrangement.
Saddle trials are only available in the Republic of Ireland and delivery is FREE.
Should the trial not work out for you the return fee is just €20 and is deducted from your deposit refund.
How do I secure a new or used saddle for trial?
We recommend you secure your saddle online with immediate affect! Why risk losing your ideal saddle?
You can secure any saddle for trial immediately by adding it to your basket, then checking out and selecting either 'OFFLINE PAYMENT', Card Payment or Paypal.
If you select 'OFFLINE PAYMENT' you can pay your full value deposit via all major credit or debit cards over the phone.
If you select 'Card Payment' or 'Paypal' your saddle will be reserved and sent on the next working day!
We can also accept Bank transfers, please call us to arrrange this.
When can I call you for advice?
We are available to offer advice via phone or Live chat Monday - Friday 10am to 4pm.
You can send emails and contact forms anytime, we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Do you offer Trials on New Saddles?
Yes and No.
We do offer trials on new saddles through our new saddle trial facility.
However - If you order a new saddle directly from our website outside of our new trial facility we cannot offer you a trial unless you notify us that you wish to trial it or you arrange for a trial prior to ordering - This is because the saddle you may wish to order is actually not one we would choose to be included in our trial facility should it not work out for you.
If I spend money with you, am I locked in to further purchases?
Not at all! Absolutely not!
There is never an obligation to Saddles Ireland! - You are entitled to refunds in line with our terms and conditions.
We believe if a saddle or accessory does not suit, you should be free to buy again from whom ever you wish - You can only do that with a no hastle, quick refund!
Do you offer a price match promise?
Yes we do on all NEW saddles and products!
Saddles Ireland has gone to great lengths to offer prices lower than you can find them in them anywhere in Ireland.
BUT, If and it's a big if you find a matching product for less in Ireland we need to know about it.
We will match the price where appropriate on all equivalent items!
Do your advertised prices include VAT?
Absolutely - That is a dirty trick played by retailers to make you think you are getting a great deal, only to then have VAT added at the checkout!
All of Saddles Ireland's advertised prices include VAT both new and secondhand!
Do you offer saddle fitting?
We absolutely do!
Our True Master Saddle Fitter is no other than the very highly regarded Lauren Coxhead SMS QSF MSFC.
But we only offer a Nationwide Service wherby we come to you and this service is only availble for premium level saddles.
All used and lower end saddles are only available through our trial facilities.
Is your saddle fitter a saddle fitter or saddle seller?
Our True Master Saddle Fitter Lauren Coxhead is a saddle fitter through and through.
Lauren takes care of the silent voice in the equation, your horse! Whilst tending to the needs of yourself.
She will look to the future and assess the saddle fit accordingly......This is a basic prerequiste of any saddle fitter worth their salt.
If we do not isolate saddles or even a single saddle to suit your situation we will tell you honestly and suggest the best way forward......It is this honesty that we are famed for!
It's not about us! It's about you and your horse! Without fail!
How do I return an item!
You can return any new product. There will be a personalised return slip sent with your purchased item.
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The return must be made within 21 days of delivery.
The return must be organised by you and made at your own expense. (Unless of course the mistake was ours)
Once we receive the item we will refund you the product cost, less the original postage fee.
All items must be returned clean and totally unused, immaculate with the original undamaged packing and labels attached.
All refunds will only be made to the original payee & payment method.
How do your used saddles compare on price to other retailers?
We never ever pay any heed what so ever to how much other's sell their used saddles for! We set our own presedence!
We price our saddles against all aspects of the individual saddle! After all no two saddles are the same!
When we first started out many years ago we realised their was no standardisation as there is with cars or yachts.......Retailers were charging ridiculously random prices, basically whatever they thought they could get away with, in honesty they are still at it to this day!
Part of our business model was to right this wrong!......Hence you will more often than not find better saddles with us for less than half the price of other sellers equivalent saddles! Yet another reason why we are trusted over all others!
The following example was a daily conversational occurence until folk realised that it was best to just come to us first! -
We were contacted by a lady who was charged €1600 for an Albion K2 during a saddle fitting visit by a large well known Irish retailer, she doubted the fit and she recognised the saddle was well over valued, the saddle had stitching missing and it was not in good condition! - After she realised she was being sold a saddle she contacted us to avail of a Nationwide consultation and during the conversation she pointed out that we were selling a newer Albion K2 that looked to be in pretty much immaculate condition for it's age for €720. On the open market donedeal, FB etc this saddle would be advertised for €700 ot €900 and probably would not come with a trial - DO NOT GET CAUGHT OUT! TRUST IS PARAMOUNT!
Can I trust Saddles Ireland?
This is not such a silly question?
Saddle sales are treated with much sceptism within Ireland and rightfully so!
It was this sceptism that got us started many moons ago.....after all we had a saddle fitter visit us from a well know saddlery with just one saddle in the van! And guess what, they told us it fit perfectly, lottery odds indeed - Needless to say we did'nt buy it and they went bust even during the Celtic Tiger!
It was based on this single action and market research that we realised as long as we treated the horse and rider with respect, basically the respect that we ourselves would expect to be afforded, then our buisness model would stand the test of time and more importantly the test of the concerning Irish horse fraternity.
So what is our business model - Simple, it's to never rob you, to never treat you with contempt, to offer a wide range of service to make it safe and easy for you, to always put the horse first whenever we can and to ensure that all the word of mouth you hear is true and upheld. Just compare that satement to what you have heard about the others!!!!!
For a long long time riders had no choice - Well now you have and it is well recognised! Hence our logo - SaddlesIreland 'The Choice is Yours'
Is your Saddle Fitter & Chief Advisor qualified?
Absolutely!
Our saddle fitter is no other than the massively regarded Lauren Coxhead SMS QSF MSFC.
Lauren first taught herself how to saddle fit physically using her own gumption, she then studied to vet level for approximately 700hrs before taking the MSFC (Master Saddle Fitting Consultant) course in Holland and France, this is basically a paid for qualification that is tough but most pass after 2 or 3 atempts, needless to say Lauren passed first time with distinction.
Lauren was then invited to qualifiy as a QSF (Qualified Saddle Fitter) through the SMS (Society of Master Saddlers) which is a UK based guild that holds the highest standards of saddlery and saddle fitting in the world - It is now even tougher to qualify than ever before, in fact when Lauren did her exam the entrants were told that only 'Super Saddle Fitters' woud be excepted - Out of 24 entrants from all over the world who had studied for 4 years, only 3 passed 1 of which was Lauren.
So, yes you could say she is qualified, she is one of the only saddle fitters to hold both the SMS QSF and the MSFC qualifiction together anywhere in the world.
It does'nt stop there, even after qualification Lauren did not get on her high horse and then expect to sell only new saddles! Oh no.......she worked 5-7 days a week reguarly hitting 15-20hrs a day covering well over 100,000 KM per year for 5 years fitting used saddles and carrying out checks to A) Baulster her reputation as the best saddle fitter in Ireland and B) To gain virtually unlimited knowledge of ever single eventuality possible.
Now, finally, Lauren considers herself qualified to advise you! Think about this when your choosing a saddle fitter!
Can I ride in a new or used saddle I have on trial?
Absolutely.....It would not be much of a trial if you do not ride in the saddle.
When you trial a saddle with us, both new and used you are absolutely expected to ride in it, girth it, play with it, change gullets etc etc etc......Its important you choose the right saddle, you can only do that by riding in it!
