We do not accept cancellations on any order due to the unpredictable nature of restocks and deliveries due to COVID-19 we will not honor any cancellation request, regardless of when the order was placed. While the vast majority of orders arrive on time, we cannot cancel orders due to delays that are out of our control. If you do not have the character to wait for your order with patience and understanding and in the unforeseen event it will be delayed, please do not order from this site. This situation has effected retailers both large and small and customer patience and understanding is most needed right now. We are doing the best we can to get orders out timely. Thank you for your understanding. 

In the event your order is legitimately lost (more than 45 days post placement or shipment), a refund will not be processed until the shipping carrier has conducted their investigation. We will not issue a refund if the carrier insurance has already refunded you directly. We will not reship any orders until the carrier has completed their investigation and determined that package is actually lost. Sorry, but we all must develop patience and understanding that while most packages arrive on time, if yours doesn’t, we will assist in helping move that package along but we will not refund until the carrier tells us it’s legitimately lost. Sorry no exceptions.

If you paid by credit card or other method besides PayPal or Amazon this can be updated provided the order has not already shipped. If you paid via PayPal or Amazon Pay the order will need to be cancelled and replaced. If the order has already shipped we cannot change the shipping address.

Shipping Timelines

Regular Shipping: Priority USPS, UPS Ground or Fed Ex Ground. Priority is not a guaranteed service but is typically three business days. UPS & FedEx is typically five business days. First Class is sometimes used for smaller packages that would arrive at the same time as Priority. 

Two Day Shipping: Typically UPS or FedEx 2 day, which is two business days and does not include weekends or holidays. Orders received after 12:00 P.M. CST will be processed on the next business day*. Priority/Priority Express two day is sometimes used if the location is typically delivered within two business days anyway and if an order needs Saturday delivery. Two-day shipping is not available on mix brand product orders due to multiple warehouse distribution. First time customers may not be eligible for this shipment if a mandatory security hold is required.

Two Day Domestic Shipping is available for most items in our store except for the following brands: HKM, Lauria Garrelli, Cavallino Marino, and Cavalli Puri. 

Timelines for special orders: Shipping on made to order, custom orders (including custom/semi-custom boots), and other special order, non-in-stock merchandise: If an item in your order meets the above definition as indicated in the product description, all items in that order will ship with the custom made item unless either a) the remaining items in the order are valued at $125 or more and we will send a second shipment b) the customer contacts us prior the order and pays separate shipping to ship remaining items. Otherwise the order will ship together. Cancellation requests are not honored on any special order products.

*Please note above estimates do not include handling time. Orders may take up to three business days to dispatch, however certain brands as indicated below are subject to additional delayed processing. If there is a question on your order we will wait for your response before dispatch so please check your emails including spam accounts after you place your order.

Sorry, we do not provide two day shipment on orders over $500.00 that have failed credit card security fraud checks. 

Alaska and Hawaii

Default shipping will be shown in cart to simplify costs. Actually cost difference will be invoiced once items are packaged. Please be watching your email for this invoice.

International Orders: It is our responsibility to ship the items with a designated carrier. Once the item leaves the United States, it becomes your care, custody , and control. International shipping is not without risk and we will not be liable for items damaged during transit, at customs, missing items, stolen packages, or items that arrive missing parts. Please note we have no control over customers customs delays, please allow time for your item to clear customs processing. We do not ship oversize items such as blankets, FOB items, or items exceeding 14*16*12 Internationally. 

Processing Time: Most order leave our warehouse within two to three business days. Due to COVID-19 we are seeing this sometimes take a bit longer. While customer service may respond to you seven days a week, our warehouse business days are considered Monday-Friday, and processing time is considered Monday-Friday as our business days. Order received after noon, or after business days are processed on the next business day. I.e. an order arrived Friday after noon, day one of processing starts the following Monday.

Wrong item Received: We utilize photography for each package shipped in addition to scanned in product technology. Thus, any incorrect item received claims must show as the wrong item shipped on our end. We are sorry but we cannot rely on customer statements for incorrect item if scan and photos show the correct item or items were shipped. Any valid claim must be received within 48 hours of shipment being received. Claims after 48 hours will not be processed.

