DIY Equestrian Holiday Gift Ideas

The holiday season can be an expensive time of year, especially when shopping for equestrians. Instead of buying lots of pricey, store-bought items, consider making personalized gifts for your horsey friends. Read on for some DIY equestrian holiday gift ideas from BarnManager.

Homemade Horse Treats

If baking is your specialty, then gifting your friends, trainers, managers, or grooms with homemade horse treats is a wonderful option. For an extra-special touch, put the horse treats in a decorative box or mason jar and add a bow. This is a great gift to pair with a card and maybe a few chocolate treats for your human friends to enjoy.

Ornament

Deciding to make horse-themed ornaments gives you the flexibility to try lots of creative approaches. One option is to cut a horse figure or head out of felt and decorate it. If you are good at sewing, you could add stuffing between two pieces of horse-shaped felt to create a stitched ornament. Constructing a horse figure out of corks and decorating it with materials such as yarn and craft pipe cleaners is also another way to make this present. If you would like to make it more personal, buy a tiny picture frame, insert your friend’s favorite photo of their horse, and glue it on a string to make it an ornament.

Horseshoe Wall Hanger

Try out your woodworking skills by making a homemade horseshoe wall hanger. Start by collecting a few old horseshoes and nail them to painted wooden boards. This gift can be as simple or creative as you choose depending on how crafty you feel and how decorative you want it to be.

Wooden Grooming Box

This DIY present is also best for those who enjoy woodworking. If you have some time and enjoy making things, this is a great gift for your favorite groom. If you are not skilled enough to make your own, consider buying a premade one and painting or decorating it for a personal touch.

Decorative Picture Frame

If you are not the best at arts and crafts, consider buying a plain picture frame to decorate. You could paint the frame and even add your friend’s horse’s name at the top or bottom. Paint little horseshoes or ribbons on the frame, or glue on a few tiny equestrian-themed items from the craft store. If you purchase a larger frame to hang on a wall, consider adding a string to the bottom where ribbons can be hung.

Photography Session

If photography is your art of choice, a personal photography session can be a very special gift for your friends, trainers, managers, or grooms. After the session, choose a few special photos to print out and frame for them. If you photograph several people at the barn, you could even make a scrapbook for everyone.

Instead of buying run-of-the-mill presents this year, go the extra mile and gift your friends, trainers, managers, and grooms with homemade and personalized goodies.

Have questions about utilizing BarnManager or want to give it a try for yourself? Request a live demo here!

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 Your Horse

The holiday season has officially arrived, so it is time to start searching for the perfect present for your horse. While horse treats are an obvious choice, you may want to give your favorite equine partner something a little more special this year. Keep reading for a horse holiday gift guide from BarnManager.

Massage Gun

Help your horse feel their best by gifting them a hand-held massage gun. While a full massage blanket may be too pricey of a present, massage guns are a more affordable option. Although mainly marketed for human athletes, massage guns can also be very beneficial to horses before and after exercise. Bonus, you can use it too!

Coat Conditioner

Investing in a quality coat conditioner for your horse is an excellent choice. There are several options you can find online or at your local tack store. Check the ingredients before purchasing to make sure there is nothing harmful or drying in the product. Also, take a quick look at online reviews or ask your barn friends which coat conditioning products they like best.

Quarter Sheet

If you stay in a colder climate during the winter, a quarter sheet is a great present to help ensure your horse stays warm during exercise. This extra layer while you ride can make a big difference in keeping your horse comfortable during those freezing days. Some online tack shops allow you to customize your quarter sheet so you can purchase it in your barn’s colors.

Grooming Gloves

Grooming gloves are a terrific gift if your horse loves being brushed. While many people use mitts and curry combs, these actual gloves help you work comfortably on every part of your horse’s body, which is also a nice way to give your horse a little massage treatment before and after riding.

Hanging Stall Toy

If you have a horse that gets bored easily, they may really appreciate a hanging toy for their stall. While some toys are edible, others are designed for them to chew on and play with. This gift can come in handy to help keep your horse occupied when turnout time is limited because of snow or ice.

Horses are always there for us on good days and bad, so finding them the perfect holiday gift is a must. Happy gifting and happy holidays from BarnManager!

Have questions about utilizing BarnManager or want to give it a try for yourself? Request a live demo here!

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!

What to Get the Horse Mom in Your Life This Mother’s Day

Horse moms are still moms, right? While you’re out searching for the perfect Mother’s Day gift for all the mothers in your life, here is a list of things that horse moms everywhere would love to receive this Mother’s Day.

1. Photography session.

Contact a local photographer and schedule a photo session, whether it be horse and rider or just the horse on a black or white background. Professional photos are something a horse mom treasures forever, and photographers can be quite brilliant when it comes to capturing the unique bond between a horse and its person.

2. Subscription box.

These have taken the world by storm, and the equestrian world has caught the bug lately. Give the gift that keeps on giving by having a subscription box sent every quarter with fun surprises in it each time. These often include items you can’t find in stores, so she’ll be getting something unique in the mail for herself or her horse.

3. Graphic tee.

Lots of up-and-coming brands in the equestrian world are making fun tee shirts with horse lingo and creative designs. Find one that you think will really speak to your favorite horse mom and that best matches her style. Some brands also offer other items, like socks, stickers, and mugs that can complement a tee.

4. Custom artwork.

This one takes some planning ahead, but there is something so special about receiving a piece custom art depicting the animal you love most in the world. Contact an artist to have an equine portrait made. Different artistic media are usually different price points, depending on how much you want to invest. You can let the horse mom in your life choose the photo she likes best to have turned into a portrait, or you can surprise her by choosing yourself and gifting the finished product.

5. Engraved jewelry.

Many tack websites will make custom leather bracelets with a horse’s name on it, or you can go the Etsy route and have a piece of fine jewelry custom made with a horse’s name or initial engraved on it. Either way, this is a great way to gift something special that holds more meaning than just another piece of pretty jewelry.

6. Horse treats.

Because every horse mom needs horse treats. How else are we supposed to spoil our horses? You can find horse treats in all shapes and flavors, and they’re the perfect way for horse moms to reward horses for a great day of riding or just a fun surprise. There’s nothing quite like the way a horse looks at you when it knows you have a treat.

7. New tack or apparel.

There is probably something the horse mom in your life needs or wants around the barn. Pay attention to whether she complains about any tack that breaks or is on its last leg. Or go on a whim and buy her something new and trendy she may not otherwise try. Just remember to save receipts in case it isn’t the right size or her style.

8. Horse show photo.

If the horse mom in your life competes, visit official photographers’ websites to find competition photos from the year. Choose a favorite to have enlarged and framed for her home. This will serve as a fun reminder of a great competition or a great memory with her horse and will be a conversation piece to hang in her house, as well as something to be proud of when guests come over.

You can’t go wrong with any of these gifts, but if you came up with something not listed, let us know in the comments. We would love to hear about special gifts horse moms received this year, and you might encourage someone reading this to follow suit.

 

Have questions about utilizing BarnManager or want to give it a try for yourself? Request a live demo here!

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!