Your trainer, your instructor, your vet, your farrier, your BO, your BM, etc., etc., all do not need more homemade cookies, nor do they need gifts. Give money. If you want to add those fattening cookies, then add them to the monetary gift. If everyone gives $10 or $20 or more, the recipient can buy something that he or she really wants or needs. I once had a BO who told me how much she hated getting cookies, and she told me she’d rather have a walmart gift certificate. That is what I gave her each year.
[QUOTE=Highflyer;7868441]
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.[/QUOTE]
I love that we do it as a joint thing, and tell everyone to stick within their own budget. Someone asked me how much people usually give, and I told her it’s whatever they feel comfortable with - anywhere from $5 to $100 tends to be the general range. No one gets top billing or extra credit, and no one keeps track/remembers/uses it against anyone. Horses are expensive, and some people struggle to afford what they do, and some of us are lucky we can give more. As long as the attitude is that friendly and accepting (and the nicest, least judgmental member of the group is the one who collects money so that attitude is guaranteed) it works out well. It’s like work collections for people which have an envelope passed around and folks put in however much cash they want - total honor code not to take, but when there’s no accountability I think many people give more if they are able because they don’t feel hounded about it.
I’m over and done with giving gift cards. Last year I purchased 2 at a local foot massage place my trainer frequents. She took ‘forever’ to go and redeem them. When she went in to use the first one they told her it wasn’t valid and that anyone could have picked it up and given it to her. So, she then took ‘forever’ to tell me this happened and at that point I couldn’t do anything about it. No recourse with the credit card company and the massage place just kept saying it wasn’t their problem. To add insult to injury my trainer still goes there knowing they stole my money and her gift.
I also have had problems with other gift cards and it is money only now.
I’m over and done with giving gift cards. Last year I purchased 2 at a local foot massage place my trainer frequents. She took ‘forever’ to go and redeem them. When she went in to use the first one they told her it wasn’t valid and that anyone could have picked it up and given it to her. So, she then took ‘forever’ to tell me this happened and at that point I couldn’t do anything about it. No recourse with the credit card company and the massage place just kept saying it wasn’t their problem. To add insult to injury my trainer still goes there knowing they stole my money and her gift.
I also have had problems with other gift cards and it is money only now.
Trainer this year got:
wool socks
a rechargeable handwarmer
bean boots
and a couple Dunkin coffee books.
She was complaining she was freezing, so freezing you shall not be.
[QUOTE=netg;7868550]
I love that we do it as a joint thing, and tell everyone to stick within their own budget. Someone asked me how much people usually give, and I told her it’s whatever they feel comfortable with - anywhere from $5 to $100 tends to be the general range. No one gets top billing or extra credit, and no one keeps track/remembers/uses it against anyone. Horses are expensive, and some people struggle to afford what they do, and some of us are lucky we can give more. As long as the attitude is that friendly and accepting (and the nicest, least judgmental member of the group is the one who collects money so that attitude is guaranteed) it works out well. It’s like work collections for people which have an envelope passed around and folks put in however much cash they want - total honor code not to take, but when there’s no accountability I think many people give more if they are able because they don’t feel hounded about it.[/QUOTE]
I think that is a great way to do it. That way everyone gets to participate and no one has to feel bad for putting in less if that’s what they can afford. If someone feels like giving more and is able to, they can without other people knowing (sometimes people getty petty and jealous over that)
This year I am going all out on giving the perfect gift to all the professionals in my little herd’s life.
For the stable mucker: insulated warm boots, top of the line from Dover.
For the hoof trimmer: sub-zero coat from Arcteryx. $649. but she’s so worth it!
For the exercise rider: a new saddle from http://www.redskysaddle.net/saddle1.htm
For the barn manager: http://www.hoofgrid.com/
Oh, I should mention that I am the above mentioned horse professional in all those capacities. It’s going to be a GREAT Christmas!
[QUOTE=scheherazadetbmare;7868483]
Your trainer, your instructor, your vet, your farrier, your BO, your BM, etc., etc., all do not need more homemade cookies, nor do they need gifts. Give money. If you want to add those fattening cookies, then add them to the monetary gift. If everyone gives $10 or $20 or more, the recipient can buy something that he or she really wants or needs. I once had a BO who told me how much she hated getting cookies, and she told me she’d rather have a walmart gift certificate. That is what I gave her each year.[/QUOTE]
I would far rather have homemade cookies than a gift card, particularly from Wally World.
I suggested this on another thread: How about making a donation to a charity in your trainer’s name? Lots of choices–churches, animal shelters/rescues, food banks etc–and they usually send the “honoree” a note telling them of the donation. When DH and I got married years ago, we suggested charity donations instead of gifts. People actually did it–and it was fun and gratifying to hear back from the charities.
I have a boarding barn and love cats . I hope I have finally convinced others that equine and feline themed tchotchkis do not work in my minimalist modern house. Actually I have too much stuff and the acquisition of more is unwanted. A gift card is just for buying more stuff and if you gave me one from Walmart it would go to waste as I won’t cross their threshold.