Please note orders exceeding 5 lbs are not eligible to ship internationally.

We do not ship the following items internationally: Lunge whips, fly spray, aerosol grooming products. International orders above $500.00 are subject to photo identification prior to shipment.

Please note the following brands may be subject to delayed processing: HKM, Cavallino Marino, Fair Play, Cavalli Puri, and limited European brands. Please allow additional processing time of seven business days prior to shipment.

We accept PayPal, Amazon Pay, All Major Credit Cards including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover & more. We also accept Apple Pay and Google Chrome Pay. Apple Pay and Google Chrome customers are bound by your agreements with these payment methods which means you are responsible for reading our site merchant (shipping & return policies). If you need to pay on terms, select PayPal Credit at checkout.

Please note due to updates in PayPal’s user agreement we can only provide store credit on returns paid with PayPal and we do not accept order cancellations on orders placed with PayPal. A 3% cancellation fee is placed on all orders who meet eligibility for cancelled orders. See “What if I need to modify or cancel my order” for full details.

Refunds on eligible returns are usually processed within 2-4 business days. Returns originally paid with PayPal are refunded to store credit only. Fair Play brand products are eligible for return to store credit only.

Some payment processors may hold a portion or all of your funds for a 24-48 hour period, therefore if this occurs same day pick up is not available. If you are local to the San Antonio area, please contact us for assistance.

Unless otherwise specified on the coupon or other written marketing literature, all coupons expire within 30 days of issuance. We do not offer discounts on third party sites so any discounts you may see offered elsewhere are not redeemable through our store unless it is a specific manufacturer run discount program (subject to their terms and conditions.) Store credit is good for one year from the date or the issuance of the credit. Coupons, store credit, and discount codes can be entered in the coupon box at checkout located below the PayPal Logos. If you are having trouble finding this, please contact us before you make your purchase as we cannot retroactively apply coupons. We do not offer rain checks or extension on discounts, promotions, or coupons. We do however accept requests to extend store credit issuance provided the request comes before the expiration of the credit. We calculate days on a calendar month for this purpose, not on business days. Thank you for your understanding.

Complaints

We absolutely love our customers and we want you to be pleased with our company. We find most complaints stem from customers not reviewing our terms and conditions prior to sale. To keep conversations clear and open we ask that a few understandings be agreed to:

Before you buy:

Make sure to read the product description, shipping & return policy, and know your correct sizing prior to ordering. Photos for colors are as accurate as they can be but monitors and phone screens are not real life so there should be expectation that colors may have some variance. Simple preparation on your part will reduce a lot of aggravation for you in the event you need to make a return/exchange or have product assistance needs.

Our inventory is not live, which means if you have an absolute need, it does not hurt to double check stock by contacting us. Shipping fees for international orders are estimated.

Follow our processes, they really are quite simple but if you want a return, submit the return request. If you need help on sizing, our online chat, email and phone support is here to help. 

Be patient, we respond quickly, but expecting instant responses from any company is probably not realistic. 

While we try to make our policies transparent and easy to find as possible, understand at times you may misunderstand a policy, thus our clarifying this policy with you is not intended as rudeness or argument. So please make sure to keep your tone and attitude civil if a customer service representative clarifies a policy with you.

Although very rare, on occasion, we will get an accusatory, uncivil customer whose intent despite all conversation becomes to attack the representative assisting them. We simply do not tolerate bullying, dishonest, threatening, or disagreeable customers. We know the difference between a legitimate concern that needs resolving and someone who just doesn’t want to follow our policies.

We are very easy to work with and thus having this kind of behavior is not tolerated here. We have far to many pleasant and wonderful customers that need our time and attention and we treat all customers equally and fairly. This means the rules apply to everyone. This paragraph does not apply to 99% of our lovely customers who make our day better just by being a part of it, but sadly this paragraph is needed. If you are having a bad day, we would rather hear what happened, chances are if it’s horse related we can relate. (Vet bills, trailer tires flat, barn burned, hurricane, pipe busts, yup we have heard all of this). So tell us all about it, we are good listeners but please remember the policy applies to you.

