8 Gift Ideas for Kids Who Love Horses

Everyone knows a child who is a horse lover through and through. It’s obvious what theme your gift for this child should be, but it’s hard to narrow down a specific item. Here’s a list of ideas for horse-obsessed children on your shopping list. Plus, they can all likely be found locally so you don’t have to order online and deal with shipping delays.

1. Horse puzzle.

Parents are always looking for ways to keep their kids occupied for hours, and what better way to get them focused and busy than a puzzle? There are lots of brands that offer horse-themed puzzles at various levels of difficulty. Just be sure the puzzle is the right level of challenge for the horse-loving child in your life; if it’s too difficult they may give up and if it’s too easy, they’ll be done too soon!

2. Grooming tote (complete with brushes).

All young horse lovers dream of the day they’ll get their own horse or pony. The first baby step is often buying grooming totes so they can bring their own brushes to the barn. Grooming a beloved horse or pony friend with a brush that is their own makes any young horse fan feel important.

3. Books about horses.

For any bookworm, it’s easy to find books about horses. There are so many books at every reading level covering all genres and disciplines. No matter if they prefer fiction or non-fiction, any horse lover who enjoys reading is guaranteed to keep his or her nose in a book if it’s about horses.

4. Paint-by-number.

Let their inner artist soar by giving a paint-by-number with a horse-themed design. They help guide the painting process by breaking it down into small steps, so the final product is something any child is sure to cherish. You may even want to paint one yourself once you see their masterpiece.

5. Horse pajamas.

Some children eat, sleep, and breathe horses. Lean into the “sleep” part by gifting a pair of horse-themed pajamas. Not only are they great for keeping kids warm on cold winter nights this season, but they’ll dream about their favorite animals all night long.

6. Riding lessons.

For the child who just desperately wants to ride, give the gift of riding lessons if it’s in the budget. This gives the whole family something to do on weekend days while the horse-crazy child gets to chase his or her dreams learning how to ride. It’s also rewarding for children to see their riding progress over time. Of course, be warned that this gift often leads to wanting more riding!

7. Horse phone case.

Lots of kids have iPhones these days, and they’re often used for playing horsey-themed games, looking for photos of horses on Instagram, or texting friends who also love horses. Help them embrace this love for horses by giving them a phone case with a fun horse design, or even one customized with an image of his or her favorite horse or pony.

8. Personalized leather bracelet or keychain.

Horse lovers often have a special horse or pony that leaves a mark on their heart forever. Let them take that horse everywhere by gifting a leather bracelet or keychain with the horse’s name engraved on it. The elegant leather look goes with anything and will make them proud to show off his or her horse’s name prominently.

 

BarnManager is designed to be a part of your team, with the compatibility and credentials necessary to improve communication, simplify the management of horses, and get you out of the office, off the phone calls, and into the barn with the horses you care about! Click here to get a free demo and find out more!

7 Holiday Gift Ideas for Your Trainer

Our trainers do so much for us, so it’s our time to give back to them. Say thank you for their endless hours spent devoted to you, your horse, and all they do to keep things running smoothly by gifting them something meaningful. Horse trainers can often be difficult to shop for. So we are bringing you some ideas to brighten their holiday season and help show your gratitude for everything they’ve done for you throughout the past year.

1. Gift cards.

You can never go wrong by giving a gift card and allowing your trainer to purchase whatever he or she truly needs or wants. Better yet, support a small business by choosing a local tack shop that may be struggling. If your trainer rarely eats out, give a gift card to a local restaurant (one that does take-out, since indoor dining is not recommended). Maybe gather your whole barn to pitch in on a group gift card. That way, the amount is greater, and your trainer can enjoy something really nice.

2. Customized barn gear.

This one takes a little more planning, but gear with the barn or business’s logo would make a truly special gift for your trainer. It can be difficult to secure the vector form of the logo. See if anyone at your barn has design skills and can help. Some local embroidery shops can help with that as well. Once you have the vector file, you can print it or embroider it on just about anything, from hats, to sweatshirts, to saddle covers, and more!

