Hi all, I’m creating a list of gifts that horse lovers would appreciate for the holidays. I’d love some ideas! Please do not link to any shops or sellers. I’m looking for general ideas - leather halter, photo frame, saddle pad, belt, etc. What would you love to receive? English and Western, all prices please! Thank you 
Gift cards to online or local tack stores.
It’s the best present to give someone with horses, since chances are the person already owns every item you could come up with giving them, or you give them something from the wrong dicipline (English saddle pad for western people, or even an AP saddle pad for a dressage rider would be useless)
If you want something cute to attach to that gift card, tie a hoof pick to it. You can never have too many hoofpicks.
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WINE. I have tons of horse stuff and most times I don’t like what was a gift because it is not my style or doesn’t fit. Wine and food for me or my horse.
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Gift cards. Horse hair jewellery. Polos. Certificate for lessons. disicipline specific books.
There’s one fairly new manufacturer who has a combo hoof pick with a wine bottle corkscrew or bottle opener. Seems like the perfect gift for a lot of people I know.
agree with WINE!
for horse people I know, I like to get something personalized for them, like a engraved picture frame or embroidered saddle pad.
I know that I am difficult to shop for, as I actually have all the tack/blankets/riding clothes that any one person should ever need. But I can always use wine!
For those of us who have our own farms or selfcare board, a gift card to the feed store is the best present ever! I have 50 saddlepads for 7 horses. But I always need more hay and grain.
Thank you for the replies. I should’ve specified this is a gift guide for a tack store- we get lots of husbands & significant others shopping in store and online. They really want to get a horse themed gift because it’s more personal. There are also many folks buying gifts for trainers. We know our customers very well but we also love feedback & ideas for great gifts we may have missed. And yes, we always have wine themed gifts - wine glasses, wine bucket, etc. Hopefully the gift giver adds a nice bottle, too :yes:
Saddle pads, engraved brushes, nameplates for halters, or treats are always good for people who board or just take lessons.
My mom has her own farm so I always try to get something personalized for her or the farm.
So far I’ve gotten her embroidered saddle pads, nameplates for the stalls, and wrap bags for horseshows so we can have our own mini stall setup.
Sunshirts! I love wearing them, but I hate paying that much for a shirt. Socks is an easy one - either silly boot socks, or the thicker around-the-barn types like Noble makes. Horse treats are always good, since you don’t need to know the size, and riders’ll go through them quickly.
Could you do some kind of registry, where people can go in and make a list of the exact things they’re interested in? You’d get a lot of riders in just to browse around & make their picks during the early holiday season, and later on that would simplify a lot of the confusing aspects of shopping for horse people.
Another idea is, if you can, have someone around that’s assigned to stop and talk for a while and draw the non-horsey family members out a little bit. A lot of times they’ll know whether they’re shopping for a dressage rider, maybe she said something about a new whip, but they need a little extra help figuring out which is the right one. (My mom once panicked in a tack store and bought me, I cannot make this up: a bucket. There was a bucket wrapped up with a bow under the Christmas tree, because she didn’t know what else to get and was too afraid to ask someone.)
[QUOTE=walktrot;8853646]
There’s one fairly new manufacturer who has a combo hoof pick with a wine bottle corkscrew or bottle opener. Seems like the perfect gift for a lot of people I know.[/QUOTE]
I’m officially getting this + a bottle of wine for a few horse people in my life! Thanks! I know they’ll drink the wine, and if they have a hoof pick OR a corkscrew already, well, one can always use another!
[QUOTE=Write&Ride;8860493]
Thank you for the replies. I should’ve specified this is a gift guide for a tack store- we get lots of husbands & significant others shopping in store and online. They really want to get a horse themed gift because it’s more personal. There are also many folks buying gifts for trainers. We know our customers very well but we also love feedback & ideas for great gifts we may have missed. And yes, we always have wine themed gifts - wine glasses, wine bucket, etc. Hopefully the gift giver adds a nice bottle, too :yes:[/QUOTE]
Oh well in that case, a monogrammed/personalized saddle pad is nice! That is another item you can always use another of.
Saddle pads & matching polos, “Elmers”, horsie pictures, horsie throw pillows/pillow covers…
Non-wine-themed gifts. Etched pint glasses or tumblers, really nice bottle openers, fancy beer coolers, coasters, etc, would be nice. Gift baskets with non-wine themes (beer, chocolate, hot chocolate, cheese and sausage, etc) would work, especially if put together with horse-themed items.
I love you guys!! Thank you so much. Great suggestions - I really love helping non-horsey people select gifts because they sincerely want to get something special that will be appreciated.
I appreciate you taking the time to comment and hope someone picks out just the right gift for you, too!
I can’t believe no mentioned hip flasks! A nice selection of stocks and stockpins, I’d been keen on stockpins that aren’t the basic generic ones. Bottle coolers for after the ride. Named and embroidered coolers/sweat rugs are nice. Maybe if you kept a record of horse sizes? My local tacks tore owner keeps a record of every purchase a customer makes and can search that by name. It was great when my husband went in and was able to surprise me with the correct size and colour. Sipper bottles and thermal cups with horsey themes. Phone covers.
However, my friends bought me a pooper scooper for birthday last year and I thought it was the best thing ever so it doesn’t have to be flash or cutesy to hit the right note.
I love some of the belt buckles with monograms on the custom backgrounds.
My sister has a gift boutique (not horse related, sadly (; ), but we did a registry for Christmas last year–we printed up some cute cards, advertised it on social media, and told customers about it when they came in–they could make their list and either deliver it to their family, or we’d keep it on file–whichever they preferred. We’ve already had requests to bring it back this year–everyone loved it!!
Unique horse treats plus a gift certificate are always appreciated. My boys love treats, and I have very specific taste in what I like. When my daughters were young, they loved horse related jewelry, and classy sweatshirts and sweaters with a horse theme. Funny books like the Thelwell books, plus a gift certificate, were good gifts from their grandmother. A nice jewelry box was treasured, as were note cards with horses.
Ready made horse & rider baskets. Treats, grooming microfiber clothes,etc for the horse. Specialty soaps, lotions, candy for the rider.
A nice 15 to 20 gift is nice too. I buy a lot of holiday gifts so I try to limit some gifts to that price range. It’s hard to find something nice for 20 bucks!
Mr 2HG is pretty non-horsey.
The Christmas I got to start shareboarding the horse I now own, I got a pink grooming tote with all pink tools - from hard brush to tail brush to hoofpick to curry, etc. He just walked in the store and asked for one of everything in pink. :love-struck:
The birthday after my project rescue horse (grey Arab gelding) died, I got the most beautiful hinged enameled white horse in which I keep the two sets of earrings I’ve gotten from him.
For our fifth wedding anniversary this past May, I got the wedding cake themed Painted Pony for my collection.
For a non-horsey guy, he had the perfect ideas, he just needed help executing them/being pointed in the right direction. Make sure your staff is kind to those who wander in with little knowledge about what they seek. Kindness goes a long way, and the non-horsey husband could be married to your next biggest client.
I know you didn’t ask for specific items, but Grey Horse Candle Company on Etsy (and found in many Dover Saddlery shops) makes some of the most divine candles and wax tarts - the High End Saddle scent is amazing. And I highly recommend the Hands On grooming glove - I got mine from www.hoofprints.com
^ I’m not affiliated or related to either, just a fan of both.