We are known for excellent customer service, the most common customer complaints stem from not reading our returns policy in advance. Thus, please remember it is your responsibility to read and inform yourself prior to purchase. Our return policy is linked to each product on the website, on the header menu on desktop, and on the mobile menus on mobile devices. In addition terms and conditions are agreed to at checkout with the exception of Apple Pay customers whose terms and conditions of use require they agree to the merchants terms of service. We do the best we can to make that information transparent so please do your part in informing yourself, every retailer has their own policies.

Facts:

Texas is a no refund state but we do have a returns and refunds policy. It means Texas has no law that requires retailers to give refunds. However we DO have a return and refund policy and Texas law does require us to follow our policy and post it, we comply with both.

We comply with the Federal Credit Billing Act however we report to Radar any customer who engages in fraudulent credit card disputes. Radar is used to validate transactions at millions of retailers worldwide.

Examples of fraudulent credit card dispute behavior as defined: 

• Chargebacks when customer knowingly received correct product but does not want to go through return process (credit card companies will close in our favor)
• Knowingly disputing a charge they know is valid
• Refusing a product they ordered to avoid paying return shipping
• Disputing a charge due to buyers remorse
• Customer disputes charge to avoid paying their bill
• Misuse of credit card by a household member

It is our policy to actively re-coup our funds and will proactively litigate in civil court to retrieve our funds if necessary. Invalid chargebacks hurt YOU and can cause you to lose your credit cards, bank accounts, and ability to purchase online, so please do not engage in fraudulent chargeback behavior. If you see something on your bill from us, reach out, we will provide clarification of the purchase or refund you if in our error.

If you wish to file a complaint with a member of our management team please email: info@theconnectedrider.com Subject: Management. Someone will respond as soon as possible.

Did you know we get far more compliments on our service than complaints? Why? Well we care about you and your horse and horses should be fun. Helping you put together a matchy outfit, find that perfect bridle, or get you looking stylish in to the show ring absolutely makes our day. We simply love what we do and hope it shows in every interaction. So if one of reps does an amazing job, please let us know. 

We value you. Truly, it’s the kind, caring customers that make us what we are and help us to continue to serve you well.

We always welcome gentle suggestions on how we can improve, afterall we are here for YOU.

If you initiate a dispute against our company with your payment holder simply because you do not agree with one of our policies post sale a $35 dispute fee will be immediately due. Customers who use chargebacks to avoid complying with policies you agreed to at checkout will be assessed this additional fee for our labor and time it takes to respond to the dispute with the payment processor. For example you purchase a sale item fully knowing out policy states no sales items are eligible for return. Or you attempt to a cancel an order, regardless of cancellation notice, when our policy specifically states we do not allow cancellations. We are not Amazon, we do not have the staff to deal with customers who don’t want to read policies, therefore this fee helps us recoup our losses. Also in the even a payment processor returns your funds in error, this does not absolve you of the amount due. We will initiate civil action and file with all three credit report bureaus in the even your account is not brought current within seven days of notice.

Yes we do.

We do sponsor local shows and organization requests but have a few criteria.

Minimum Requirements

• You must be a current customer. Sorry but it’s a give and take thing, customers that are loyal to us, get first opportunity at sponsorships. If we receive a sponsorship request the first thing we check is to see if you are a regular customer.
• We sponsor shows for which we can expect good reach and visibility. It’s up to you to let us know how our sponsorship will benefit your show and our return on investment

We don’t do product give outs for testing purposes. Our products have been thoroughly vetted before they hit the shelves and thus additional field testing not necessary.

Affiliate programs. Yes, we require a minimum of 20,000 combined social media followers and six rated shows a year. If you have a particularly large social media following we can consider waiving the show requirements. Your account must show authentic and real engagement. (Yes, we know how to check). If you are interested and meet the above requirements please email us: info@theconnectedrider.com for consideration and include your social media handles for our review.

We are going to keep this simple. You have 30 calendar days from the date of your order to ship back your return.

Exchanges for REGULARLY priced merchandise are eligible for a free ONE WAY/ONE TIME exchange on us. You ship it back to us and we send the exchange back free. Future exchanges are at your expense. Exchanges are within the same item, i.e. same product, different size or color. If the exchange size you are wanting is not available, it can be backordered if available. If discontinued, your return will be treated as a regular return since there is no exchange possible. Please see how we process regular returns for details.