Take over feeding and horse care for a day or weekend so we can have a night out would be great. (my friends and boarders did give me money dedicated to new riding boots a few years ago as mine were so pathetic, lol).
[QUOTE=Ghazzu;7869976]
I would far rather have homemade cookies than a gift card, particularly from Wally World.[/QUOTE]
And I would FAR rather have a little CASH than cookies! A bottle of wine or whisky would be fine. But please, I implore you, no 40 lbs. of citrus fruit! :disgust:
[QUOTE=Lady Eboshi;7870210]
But please, I implore you, no 40 lbs. of citrus fruit! :disgust:[/QUOTE]
Unless you have scurvy, then it’s an awesome gift But, as most people these days don’t have it, probably a gift to avoid.
From these responses, obviously it depends on the person.
I’ve hit and I’ve missed on trainer gifts. This year is a “hit” - I had a credit with an ironworker/welder so her gift is a new front gate. I knew she had been wanting it and knew she was planning to use that particular tradesperson. Although I’d hoped to make it a surprise, I decided she should have input on the design - turns out I was right. So it is an early gift, but she and her husband are VERY happy with this “thanks for everything for more than just this year” gift.
I pay attention throughout the year to things that my trainer could use and get her those things (or a nice gift card to her favorite tack shop). I also throw in some smaller useful things (the neck chiller, lip balms, good skin stuff, always a Tervis tumbler, etc.). I always see her using the gifts, so so far so good!
Regardless I never let anything go to waste
If given edibles the first thing I did was open it & offer to the customers thru-out the day 
I was never big on gift cards to eat, massage, coffee, etc. I never had time & would eventually end up regifting (so as not to waste). All the little horsey trinkets I would regift to use as horseshow or ponycamp prizes.
However ~ I did enjoy getting practical items that I regularily used or truly needed. Hand warmers, wool socks, clipper blades, riding gloves, items for my cats or dogs, dog blankets, seat covers, treats for my horses, barn wheel barrel, pitch fork, hose nozzle, hose, water heater, gallon of liniment , shampoo, show sheen, tack store gift cards, cash :-). Show clients often pooled together for large ticket items such as boots, set of farm monogrammed director chairs, new tack trunk, etc.
& then yet some of my favorites were the letters, pictures, handmade cards & gifts from students
This thread illustrates why I have gone from someone that enjoyed shopping for the perfect gift to someone that no longer does gifts. Period. Gifts are just that. People go to the effort to buy/bake/waste precious time and energy to give a gift then be thankful for the thought. If you just want cash or a gift card raise your training/shoeing/boarding rate in December.
As I understand the ‘rules’ of tipping, business owners do not get tipped. Grooms, stall cleaners etc. are different and a cash tip is totally appropriate.
But trainers, BO’s and family, I stopped giving gifts a while ago.
A gift certificate to Dover’s or Beval’s is ALWAYS in good taste–and will be USED!
I love every single gift my boarders and students give me. It’s the thought that counts.
One of my boarders went to the effort of making an amazing gluten free mud cake for me last year. She did it from scratch too not out of a packet. It was one of the most lovely things I have gotten. Because it shows that they put a lot of thought and effort into it. Another gift from a few boarders who put it together was dinner, movie and a hand written voucher for ‘one night of feeding and stall cleaning’. So thoughtful! And my husband and I enjoyed it greatly.
[QUOTE=zipperfoot;7870094]
I suggested this on another thread: How about making a donation to a charity in your trainer’s name? Lots of choices–churches, animal shelters/rescues, food banks etc–and they usually send the “honoree” a note telling them of the donation. When DH and I got married years ago, we suggested charity donations instead of gifts. People actually did it–and it was fun and gratifying to hear back from the charities.[/QUOTE]
You have to be a bit careful which charities due to personal opinions and political views. But if you have an idea of what the person would be okay with, go for it.
As far as that goes - some vets have a charity fund set up that they use to cover care costs for a variety of things. I imagine a vet probably would not be too upset with a nice card and a donation to their vet practice charity.
(If I do give food as part of a gift, like cookies, I include a note with ingredients for allergy purposes, sometimes a recipe also, and I try to time giving it so the recipent doesn’t feel obligated to take it home. So give a tray of cookies to the vet in the morning so they can put it out for staff all day, or the trainer can put it in the barn lounge, etc. That way they can stash it away if they want, but if not they can get rid of it easily without having to throw it away. )
I know everyone has been suggesting wine and stuff, but make sure your trainer actually will drink it! My dad got a bottle of wine from a coworker one year, and it sat in our fridge for months before they finally threw it away (my parents don’t drink at all). So while the thought was definitely appreciated, it was not the best gift for them. Another thought is a gift card to Target (or something similar), where you can get pretty much anything, from new electronics, to DVD’s, to groceries, etc.
