50 Easy last-minute holiday gifts and stocking stuffers for riders

 

50 Easy last-minute holiday gifts and stocking stuffers for riders – something we all need in these hectic weeks!
Here you can find gift ideas for every person on your list. From your horse-mad child to your ‘stable sister’, and from little stocking stuffers to big-ticket items.

Even if we are sure that THIS YEAR, we will start in time and get everything organized… life has a habit of happening. It’s very easy to end up stressed, scrambling and spending more money than you planned for.
Here at HorseCompass, we really want to help you avoid that.
All the gifts here are selected to be truly useful, enjoyable and affordable.
Plus, many of these gifts can be made in minutes or easily bought (no shipping stress).

 

Give the gift of Relaxation

Do you know somebody who likes to read? A gift card to Amazon, Barnes & Noble or a local bookstore is a well-known option. But for busy riders, you can step it up a notch. For example:

IDEA 1.   A ‘Sit still & Chill’ package: a horse book or magazine + some coffee/tea/hot chocolate + a favourite snack. Add a pair of comfy socks to make it really relaxing. Or even some bath foam?

IDEA 2.   Make the packaging part of your relaxing gift. What about putting it all in a new water bucket, or a grooming bag? Or even tying it up in a new wool plaid or fur blanket, to be used at home or in the stable?

IDEA 3.   Browsing in horse store catalogues can be endless fun. If you plan on giving a gift certificate, add a catalogue so they can start browsing and dreaming right away. You can also combine it with the Chill Package.

IDEA 4.   Give a home-made Personal Coupon for a day off from all chores. In the stable, or at home! Meaning that a busy family mother, for example, finally can spend some relaxing hours at the stable. Or the opposite: somebody who does a lot of stable work can stay home a day (and maybe enjoy their Chill package?).

IDEA 5.   A super luxurious gift for the stiff, sore and stressed rider: a gift certificate for a massage!

 

Give the gift of Knowledge

Knowledge is truly the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving. And it’s something nobody ever can have too much of!
Giving a book is, of course, a classical ‘knowledge gift’. But there are more ways to gift this:

IDEA 6.   A set of riding lessons at a local riding school.

IDEA 7.   A private lesson with a favourite instructor (or on a favourite horse in the riding school).

IDEA 8.   An online video course for a subject they are interested in and/or want some help with. Not necessarily just about riding. It can be about horse care, trailer loading, leading, horsemanship, horse massage, and so on.

IDEA 9.   No hoof, no horse – all riders and horse owners should know the basics of how hooves ‘work’, and how to take care of them. Here at our farm, we give lessons in hoof care (either pre-set classes or tailored to your needs – it’s even possible to bring your horse.) Is Norway too far away? We can even do online-classes! Or check for similar courses where you live.

IDEA 10.   A gift certificate for a weekend or week at a riding camp.

IDEA 11.   A gift certificate for a video lesson from a top trainer (and yes, we do gift certificates for lessons here at HorseCompass and on Raaken Farm! Contact us for the possibilities.).

 

Give the gift of Time Together

Being in the stable and around horses can be a great way to spend time together. Some gift ideas:

IDEA 12.   A Coupon to visit a horse show together (or a ‘clinic’ by a special instructor – which neatly includes the gift of knowledge).

IDEA 13.   Offering to help in the stable, be company on a long drive, or even something as simple as offering to take video’s when your child is having a riding lesson. Those things are not always easy to organize in our busy lives – but they are often very much appreciated.

IDEA 14.   Instead of baking cookies, what about making horse treats together? There are lots of easy recipes online. Make some extra and use them as gifts.

IDEA 15.   For a really special treat, check out our ‘Hoof Tea’. This is an event at our farm in Norway, where we gather together to enjoy a lovely High Tea. And, of course, to share our experiences and learn more about horses and hooves. (Too far to travel…? Maybe you can find someting similar at a horse place near you?)

 

Give the gift of Organization

Saddle rooms, barn lockers, blanket chests… they tend to get messy over time. Some helpful items and a few hours work can make a big difference.

Tip: This can also be a perfect activity to do together. Maybe there’s a day when you don’t feel like riding anyway, or the weather is too bad?

Here are some ideas for ‘organization gifts’ to get you started.

IDEA 16.   Mouse free storage!! For example, sturdy see-through plastic boxes from the hardware store. Add labels and a marker pen, so they can get started immediately.

IDEA 17.   Mouse-proof horse food containers. Check out hardware stores for heavy-duty ones with clips. Ikea sells plastic bins that can be stacked – perfect if you run out of storage space for horse food.

IDEA 18.   A Personal Coupon to help cleaning – maybe together with a bucket, cleaning spray, rubber gloves etc.?

IDEA 19.   A new broom, a new dustpan with brush, or even a new garbage container (with a lid).

IDEA 20.   Name tags for everything! Halter, lead rope, bridle, saddle, blankets, food containers, etc. Buy them or make them yourself.