We do not accept sales, discount, or other clearance merchandise items back for return or exchange. Items must have their original tags attached, be unwashed and be in the same new condition as received in all of it’s original packaging. Same condition means: new, no odor, dirt, hair, damage or otherwise in any condition other than new and ready to resale to another customer.

Safety Items: Certain items that are critical to rider safety we may require a photo prior to approving the item for return and is subject to a safety inspection before a refund can be processed. These items are: reins, girths, stirrups/stirrup leathers. All original tags must be on these items and must be in new and unused condition just as with all other returns.

Fair Play items are eligible for exchange or store credit only.

If you could do us a favor and make sure to nicely fold up any apparel items as they came, our returns department would really appreciate it!

We limit the amount of returns you can make annually to $350 across our marketplaces (Amazon, Ebay, physical location, and our direct website site).

If requested a customer must cooperate with requests for photos or more information or a return request may be cancelled.

We reserve the right to refuse a return for any reason not consistent with the spirit of this policy. No employee or member of management can change this policy, nor make exceptions to this policy. Any customer who makes a claim that an employee authorized a return not compatible with this policy will not be honored. This policy and only this policy will be followed when applying a return or exchange.

For a summary of specific items that we do not accept back please see below “What can’t I return”.

• Sales items…like ever. Sorry we are really hard nosed about this. If you bought it and it was on sale, it’s yours, it’s not returnable or exchangeable to us.
• Custom items, Shad Belly’s, Bits, helmets, supplements, grooming items, health items (including shampoos & conditioners, hoof treatments/packings, horse apparel (any and all including saddle pads) anything with a cap such as fly spray, tack cleaners, or treats), & undergarments are not eligible for return due to safety reasons.
• We do not accept damaged, worn items, or items missing their original tags or packaging. Items must be odor free. Items with smoke smell will not be accepted.
• Saddles without prior written consent by a Connected Rider authorized saddle fitter.
• If requested a customer must cooperate with requests for photos or more information or a return request may be cancelled.
• We reserve the right to refuse a return for any reason not consistent with the spirit of this policy.
• Wholesale GAP orders. Wholesalers who essentially use our inventory to cover orders for their customers and then want to bulk return merchandise when they are restocked. We do not accept returns from wholesalers.
• In the event of a defect claim or wrong item ship claim please note every order is photographed before dispatch, if we see that the correct item was shipped, and the item did not contain a defect at dispatch, it is the customers responsibility to return that item to be reviewed, only after we have determined that the error is ours will we refund original shipping, this is the same policy PayPal uses and we follow it as well. Please keep this part of the policy in mind if you are ordering internationally as you are responsible for returning the item.

Semi-Custom and Custom orders may not be cancelled. Failure to provide us appropriate measurements or inaccurate measurements does not allow for a refund unless an item was made in our error. We provide assistance and a consult but the accuracy of all measurements is the responsibility of the customer. Pre-orders are not cancellable as long as the delivery time is within 30 calendar days of the original shipment promise, otherwise pre-orders may not be cancelled.

We sure hope this is not an issue for you but rest assured our brands stand behind their products. For products purchased within six months of purchase please follow the below:

• Notify us of any obvious warranty or defect claims within seven days of receipt and return these items within 10 days of approval. Returns not submitted within the warranty period are not eligible for return. Sorry, No exceptions.
• Manufacturer defect requests will be at the manufacturers discretion as to the validity of any claim. Non-safety issue defects: the item will be replaced or, repaired depending on the extent of the defect. We do not refund for defect claims unless the defect is apparent for all or majority of stock products. Defect claims for safety issues should discontinue use immediately. If an item is returned paid for us that is found not to be defective appropriate return shipping fees will be charged.
• We do not honor warranty requests for HORSES, FairPlay, Harrys Horse or Horze which will need to be handled through the brand warranty, if any. All warranty requests are brand decision, we do not offer a separate store warranty.
• We may request that an item be returned to us in order to fully evaluate the claimed defect. If item is found to not be a manufacturer defect, customer is responsible for the cost of shipping for that item. Return shipping must be pre-paid as well as any outstanding balances. Items where customer refuses to pay for the shipping, will not be returned at our expense. Items are held seven days before being disposed should customer fail to settle accounts, or pay their required shipping fees.
• If requested a customer must cooperate with requests for photos or more information or a return request may be cancelled.

