Last Minute Gift Ideas for Horse Lovers

1. Horsehair Jewelry

It’s time to phone a crafty friend, look up some Pinterest how-to’s, or post an urgent request for some crafty help into your neighborhood Facebook group. After my horse passed away in January, I ordered a bracelet made from his tail. I had two major takeaways: 1) I could have made that bracelet myself and 2) Why do we wait for our beloved animals to die to wear their hair? 

We should be celebrating and loving the horses we ride while they’re still alive! If you are not an experienced horse person, please get some help in removing hair. The goal is to be strategic so no one can tell that a chunk of hair is missing. Oh, and safety is important too.

2. Horse Experiences

The best thing about this last-minute gift for horse-lovers is you can buy it on Christmas Eve, or even just throw some cash in an envelope with a message, and we’d cry a bucket full of happy tears. Let’s be real. Horses are expensive. Horse experiences are even more so. But as horse people, we want to experience it all!

Here are some ideas:

• Go big or go home with an equestrian vacation. An African horse safari has been on my bucket list for a while. Ireland and Iceland are other hotspots for equestrian getaways. If you want to be stateside, there’s the classic dude ranch experience.
• Clinics. Most horse people love to learn and grow with their animals. From natural horsemanship to riding with Olympic riders, clinics allow us to learn and try new things we’ve only dreamed of.
• Horse shows or foxhunt fees. This is actually what I was planning to give my daughter until a new saddle came into our lives. This one is simple. Throw some cash in an envelope, or even just write a note explaining that a horse show doesn’t fit under the tree, but for Christmas, you are gifting them with an all-expenses paid horse show or foxhunt!
• Excursions – horse camping, horse glamping, riding cool trails, visiting other horse friends – there are so many fun things we always think about doing but rarely follow through on. Help your horse lover step out of the regular day-to-day by offering whatever they need to make that happen – whether it’s keeping the kids, organizing an overnight, or taking a couple days off work to go together.

3. The Necessities 

Do you know how many hoses and nozzles a typical barn goes through? They should make monthly nozzle subscriptions for horse people and quarterly hose deliveries. These things just don’t last in a place with thousand-pound animals stepping on and nibbling things. One year I found nozzles on clearance at Wal-mart and bought 3 for my barn manager. Manure forks are another thing that constantly breaks. 

But if you want to spend a little more, consider a trip to your local Home Depot or Tractor Supply and invest in a new wheel barrow. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever been to a barn that didn’t need a new one. They’re expensive and noone wants to spend their horse money on something used to carry poop. But dang it if everyone’s quality of life doesn’t improve when there’s a fancy new wheelbarrow that rolls like butter.

4. Gift Cards

I’ll be honest. I hate buying gift cards. But I love having them when there’s a new pair of overpriced riding pants I want or it’s time to replenish Danny’s supplements or hoof oil. A gift card will be appreciated the next time your horse lover wants something from the horse store (which is every time he/she sets foot in it). These are some of my go-to’s:

• Dover Saddlery (for the English horse rider)
• SmartPak Equine English riding clothes and gear as well as a go-to place for supplements
• Horse.com all-around barn equipment and rider gear for English and Western disciplines. Reviews say takes a day to deliver the egift card
• Tractor Supply for all your farm needs
• Your local feedstore (you’ll likely have to purchase that one in-store)

5. Ebooks & Audiobooks!

Shameless plug. What kind of author would I be if I didn’t mention BOOKS as a last-minute gift? I LOVE listening to audiobooks while driving to the barn and cleaning stalls. I may or may not have listened to books on trail rides on occasion. The Finding Gideon audiobook is in the final stages of editing and I’m hoping I can have it published by Christmas (cutting it close). 

Here are some pages on how to gift audiobooks. It’s different depending on which platoform you use. Check out how to gift on audible, How to gift via iTunes. 

These are some of my favorite listens this year (affiliate links):

• Good Things Come by Linda Shantz – a fiction book about horse racing and romance at the track
• The Wellington Ruse by Sarah Baynum – a clean billionaire romance set on a horse farm in Wellington
• Whole Heart, Whole Horse by Mark Rashid (and every other book he’s written. They’re SO good) training tips and stories from an always learning horseman
• Horse Brain Human Brain by Janet Jones – a fascinating book about the differences between horse brains and human brains. It brings an entirely new perspective to riding and training horses
• In the Middle are the Horsemen – a heartfelt memoir from trainer Tik Maynard about how he found his path in the horse world

I’m going to drop a link for Finding Gideon in hopes that when people read this the audiobook will be available. I narrated the story myself, and it was my mission to give the listener an authentic experience. From laughter to tears to frustration and joy, experience the story from the voice of the girl who lived it and wrote it.