Holiday PSA: your trainer already has 10,000 horse-related gifts

[french_fry]

There are many obvious exceptions to this so please don’t type up an indignant response about how much your trainer loved the custom halter you bought her new import last year but in general. At the end of the day you know your trainer best. In general, though, it might make sense to take a moment to step back and consider whether a horse-related item is really the best gift for your trainer.

Your trainer most likely gets almost exclusively horse-related gifts, be it tack, gift cards or home decor/clothes/jewelry. Multiply this by how many years your he/she has been in business and you can begin to imagine the amount of wine bottle holders made out of horse shoes that are collecting dust in the basement.

In addition to not really needing another piece of tack or equestrian themed throw blanket, keep in mind that in the same way that you don’t eat, sleep and breathe your job your trainer most likely has interests that lie outside of horses. It would mean a lot if you can acknowledge that slightly neglected golf or (insert here) hobby. If all else fails, wine is great. Restaurant gift cards are usually a huge hit.

In summary, our trainers are generally the polar opposite of us ammies, whose Christmas lists are typically comprised almost solely of horse-related items. They are steeped in horses 24/7/365. Sometimes they want to go home from the barn and not be surrounded by bit motifs and decorative horse shoe contraptions. Unless you know of something specific and special your trainer has been jonesing for, it may be better to go non horse-related for holiday gifts.

I’m just saying it because my trainer is too nice to say it! No offense meant, of course - if your trainer isn’t flattered you got him or her a gift at all than he/she is an ungrateful wretch!

[findeight]

Well said.

I usually gift a bottle of good wine ( to put in one of the horse shoe holders:D) or a restaurant gift card to something like Lone Star or Outback-nice but not stupid expensive and jeans are OK for dinner.

Found the personal care gifts, like spa certificates or massages? Go unused because they won’t take the time to use them.

If all else fails, nothing like a win picture of you and/or your horse in a nice frame with a good bit of cash they can use as they please.

[Foxtrot_s]

My horse’s trainer has something like 38 saddle pads

[french_fry]

[QUOTE=Foxtrot’s;7866720]
My horse’s trainer has something like 38 saddle pads :)[/QUOTE]

See, to me this would be a dream! To someone who works with horses for a living it might be something like receiving a year’s supply of ball point pens…or printer paper. :lol:

[KateKat]

my trainer usually wants something horse related, but for the barn. So in years past we’ve done jumps, a tack trunk, etc etc. This year she REALLY needs a new white board so we’re doing that.

However, that’s not to say that we don’t also do gifts outside of the big “barn” gift. I know my trainer well and we have similar interests, so I generally also give her something I would enjoy. Namely wine

[Blinky]

For my married male trainer I give him a bottle of wine every year. I figured if he doesn’t like it they can use while entertaining.

For my younger, female trainer I buy her something girly that she can wear usually from one of the non-horsey stores she shops at.

[shayaalliard]

Mine is a nerd like me, so she gets steampunk anything and everything

[bits619]

Beer.
Something handmade.

The Horsey themed gift I am thinking of is a throw blanket :lol: but from a photo I’ve taken of one of her horses who has since passed away… A little better since it’s not “generic chestnut horse cantering through some field somewhere on the planet”

[Desert_Topaz]

Yes, avoid getting your trainer (or teacher, my hubby is one) things that sit around and collect dust. My recommendation is to look around and see if there’s something trainer needs but has had to put off as things like food for horses and humans comes first. For example: my trainer had falling apart half chaps, so I got her a new pair. Her helmet was past the use by date, so another student got her a new helmet. Both things she desperately needed but as they still functioned (sorta) she couldn’t legitimize the expense on new ones. Another present was sneakily getting tail hair from her beloved personal horses and getting a bracelet made (she cried.) Gift cards for gas, while they don’t seem glamorous, are awesome as everybody spends money on gas. My personal favorite (for myself) is when I get coffee place gift cards. I love my mochas so while the gift card seems lame, it lets me get something I really love so it feels heartfelt to me. However, when my husband gets them from his students it’s like he didn’t get anything, as he doesn’t do coffee so it’s like the worst present you can get him (I get to enjoy them then :D) Just pay a bit of attention and you can get something they’ll like that they’ll also use. The adorable horse figurine you saw? Step away

