SHIPPING your sold dressage saddle.

Yay, good for you, you sold your saddle!  Congrats!  Now here are some tips for shipping from someone who handles a lot of packages.

1- Attach your address and phone number to the stirrup bar via a tag.  In the unlikely but also possible event that your saddle should become separated from the box, an address and phone number will help your saddle find its way home.

2- Wrap that rascal!  Packing shifts during transit. Then the leather rubs on cardboard for hundreds upon hundreds of bouncy miles.  Not good. I use oversized contractor garbage bags and slide the saddle in sideways, flap first not cantle or pommel first.

3- Size MATTERS!  Certainly you don't want to roll your saddle up and cram it into the smallest box possible, but shipping companies do have different pricing for certain size boxes.  Currently, an 18x18x24 size box will be big enough for the average dressage saddle and still small enough avoid those additional oversized fees with USPS.  USPS and UPS have great website calculators where you can calculate and compare shipping charges.  You can even purchase and print out your shipping label/postage on the sites, and usually for an additional savings.   I recommend checking out all options- don't always assume that ground/standard will be less expensive.  Pricing structures change, it only takes a few minutes to double check.

4- Don't create a box using other boxes.  Seriously.  Last I knew, Walmart has a decent 18x18x24 shipping box for next to nothing.  It's worth it.  Boxes that are cobbled together tend to be weak where they are taped.  I always have a spare box in the tack room because I've demoed many a saddle where the current box will not make the return trip safely.

5- Pack adequately, but that goes without saying.  Remember that parcels are not always handled by humans and that other parcels can and will be falling onto your parcel in the sorting machines.  To see these machines in action you can do a YouTube search.  Some shippers do offer a "Fragile" handling fee for extra careful treatment if you're particularly worried.

6- Be generous with the shipping tape. It doesn't weigh much.

7- Insure it.  Again, the vast majority of parcels arrive to their destinations perfectly fine, but not 100%.

8- Require a signature for delivery.  This service may come with the insurance automatically.  Once again, the vast majority of parcels arrive to their destinations perfectly fine, but not 100%.