3. Travel cup.

Horse trainers are always on the go. Gift them something they can take along on all their adventures like a travel mug or beverage container. Better yet, get one customized with barn colors or logos. Drink containers like Yeti, S’well, Hydro Flask, and others can help prevent beverages from spilling. They also do a great job at keeping your cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot. They can be super stylish, too! They’re great for horse shows or just for working around the barn.

4. Picture frame.

If you and your trainer share special memories, gift a picture frame with a photo from one of your favorite memories together. Maybe it’s from a horse show where you reached an important goal or from a long time ago that can remind your trainer of how far you’ve come together. Another great option is a digital frame.  A digital frame allows multiple people to contribute photos that rotate, so your trainer doesn’t have to display just one image. Digital frames have large storage capacities, so you can continuously add to the photo collection as your memories together grow.

5. Magazine subscriptions.

There are so many equestrian publications your trainer would love flipping through. But it’s something they often choose to not buy for themselves. Do some research on which publications are most relevant to your trainer’s interests or discipline, and gift them a year’s subscription to the magazine. Most publications now offer online subscriptions, as well. This allows subscribers to access and read even when they are on the road and can’t collect their mail.

6. Homemade baked goods.

This is something that won’t break the bank and will be much appreciated. Put your baking skills to the test, and whip up your own cookies, brownies, bread, or anything you think your trainer would enjoy. There’s nothing like a homemade recipe, and your trainer is sure to enjoy it. People tend to appreciate the effort taken to bake something special as well. See some recipes for inspiration here.

7. A group gift.

Has your trainer been wanting to make a big purchase lately? If there’s something that’s beyond your price range as an individual, get the whole barn involved. Together you can make a big contribution toward what your trainer wants or needs. Maybe it’s time for a new helmet, a great new piece of equipment for the barn, or a big item for your trainer’s home. Try to get a good understanding of what your trainer really wants or needs this season, and if you can’t quite pinpoint it, defer to a gift card, listed in #1.

 

BarnManager is designed to be a part of your team, with the compatibility and credentials necessary to improve communication, simplify the management of horses, and get you out of the office, off the phone calls, and into the barn with the horses you care about! Click here to get a free demo and find out more!

Holiday Horse Treat Recipes

‘Tis the season for indulging in tasty treats and cookies – so why not treat your horse to something special too?

We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite holiday horse treat recipes, all of which make easy, inexpensive, and tasty gifts for the four-legged family members on your list!

Christmas Carrot Muffins 

What You’ll Need:

– 3/4 cup of old-fashioned oats
– 1/3 cup of molasses
– 1/2 cup of water
– 3/4 cup of flour
– 3/4 cup of bran
– 1/2 cup of brown sugar
– 1 apple
– 2 carrots

How To Make:

Step one: Preheat the oven to 400 °(F) and grease muffin tins.

Step two: Shred the apple and carrots into fine pieces.

Step three: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.

Step four: Scoop the mixed ingredients into the muffin tins and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Click here to open printable recipe card

Peppermint Present Cookies 

We couldn’t help but whip up a batch of these as we prepared our recipe list! They take less than 20 minutes to make and are sure to please.

What You’ll Need:

– 1 cup of old-fashioned oats
– 1 cup of whole wheat flour
– 1/2 cup of shredded carrots
– 1/3 cup of molasses
– 1 small, ripe banana (or 1/2 a large, ripe banana)
– peppermints

How To Make:

Step one: Preheat the oven to 375°(F).

Step two: Combine all ingredients except the peppermints in a large bowl, and mix well.

Step three: This step is a choose your own adventure! To make the peppermint cookies, spoon the mixed cookie ingredients into balls and place evenly on an un-greased baking sheet. For a fun alternative, roll out the mixed ingredients and use cookie cutters to cut the treats into holiday shapes!

Step four: Bake for 10 minutes.

Step five: While the cookies are still warm, place a peppermint into the center.

Step six: Allow to cool. Then feed to your horses and watch as they enjoy!

