By Brad Esham

The cold air, busy malls, and colorful lights remind us of that Christmas list we’ve been working on for months. You still need to head to all the usual retailers, but for those of us in the horse industry, we have to add a tack shop to our journey. Yup! We still need to buy gifts for our loved ones in the equine world. Whether it’s your child, spouse, friend or student, it can be the most time consuming and difficult purchase of the season. And you know this year, those little Christmas grooming kits just aren’t going to cut it. That is similar to always getting dad a tie for Father’s Day.

Maybe this year we can think outside the box and vow to find gifts that are both creative and memorable. With a child or spouse, the gift will most likely be a little more elaborate than a gift for one of your lesson kids. In my family, we usually give each other one big Christmas gift that stands apart from the rest. Hence, the following are my suggestions for both the big ticket items and the fantastic stocking stuffers.

Georgetown Stable Outfitters offers some great products I would consider. The first is a GSO^TM Original Saddle Stand that can hold up to 3 saddles. Honestly, how many times do you catch yourself wandering down the aisle, saddle in one hand and soap in the other trying to figure out where to get to work? The best feature is the storage compartment which keeps cleaning supplies hidden and organized. Again, how many times are you wandering about searching for the saddle soap? Another product of theirs I would suggest is the GSO^TM Original Trunk Cart. Personally, I’m tired of trying to make myself busy when it’s time to load the tack trunks in the trailer. Well, GSO offers a very solid investment. This trunk cart will make it so easy to pull the trunk anywhere it needs to go. If I see someone utilizing the cart, I may even be the first to volunteer to help!

Every rider is conscious about making a good impression at the shows, both in and out of the saddle. The Clothes Horse offers some of the best options to have your equine partner well dressed from head to hoof! They offer several products that would make great gifts for the rider/trainer’s show tack room like drapes, banners, director’s chair, and an entire personalized show wardrobe for our horses.

One of the most extravagant ideas, yet well worth the cost, can be found at L’Apogee Saddlery. These saddles speak for themselves, and this Christmas would be one to never forget if this was under the tree! Nothing says Merry Christmas like a handcrafted French saddle. Their various accessories, from bridles to stirrups, would make superb gifts as well.

Looking for an extremely personal and original gift? A custom horse painting will fit the bill. Judy Butler and Henry Patton are both artists specializing in horse portraiture. They can take photos of your horse and create a personalized portrait. Imagine how sentimental and priceless it would be to immortalize someone’s horse through art.

Now on the other hand, when shopping for a student or a friend, most of us aren’t able to invest in the aforementioned extravagant gifts. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t be creative. I have received all of the traditional horse gifts: picture frames, t-shirts, grooming kits and Christmas tree ornaments. Not that those are bad gifts, but there are some other options you may not have considered. Does your friend have a name plate on their horse’s stall? If not, I guarantee it would be a success. There’s nothing worse then a gift that goes to waste because the receiver doesn’t quite know how to utilize it. A stall name plate is a gift that would be useful, and your friend will love it. A plate engraved with their name for their saddle is also a lovely gift. Monogrammed saddle pads are always a great gift. We riders do love all things monogrammed.

Now for the student’s gift. I think this is the hardest one to shop for because you want it to be nice and meaningful. It’s difficult to invest a lot of money, especially if you have a large lesson program. A great idea that’s both creative and helpful to you as an instructor—a book relating to your student’s respective discipline. Sometimes books can describe things in a different way that will suddenly make something click for your student. This gift will stimulate your student intellectually and improve their riding, and as a trainer, what more could you want?

Regardless of your gift choices, there is really only one thing you must do in regards to your horse. Early Christmas morning, take some time to go to the barn. Take plenty of treats, and spend a few minutes thanking your horse for the unconditional love he’s shown you all
year long.