To start a return for a manufacturer defect: Defect Evaluation Request

You must have return approval before sending back your item or the warehouse will automatically return it to sender. You will not be refunded or offered store credit for unapproved item returns. If you return an unapproved item back with a approved item we will take the following action:

• Item will be retained for 15 calendar days
• If item is not claimed by customer within 15 calendar days it will be disposed of in a manner we see fit.
• Customer can initiate having an item returned to them in the following ways:
  • Sending a return label
  • Paying for us to send a return label
  • Having us add to a pending order
  • Picked up
  • Or other arrangement agreed to by a member of the management team

    It is not our responsibility to return items to you due to you not following our returns process, no exceptions. So please follow the very easy returns process and respect our policy.

Fees Disclosure

Our original shipping cost is non-refundable. This fee may differ from what you actually paid in shipping. For example if your order shipped with free shipping, but our actual cost was $12.95 to ship your items, that amount would be deducted from any refund. This is because we can absorb these costs should you keep the items, however if you return them we cannot and therefore those fees are non-refundable.

Other fees (avoidable if you follow our policies)

• Steaming Fees-if you return an item to us, excessively wrinkled by packaging the item either a) not in the original packaging size and/or b) in packaging inadequate in size for the item we may charge you a steaming fee in order to restore the item to a sellable condition. We may also charge a steaming fee in the event the item looks new but contains an odor that is offensive (smoke, body odor, dog smell, etc). This is especially important with show coats, please do not bunch them up and stuff them in a poly pak or similar, these 100% will arrive needing to be steamed before sell. Show coats are sent in boxes and shall be returned the same way. Show coats returned in the manner described above will nearly always require us to steam so please do not squash them during return shipment.
• If you return an item in a box that we pre-paid the shipping on, that is substantially larger than what is necessary you will be responsible for excessive shipping costs for that item.
• Chargeback fees. If you fraudulently chargeback an item all chargeback fees incurred will be due immediately.
• Manufacturing defect complaints. In the event we pre-paid return shipping for a manufacturing defect complaint and your item is found not defective, we may charge a fee for both our original shipping cost and the return shipping fee. If you do not pay said fee, your item will not be returned and disposed of within seven calendar days of notice.
• Cancellation fee: we do not cancel most orders, however in the event of an accidental duplicate placed order, we may refund those to the original payment method, minus a 5% cancellation fee. This covers the non-refundable credit card fee agencies charge us, and our labor to restock the order and process the transaction.

Easy peasy.

You must have return approval before sending back your item or the warehouse will automatically return it. Please see “What if I returned something without return approval” if you have already returned the item without following this process.

Before you start:

• Payments made with PayPal or utilizing PayPal credit card processing are refundable only as store credit. All other payments are refunded to original payment method.
• Verify item is not a sales or clearance item (as indicated by the discount percentage icon)
• Item(s) must be in new condition & include all original tags & outer packaging.
• Custom items, Bits, helmets, supplements, grooming items, & Undergarments are not eligible for return due to safety reasons
• All “Free gifts” with purchase need to be returned or the value deducted from any refund.
• Return only original item sent by this store; items are black light stamped for authenticity.
• Our Original shipping costs are not refundable.
• All exchanges must be submitted at once, and in one request. 
• If an exchange is not available a customer may select any other item in the same product category of equitable value not to exceed dimensional size of 13′ x 13′ x 13″. Direct refunds do not qualify for free shipping exchanges. Shipping cost is not reimbursable.
• If requested a customer must cooperate with requests for photos or more information or a return request may be cancelled.
• To start a return click the button below or click here: Start a Return

We do not debate this policy with customers post sale. Customers who wish to engage in discourteous, hostile, or threatening behavior will have their returns immediately closed without warning and without refund.