Great gift ideas for friends and colleagues in the equine world.

Maybe your running a horse show and need a way to show appreciation to your judges and out of state staff, or, if you’re like me, you over employ a kind Veterinarian who spends many hours of time slaving at your facility.  Maybe, you need to tell that Farrier of yours “Sorry my horse kicked you in the head and put you in Intensive Care.”  Hopefully that isn’t the case, but whatever the reason for your need you’ll find several great ideas and price ranges to try out here.

The twenty to forty dollar price range

Not going to put you in the poor house, but still enough to say hey I care and I’m thinking of you.

Bath Basket

 I like going to Wal-Mart and getting little hand towels with horses on them, cowgirl themed soaps, and home cooked pie scented candles for the female crowd (and let’s face it, unless you’re talking about a Farrier, your friend is probably a girl.)  Get creative and make a horse themed bath basket, they look so nice in someone’s bathroom and smell awesome, plus they are cheap and fun to put together, there are so many little ideas you can put in one basket with these.

Coffee Basket

As for the men in my life, well most of them enjoy their coffee as much as they enjoy their beer.  Starbucks makes premade baskets you can buy, and also sells all the trimmings for you to make your own, should you feel so inclined.  Gift certificates and one’s favorite pre-ground brew are a great way to show your appreciation to someone who makes your horse owning career a pleasant experience.  No hardworking horseman goes without his caffeine in the morning, and little things like this really let them know you appreciate the hard work they do for you.

The fifty to a hundred dollar price range

When you want someone to feel extra special, and don’t mind eating pork and beans for a week or two.

Grooming Basket

If you’ve got a little extra to put into this, a horse grooming gift basket can be a really beautiful gift, and everything you need you can get at your local feed store!  I put hoof polish, a nice set of brushes, a bottle of Show Sheen, a metal comb, (the plastic ones break) and a good hoof pick.  Clients who ask pretty please can even con a Farrier into forging a horse head hoof pick, and talented farriers can hand make these to be breed specific,( be sure to do a little something special for him at the end of the year too).   If you’re shoer isn’t able or doesn’t have the time to make you one, you can order one at www.MSPFarrier.com, they ship within the week and are 100% authentic one of a kind horse head hoof picks.  They do a great job and will get you a beautiful product for a reasonable price that you can’t get anywhere else.

Horse Chef Basket

                These are so much fun for anyone who enjoys entertaining; I throw in a horse head bottle opener, horse cookie cutters, a horse apron, horse kitchen towels, and even a horse cake pan.  Novelty items like cookies that look like manure (oh yes, these are a big hit even with the classier crowd, I believe they are called “Stud Muffins”) and horse head napkin holders make a great personal gift someone special will enjoy for a long time to come.