Comments on: Stable Advice: Holiday Gifts for Horse Professionals

By: Jen Johnson

Jen Johnson — Sat, 25 Dec 2021 15:59:51 +0000

I’m a maker and entrepreneur. I sent my trainer a handmade dog bed and sent him a nice camp chair that I embroidered his logo on.

By: Taylor Sondgeroth

Taylor Sondgeroth — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 12:18:33 +0000

Giving the right gift can be hard. You deal with personality differences and you don’t necessarily know everything about the person, but you know one thing. Whoever this is for really loves their horse or job. So how can you accommodate to them? You can always give a tip. It may be awkward, but I’m sure the bonus would be appreciated. Go to a local tack shop and get some things or cool gadgets on sale or clearance. They’re sure to have some sort of holiday discount. Gift certificates are always nice too. Get one to a local restaurant or shopping center. They’re people too! Another option is make a card and write something nice that shows your grateful for their services. If you like baking, make some treats or even some cookies for the owner or professional. If you have some extra spending money, you can buy a nice trail bag or sport boots. Like to draw? Draw their horse or favorite breed and get it framed. Like to take pictures? Offer to photograph their horse or them doing their job. The opportunities are simply endless! Just get creative and show them how much you appreciate their hard work!

By: Abigail

Abigail — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 21:00:40 +0000

Instead of giving money I would give a gift certificate to somewhere I know they enjoy. It could be somewhere horse-related, like a tack store, or something non-horse-related, such as a favorite restaurant.

By: Brianna

Brianna — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 13:03:11 +0000

I like to get the horse professionals in my life something practical with something personal. For example, my trainer can always use more saddle soap and she loves coffee. I’ll get her a small thing of saddle soap and a horse themed travel mug. Something simple that doesn’t add to the pile of cookies they get every year for the holidays. It let’s them know that I appreciate their friendship/professional help without being overboard.

By: PKL

PKL — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 05:34:29 +0000

I like making them homemade treats for their horses like oatmeal apple cookies, because people can eat them too.

By: carolyn

carolyn — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 15:19:54 +0000

Let them know how much you really appreciate them by inviting them to a dinner at your house

By: Kayla D.

Kayla D. — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 01:24:36 +0000

Get something that your trainer, vet farrier, etc. would enjoy and can use for themselves. You can’t go wrong with some homemade (or store-bought if you aren’t the baking type) treats such as cookies or brownies. Include a handwritten note and tell them how much you and your horse appreciate all they do! Including a cute picture of you and your horse is always good too. If you don’t want to go the food route, make a picture collage. This is a great way to show how grateful you are for your trainer and how far you have come. This is usually only done for trainers unless you are really close to your vet and farrier. When in doubt, a picture plus handwritten note is the way to go. You can go wrong with a cute card!

By: kygal

kygal — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 18:35:29 +0000

Last year my farrier got homemade cookies. I think that homemade gifts have a more thought to them.

By: PKL

PKL — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 06:48:20 +0000

Home made gifts are still the best, bake d cookies to a craft item, like a braided horse bracelet or key chain.

By: Martha

Martha — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 14:04:51 +0000

What you give will depend on the culture at your barn. At big show barns, monetary tips for your farrier, trainer, and barn workers are often the norm. But if you’re at a smaller facility and have a more personal relationship with these people, some homemade brownies or a gift card might be more appropriate. I tend to give Dunkin Donuts gift cards to the farrier and others who I know are on the road a lot. It’s not very creative, but I figure they can never have too much coffee! You might also consider talking to your fellow boarders and lesson students about gifts for your barn manager and riding instructor. You could pool your cash and get them something really nice for the farm or a more substantial gift card to their favorite store.