Click here to open printable recipe card

Christmas Cake (This recipe comes from “The Ultimate Guide to Pampering Your Horse” by June V. Evers.)

What You’ll Need:

– 4 cups of sweet feed
– 1 apple, chopped
– 1 cup of raisins
– 1/2 cup of molasses
– 2 eggs
– Purple grapes
– 2 carrots, diced
– Sugar cubes

How To Make:

Step one: Preheat the oven to 350°(F).

Step two:  Generously grease a cake pan and set aside.

Step three: Mix sweet feed, apple, raisins, molasses, and eggs together well.

Step four: Press into cake pan, and bake for one hour.

Step five: Remove and let cool completely. Top with grapes, carrots, and sugar cubes.

BarnManager is designed to be a part of your team, with the compatibility and credentials necessary to improve communication, simplify the management of horses, and get you out of the office, off the phone calls, and into the barn with the horses you care about! Click here to get a free demo and find out more!

Holiday Gift Guide for Equestrian Tech Lovers

Finding the perfect gift for the equestrians in your life can be hard – especially as the holidays are rapidly approaching! Fortunately, if any of the equestrians on your list (alright, or you!) love technology even remotely as much as they love horses, we may have just the solution. An added bonus? Many of them can be delivered digitally – no need to worry about shipping in time for Christmas!

For the Rider Who Loves His or Her FitBit – Try a Hylofit! Hylofit is a wireless heart rate monitor for horse and rider that uses zone training to set fitness goals, track performance, and prevent injury. Shop here.

For Your Favorite Show Jumper, Show Barn Manager, or Show Jumping Super Fan – Give the gift of a Jumpfax subscription! The Jumpfax app allows riders to plan their season, access practical show information and key contacts, find start lists and results, and much more.  Shop subscription options starting at only $5/month here.

For the Friend That Loves Online Shopping for the Best Products – Sometimes allowing someone to shop for whatever they want is the best gift, and with a Corro gift card, they can shop for all the best, thoughtfully curated riding and horse care products in one spot online! Visit www.corroshop.com to purchase a gift card (and maybe a few things for yourself while you’re there).

For Your Barn Manager (or You!) – We may be a bit biased, but of course we can’t make this list without including BarnManager. BarnManager is the official barn management software of U.S. Equestrian, and gifting your barn manager a subscription may just make you their new best friend! Subscriptions start at less than $10/month and include:

-unlimited horse information, health, and wellness recording
-the ability to upload attachments directly to records to easily access files when you need them
-searchable barn-wide conversations and messaging, as well as private conversations and messaging
-a virtual “white-board,” that takes the conventional barn white-board and makes it accessible anywhere
-customizable tables and free form lists
-contact management and more.

Click here to explore the options!

For any Horse Owner (Especially That One Friend that Misplaces Her Paperwork!) – Know anyone who has ever shown up at a horse show without a horse’s health certificate or who just wants to stay on top of her horse’s care (a.k.a. all of us)? Then consider a subscription to Electronic Vet – currently available for only $50 a year.

Electronic Vet provides an innovative, user-friendly, digital health certificate designed to meet the ever-growing needs of horse show venues. By providing accurate, efficient, and secure information, “eVet” is the authority in online equine health certificates and immunization records – and a great gift. Visit www.electronicvet.com to find out more.

For the Eventing Rider – The CrossCountry app may be just what your eventing friends didn’t know they needed. The app allows riders to record their cross-country course walk with GPS; add photos, comments, and striding; share courses and download virtual guided course walks; and much more. Learn more at www.crosscountryapp.com.

For the Friend Who Always Wants to Know What Her Horse is Up To – Give the gift of Nightwatch! Nightwatch is a smart halter that monitor’s the horse’s safety when no one is around, including tracking the horse’s heart rate, respiratory rate, activity, motion, and posture. Shop online at www.SmartHalter.com.

BarnManager is designed to be a part of your team, with the compatibility and credentials necessary to improve communication, simplify the management of horses, and get you out of the office, off the phone calls, and into the barn with the horses you care about! Click here to get a free demo and find out more!