[dotneko]

I love it when I get gift cards to local places, Dunkins, Baileys, etc. My husband and I have a great time eating on the students during January and February. I also like it when the boarders get together and buy something for the barn - one year they got a horse vacuum, another year it was a coffee maker. I don’t drink wine, so that expensive (or not, I can’t tell) bottle is just sitting in my cabinet waiting to be given away to someone else.
Funny story - one year we unwrapped a brown foal figurine that is about 2 feet long. My husband was so excited until he found out it wasn’t chocolate LOL

[GrayTbred]

[QUOTE=french fry;7866290]

In summary, our trainers are generally the polar opposite of us ammies, whose Christmas lists are typically comprised almost solely of horse-related items.

Perhaps … I love horses and all that, but please, friends and family, enough with the horsey-themed home goods and tchochkas. In decor, there is a fine line separating fashion from fetish.

[sascha]

I don’t know quite how I did it, but I glanced at this thread title and read,

“Holiday PSA It’s winter and your horse has 10,000 gaits”

Could have something to do with the fact that the cold has whisked away my horse’s walk and replaced it with half a dozen newly minted gaits of unrecognizable origin.

Anyway, agree. If I were still teaching masses of group lessons like I did in my 20s I think I’d actually ask my kids (parents) to make a small donation to a worthy charity and please skip the gifts completely. So. Much. Crap. There are only so many xmas themed mugs (with or without bonus horse theme) that one person can use. lol

[TheJenners]

I’m going with non-horsey, wrapped in horsey paper :winkgrin:. Candles, candy, wine…everyone likes that kinda stuff or can nicely regift.

[King_Creole]

this reminds me that I need to see if I can find the wine my trainer likes that we stumbled across at a show…this weekend will likely be the last time I see her for a while!

[2DogsFarm]

For all my “Pros” (trainer, vet, farrier) I go with edibles or generic gift card (AMEX or VISA) accompanied by a handwritten card thanking them for another year of great service.

I’ve done mailorder goodies like Dancing Deer Bakery, Edible Arrangements, Honeybaked hams or turkey breast & for the vet’s office a gift coupon to a nearby pizza place = Lunch for all on me.

Everyone eats, everyone likes getting $$ (in the form of gift cards) & I don’t have to worry if they have someplace to put it or not.

[AppendixQHLover]

I am making my trainer a big batch of chocolate chip cookies (her mom told me the flavor) and I will find something out to get her from the mom again.

[hasahorse]

I like to give consumables to my trainers, BO and grooms. I usually give everyone a container of homemade fudge (this is a hot commidity among our grooms). I give my trainers each of box of Toasty Toes for the winter, I give the grooms each a cash gift, and my BO gets something different every year - she usally asks for something specific - last year I gave her a quilt that I made for her, the year before that I made her Christmas pies for her family dinner.
I also usually make some delicious goodness for everyone to share too. I like to make gingerbread at the holidays so everyone can enjoy during a break or if they can’t get out for something to eat until late in the day. I did also get a special request for Jack Daniels Fudge for this year as well!

[netg]

I hate tchotsckes as gifts for anyone unless they have specifically requested them. Yuck. But perhaps that’s because I am sick of getting rid of things to try to make my home neater and more organized.

A bunch of us chip in together for my trainer and his wife. Because he retired from his other full time job and is just doing horses full time and they also breed, large gift cards to their feed store of choice are veyr popular. Last year the card was in a custom made gift basket based upon the things they would happily consume. This year we’re trying to find out if they have World Cup tickets already and looking to buy those or chip in toward expenses to get there if not.

We were going to chip in for trainer’s wife’s shadbelly, but a local trainer was retiring from showing and gifted her with hers, so she got a stunning shad for just the price to tailor.

[Highflyer]

I’d love a tack store gift card actually. Stuff with horses on it not so much! And while I am broke and cash is great, I know some of my the people I ride/ petsit for are also broke (and I have a pretty good idea who they are) and I definitely don’t want them to feel like they have to scrape up cash or a fancy gift. A card and a sincere thank you goes a long way and cookies or homemade horse treats or something else handmade go even further.

[HappyTalk]

Not for a trainer, but every year I put a sizable credit on my blacksmith’s account at his small animal vet. He loves it. He has used it for dentals and emergencies.