To ask a question, order a demo or place an order, you can call (478) 988-9973 from 9 am to 9 pm Eastern 7 days
OR e-mail FreedomTreeless@yahoo.com

FAQ- this is a work in progress!  Feel free to email or call with questions!

What is your return policy?
Return policy varies based on which product you buy.

Sensation saddles-  We make every attempt to insure that you won't want or need to return a saddle!  That's why we recommend you demo first.  If, however, for some reason you are unhappy with your purchase, our return policy is as follows:

Custom saddles may be non-returnable at the discretion of Nickers Saddlery.  Highly customized saddles with features such as modified flap length, moved or customized rigging, or unusual color combinations, can be difficult to resell, we reserve the right to refuse to offer a return or exchange on a saddle with custom modifications at our discretion.

All refunds will be issued less any applicable shipping charges or fees.

For orders that have been paid, in part or in full, but the saddle has not started production yet- a 10% order cancellation fee is charged.  This fee is to offset charges which Freedom Treeless Saddles and Nickers Saddlery have paid and cannot get back.  Generally this means that you must cancel within a few days of placing your order, it is up to Nickers Saddlery to determine the production status of your order.

For orders that have begun production, a 20% restocking fee is charged.

If you have received the saddle, you may return it in brand new, unused condition, at your expense, within 7 days of receipt, for a 20% restocking fee.  You must first notify Freedom Treeless Saddles of your intention to return a saddle, and get prior return authorization.  It is up to the discretion of Freedom Treeless Saddles, and/or Nickers Saddlery, to determine if a saddle shows signs of wear.

For a saddle that shows signs of wear, the restocking fee is at the discretion of Freedom Treeless Saddles and may be as high as 30%.

Exchanges may be offered at the discretion of Freedom Treeless Saddles and/or Nickers Saddlery.

For other items of tack or equipment from Nickers, returns or exchanges are generally allowed on unused equipment, but are determined on a case-by-case basis.  Orders for non-custom equipment may be cancelled at any time before shipment for a 5% cancellation fee.

Skito pads are not returnable.  If an order is cancelled by the customer after it is paid but before the pad is in production, a 10% cancellation fee applies.  Once a pad is in production, orders may not be cancelled.

Custom biothane or beta tack is non returnable and once an order is paid it cannot be cancelled.  This is because biothane orders generally go into production immediately upon receipt of order.

For all items sold- if you were given a credit or discount on your order resulting from a fitting or special offer, any restocking fees will be calculated based on full retail value.  Any discount given as a result of a fitting fee will be retained as a fitting fee in addition to any applicable restocking fees.

Any refund issued may be in the form of a credit from Pay-pal, or a check, at the discretion of Freedom Treeless Saddles.  Refunds may take up to 30 days to issue after approval, although we try to issue them as promptly as possible.  In some cases refunds take time because I must first get a vendor to refund your money to me, before I can refund it to you.  I will do my best to keep you informed and issue a refund as quickly as possible!

Having said all that- I will do my best to make sure you are happy with your purchase and that any issues get resolved quickly and to your satisfaction. 

Do you offer a warranty on your saddles?

Yes.  Sensation saddles are warranted against defects in materials and workmanship, at the discretion of Nickers Saddlery.  If you believe your saddle has a defect, please contact your dealer.  The saddle warranty does not apply if the saddle is purchased by a rider over 200 lbs, see below section about weight limits for more details.

My trainer / vet / farrier / friend / etc. told me treeless saddles are bad for horses.  Is this true?

Treeless saddles have improved drastically over the past 10 years or so, as they have gained popularity and technology has increased.  Today's treeless saddles are made with the health, comfort, and safety of both horse and rider in mind.  A properly fitted treeless saddle will not harm your horse, and can in fact be better for your horse's back than a treed saddle.

Unfortunately, many people are under the mistaken impression that treeless saddles will somehow harm their horse.  Like any saddle, proper fit is very important, and as long as the saddle fits both horse and rider, they are a safe and comfortable alternative to a traditional tree.

A Sensation treeless saddle will conform to the shape of your horse, unlike a treed saddle, which does not.  It will also move with your horse.  A treed saddle that fits well at a standstill may not fit well at all on a horse in motion, as their whole body flexes and moves with their gait.  A treeless saddle is designed to move with the horse, allowing the horse greater comfort and freedom of movement.  Many of my clients report drastic improvements in the freedom of their horse's gait after switching to a Sensation from a treed saddle. 

Before you take the word of a nay-sayer, be sure to ask that person what personal experience they have recently had with treeless saddles.  Then do your own research!  Not all treeless saddles are the same- each brand is unique, and as with traditional saddles, there are a wide range of designs and quality available.  There is no such thing as 1-size-fits-all, if a particular design of treeless doesn't work for you,  a differently designed saddle might be what you need.

Today you can find a treeless to fit almost any horse, on almost any budget.  Western, English, or something in between!  Jumping, dressage, trail riding, or competitive distance, whatever your discipline, there is a treeless suited for it.

The only disciplines that I would NOT recommend a treeless for, are the Western disciplines that involve roping or cutting, as most treeless saddles are not designed to have that kind of stress put on the horn, and the rapid direction changes of cutting can cause saddle instability.

Is there a weight limit for your saddles?

Sensation saddles have not been tested with, and were not designed for, riders over 200 lbs.  While we will not refuse to sell a saddle to anyone, if you are over 200 lbs, the saddle will not come with a warranty.

I will be glad to assist heavier riders in assessing the feasibility of using a treeless saddle, but you can expect me to be brutally honest!  Getting good weight distribution becomes increasingly difficult as rider weight increases.  My #1 concern is the comfort of your horse, and I will not encourage a sale if I don't think it's appropriate.

What do you mean "custom?"

Sensation saddles are all custom in the sense that you get to choose a lot of options!  We offer more choices than any other treeless saddle company.  Each saddle becomes a unique work of art, a reflection of its owner, and we can accommodate any tastes, from wild to understated.  With the purchase of a saddle, you get to choose the colors and textures of your leather, the type of foam in your seat, you can make minor modifications such as placement of dee rings, the design of the pommel and cantle (for example, making them bigger or smaller), you can move the rigging forward or back, you can swap the flaps on some models (for example, putting an english trail flap on the Hybrid).

You can also more heavily customize your saddle for additional fees.  Some options include altering the length of the flaps (up to 2" longer, and now up to 3.5" shorter), making the seat larger, choosing custom or unusual leather colors (red, blue, green, etc), modifying the rigging to add billets or make the billets removable, and on some models, changing the design of the seat.

In addition to all the custom options, many of the saddle parts are interchangeable from one model to another, such as seats (a G4 seat on a G3 saddle, or a Western seat on a Hybrid saddle).  You can put fenders or english style leathers on any model.  The pommels and cantles of different models may also be interchangeable.  You can also upgrade any G3 saddle to G4 rigging.

If there's something about a saddle you'd like to change or tweak, by all means, ask.  You might be surprised what we can do!