How To Choose A Good Equestrian Store?
The equestrian and equestrian market is currently growing at dizzying speeds. Not only more and more people decide to buy their own horse, but there are also more and more places where this horse can be kept and where you can start your adventure with horse riding. Regardless of whether someone has just taken their first riding lesson or has had their horse for years, a good and trusted equestrian shop is an important point on the equestrian list.
How to find one?
Riding shop at the center
A large part of the larger equestrian centers, especially those with active nurseries, have an equestrian shop on their premises. It is usually equipped with the most necessary things and a beginner to horse riding will find everything necessary to comfortably and safely participate in horse riding classes. Such “good-looking” stores are usually not richly stocked, so as equestrian progresses, you will probably need to look for a more specialized store that will have a wider range – be it hardware or for example for fodder.
Online equestrian shops
The Internet has opened up the markets to the world, or the world to markets. Due to the fact that the world is a “global village” we can find (and buy) almost anything on the Internet. The same is true of the equestrian range. Google will “throw out” a lot of results for us if we decide to look for an equestrian shop there. The online purchase option, however, has its dangers, so how do you know that the store you have chosen is trustworthy?
We can also read about it on the Internet. The horse world is quite hermetic and on horse forums we can consult about a given place or read existing ones. Real equestrian stores also usually run their websites on Facebook or Instagram, and there we can read store reviews, opinions about products or timely shipment. Similarly in the case of Allegro – each seller has his points, the more of them and the more positive comments about a given store, the less likely we will be cheated,
However, it is worth remembering that buying online means that we will see the purchased product live only when we collect the package, so if you buy, for example, a helmet that is too small, it will be possible to replace it, but it will involve additional time and often we will they had to pay for the shipment again.
When choosing an online equestrian shop, it is worth paying attention to the details of the website itself – is it careful and well made? Are product photos clear? Does it have visible stock levels and shipping rules? Is there a point in the store’s regulations about accepting returns, replacing defective or not matching products? And above all, is there a contact to the store / owner on the website – phone number or address?
If we have doubts, it is worth paying attention to data such as NIP or REGON, which assure us that the selected store is a legally operating company and not an accidental junk.
First order
Before we make the first order, it is worth doing one more thing – call or write in the chat (if available on the website) or contact us via the fanpage. We will then be able to assess the level of customer service, check the knowledge and experience of the seller or seek advice. It is also worth checking whether the store has the option of sending the goods on delivery – especially on the occasion of the first order and in the case of a store that has been on the market for a short time and has no opinion on it, cash on delivery, in a sense, protects the customer against fraud by a dishonest seller. You should always remember to open the package in the presence of the courier – especially if the order was expensive – writing a protocol with the courier allows for faster and easier replacement of the goods if they have been damaged during shipment.
Why is it worth having “your” equestrian shop
Good contact with a friendly equestrian shop cannot be overestimated and can bring measurable benefits. First of all, regular customers can take advantage of promotions that are not available to a wider group – and as you know, horse riding is not a cheap hobby and good equipment can cost a fortune, so any reduction can be significant . Secondly, if we have a friendly shop, he may sometimes, using his contacts, download for us things that are not available in the normal offer, and which a given manufacturer produces – this is often the case with specialized equipment – for example, bits, when the shop in the offer includes only the most popular models, while the actual manufacturer’s offer is much wider. A friendly store will easily download the necessary equipment on the occasion of the next order from a given manufacturer.
The adventure with horse riding often lasts many years, or even a lifetime. We will buy equipment, clothes and other equestrian accessories many times during this time. Therefore, at the beginning of the road, it is worth finding a store that will make this adventure easier and more enjoyable for us.
