Ok, I know this is a bit early but I like to be prepared and I am struggling with ideas (beside a winning lottery ticket, a months paid vacation etc) that I can actually deliver on. I guess some people don’t necessarily go this route but I would like to be able to give something to my trimmer, vet, bodyworker, and trainer (separately) this year for Christmas. My vet has come out more times than I would care to count as we have deal with some abscess and mysterious and stubborn issues this year and I am super grateful and really want to do something nice for them and honestly everyone I mentioned. Is money the thing, like a Christmas bonus or is that a bit improper (but I mean who doesn’t want it) or does it matter on amount like how little is just rude. That said, is a nice arrangement of something or a chocolate box and a money bonus more applicable. In the line of useable gifts like Yeti thermoses or something too? I don’t know, I would love some help/inspiration for this one 
Also, any gifts that you might avoid or wish you didn’t bother with giving, I am happy to learn from other people on this too lol
I think Visa gift cards and a “thank you for all you do” are always appreciated! Who doesn’t love being able to treat themselves to a meal or a bunch of coffees or use the card towards a new item of clothing. Christmas is expensive and extra money is always nice!!
Sorry but I’m a grinch on the gift cards. Stop rewarding the giant corporations so they can make even more money from you! The gift cards often have fees, sometimes have expiry dates and will have a balance of whatever that will require the user to spend more money to use your gift.
If you want to do a monetary gift, a small card saying thank you and cash is always welcome. You can even write a note suggesting that you were hoping they could use it toward X or Y. But give the receiver the chance to be fiscally responsible and use it for what they want (mortgage payment? Savings? Stocks? One can dream 
).
If you want more than ‘just’ a card and cash, snacks are typically well appreciated and can be easily shared if not your preference.
I agree about the fees being annoying, but I will have to disagree with you on gift cards overall. I’m a school teacher and I really appreciate families who send in gift cards to Starbucks, Trader Joes, Amazon, etc, especially since then I don’t feel bad spending that money on something fun, as opposed to cash that I might feel compelled to put towards bills. I once even had a family get me a gift card to a local feed store since they knew I had animals - that to me is perfect, no big corporations involved, just supporting a local business! I have done the same for my trainer (gift card to a local tack/feed store). My farrier I usually just pay double on our last appointment of the year.
Not by me.
Several people have given those to me over the years and they always end up expiring before I get around to using them. Then I feel bad about the person who gave it to me, that they have somehow been cheated.
Typically I do one of 2 things
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For trainer: I ask them the cost of a recent bill - like a smaller feed order or supplements or something & pay them that. Or buy bulk things needed for the barn that trainer approves of: Bulk MTG, gallons of fly spray, new reins for the schoolie pony that teaches lessons 5 days a week.
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cash in a card - we do this for our disposal folks, our landscapers who help with our smaller, but labor intensive property, etc.
I like to give folks the opportunity to let the $$ go undeclared if they want as a true “gift” and not a check that indicates “holiday bonus” – not that people are audited too often these days, but I know occasionally some horse professionals do have regular IRS audits.
People lose gift cards!! Cash is something that gets used (and often quickly, lol).
check your state’s unclaimed property as many states require used used funds on gift cards to be turned in to the state, if so the funds can be recovered
as for gifting, usually I provide funds for a lunch for the feed store employees as those guys work hard for not much as the job is consider a low wage position (and I never have to touch a thing these days as they carefully load my truck)
The only horse we had in training the groom who took care of the horse I saw her binging in apples and carrots for our horse, the groom said she loved our horse. After asking the head trainer if it was OK I started sending her directly a monthly stipend and for holidays had a card in the horse’s name sent with new bills of cash for her. (horse paid for groom to have lunch once a week as horse had credit card to be used for miscellaneous purchases)
Our horse was very well taken care of
I typically give my farrier and trainer a gift card for some place to grab food/drinks while they are on the road. For that situation it is typically a Wegmans gift card.
For my vet’s office (large and small) I have given gift certificates to a local food place so they can get a meal in (enough for the whole staff).
The problem I notice in these threads is, there is no right answer.
What one person thinks is the most perfect thing is not even close to appropriate for the next person. (For example, I do not like coffee or Starbucks, but that is so often the suggestion for the perfect gift for the person you do not know well.)
I think you also have to determine if your goal is to spoil the person with something or to help the person with their life stuff (paying the feed bill, etc.).
For my farrier, I just add an extra cycle’s worth of $ when I pay him closest to the holidays. Nothing fancy but hey, it shows I appreciate him!
My trainer and I are good friends so it is more personal gifts. This year I got her an extendable Fleck lunge whip 
I’m giving cash to everyone with a nice card and cookies. I’d love to give things but I think cash is easier to spend than a specific gift card.
I do cash for the farrier, and a gift card for dinner out to the barn owners.
Farrier gets cash because after nine years of being a client, I know he’s not a drinker of coffee, or alcohol, and I’m just far enough away from him I don’t know his preferred restaurant in his area. It gets put into a funny Christmas card so I’m not directly handing the cash over.
Barn owners get a gift card for dinner because I was able to sneakily find out where they like to go. I like to think a free dinner after a night of chores is the best gift.
Not Christmas related, but I sent a plant/flowers to my vet with a heartfelt message after an emergency vet call that my horse didn’t survive. It felt like “not enough” at the time but sometimes a little token to let people know you’re in their thoughts goes a very, very long way.
Probably too late. One is a Visa card that expired in 2017, and the other is Mastercard that expired in 2021.
The erson who gave them ives in CA, and I am in VA, so I do not even know which state would be appropriate,
Can we be friends? I’ve been wanting one of these lol
I usually do a small personal goodie and some sweet or baked good as long as I know they don’t have allergies or relevant dietary restrictions. I know people always appreciate cash but I tend to do something useful and personal. One year I did personalized wine glasses, another was personalized ornaments, photo frames hats, stuff horse people generally like but I don’t buy gifts for people I don’t know well enough to know what they enjoy.
if the funds are in a state’s unclaimed property account most states have no statute of limitations so funds reported remain in the state’s unclaimed property program indefinitely until the rightful owner files a claim.
A couple of years ago we gave our trainers heated jackets/vests for a Christmas gift as a thank you for teaching outdoor lessons in the cold winter!
