VTO Saddlery Saddle Trial Policy

NEW SADDLES:

Every saddle purchased from VTO Saddlery has a 5 day trial policy. During this trial, you may test the fit of the saddle by placing it on the horse's back, girthing it up and sitting in it. Please do not ride in the saddle with stirrup leathers. If you return the saddle, it must be in new condition with no signs of stirrup marks. Slight marks on the billets from girthing are fine. Please take care not to clean or oil a new saddle, and do not stack the saddle with a used saddle since the oil can rub off onto the new saddle.

USED SADDLES:

Follow the same fitting guides below as for new saddles. With a used saddle, you may ride in the saddle with stirrup leathers and irons. Please take care of the saddle. It must be returned in the same condition that you received it, without excessive wear from riding or mishandling.

CHARGES:

When you order the saddle, your credit card will be authorized, but not charged. This means that the funds for the amount of the purchase price will be unavailable to you until the authorization is released. Please contact us as soon as possible to let us know whether you will keep the saddle or return it. If your return it, the authorization will be released and your card will not be charged. If you decide to keep it, your card will be charged. If you need more time for the trial, please contact us at 800-506-5344.

RETURNS:

To return a saddle, ship to this address: VTO Saddlery, PO Box 9, 202 N. Main ST., Broadway, VA 22815. Please include a copy of the invoice and a note indicating whether you would like to exchange the saddle for another size/color, etc. or if you would like a refund. Below are some saddle fitting tips. Please have a qualified person that you trust, check the fit of the saddle. The following are meant to be guidelines only. Saddle fitting is a process very individual to each horse.

Saddle fitting tips:

We recommend putting the saddle on your horse without a saddle pad. That way, you can really tell how it is contacting your horse's back. After girthing it up, check a few things: First, is the saddle level? For close contact saddles, the pommel (front) should be about level with the cantle (rear). If the saddle has wool flocking, the cantle may even be a bit higher to allow for the wool to settle and conform to the horse's back as it breaks in. For dressage and all-purpose (rounded cantle) saddles, the cantle should be about 1 to 1.5 inches higher than the pommel.

Next, check the clearance. At the withers, you should be able to fit 3-4 fingers under the pommel before girthing, and 2-3 fingers after girthing with a rider. Sight through the channel (down the horse's spine). Make sure the horse's spine does not touch the centerline of the saddle at any point. Finally, make sure the saddle does not bridge or rock - in other words, the panels (cusioned part of the saddle that touches the horse's back and bears the weight) should have uniform contact from front to rear.

If all of these things check out, you should have a decent fit. It's best to have a person who is knowledgable about saddle fitting and whose judgment you trust look at the saddle while you are sitting in it to make sure.