IDEA 21.   A gift certificate for having their horse blankets and/or saddle pads washed at a professional washing service.

IDEA 22.   The HorseCompass Professional Horse Journal is a great way for any rider and horse owner to keep track of almost everything! It can help in keeping your horse healthy, track lessons, find help in emergencies, keep a budget, and so on. Because this is a digital product, you can order it online and have it immediately.
Tip: For extra impact, print it out and gift it in a nice binder.

 

Give practical things they will really use

Often, things we might consider a bit ‘too simple’ will make the best gifts. Such as:

IDEA 23.   A bag of horse food, or a gift certificate for the horse food store.

IDEA 24.   A bottle or pot of that expensive supplement which works so well for their horse.

IDEA 25.   A small set of nice new horse brushes (good quality brushes can really last for years and years).

IDEA 26.   A Boot Cleaning set: shoe polish, a polish brush, and a buffing cloth. All packed together in a sturdy, see-through little plastic box.

IDEA 27.   A Tack Cleaning set: saddle soap, leather conditioner, a sponge, some soft cloth.

IDEA 28.   A humble hoof pick in their favourite colour. Add some braided colourful rope at the end, so it’s easy to see in the stable.

 

Give the gift of Comfort

Riding and working in the stable often means hard work, physically. But at least there are gift ideas that can help keep them comfortable.
And let’s not forget their horse: he deserves to be comfortable, too!

IDEA 29.   Pocket warmers, homemade or bought. (Look online for lots of ideas to easily make them yourself for very little money.)

IDEA 30.   Warm sheepskin soles to put in their riding or work boots. Or, for a really luxurious gift, special heating soles that can be recharged.

IDEA 31.   A pair of nice, warm and waterproof working gloves.

IDEA 32.   A Buff, headband or neck warmer in their favorite color. There even are special winter face and neck warmers to wear under a riding helmet.

IDEA 33.   Warm wool socks.

IDEA 34.   A gift certificate for a treatment from an equine therapist (such as a massage, chiropractic check, full-body check, etc.).

IDEA 35.   A gift certificate for a saddle check.

 

Give the gift of Safety

Safety comes in many forms.
Some safety issues can be solved by buying an item. Here in Norway, it’s dark for many hours a day in winter. If you plan to ride on the roads, it’s essential to be visible.

Other safety issues can only be solved by more knowledge or better training. For example, horses that are ‘difficult to load’.
Some gift ideas for increased safety:

IDEA 36.   Visibility items for rider and horse. A reflective riding blanket, leg protectors, halter, lead rope, helmet cover, jacket, gloves, etc.

IDEA 37.   There also exist reflective sprays that are invisible to the eye, but that will be reflective when hit by light. Perfect for use on gear that they already have.

IDEA 38.   A new headlamp, to use around the stable and/or when riding.

IDEA 39.   A gift certificate for a horse handling lesson (leading, tying up etc.)

IDEA 40.   Lessons in trailer loading. Tip: give this with a leather halter – because those are used for trailering horses.

IDEA 41.   A day, or a weekend, with horsemanship training.

 

Give a Personal Gift

Here are some ideas for gifts that can be made in minutes, and that don’t have to cost you any money.
A Personal Coupon is an example of such a gift. The only thing you need is a piece of paper and an envelope – or you can even send it as an email or an SMS.

IDEA 42.   Say ‘Thanks!’
Take a minute to think about the people who make your horse life possible.
Your parents, who pay all those bills? Your trainer, who is helping you every week to achieve your goals? The veterinarian, who came to help your horse? The hoof care specialist, who does the hard work on your horse’s hooves? Your friend in the stable, who helps out if you can’t be there?
Maybe it’s not possible to give a gift to all of them. But writing a little Thank You-note will be highly appreciated. And if a card or note doesn’t work, you can just tell them in person the next time you meet.

IDEA 43.   Make a playlist for somebody, for example on Spotify. Maybe a very upbeat one for cleaning stables? Or a calming one to use before stressful situations?

IDEA 44.   Do you have a friend that loves and admires your horse? Give a Personal Coupon to let them ride your horse or have a lesson on it.

IDEA 45.   Help somebody save time and energy – give a Coupon for help with mucking out, watering, feeding etc.

IDEA 46.   You can also give Coupons for helping to organize their tack room, plaiting their horse before a competition, help as a groom at a competition, etcetera, etcetera. The possibilities are endless!

 

Give the gift of Giving

For most of us, riding and being around horses is not a necessity anymore (like it was in the old days). It’s a privilege, and very often a luxury.

It is wise to appreciate that, and to give something back if you have the possibility. For example:

IDEA 47.   Instead of giving a gift to the rider who ‘has everything’, give a donation in their name to a horse rescue organization. There are many organizations dedicated to helping horses (and donkeys) in need.

IDEA 48.   Soup kitchens are not the only places needing help. Volunteer to help at a horse sanctuary – you can even ‘gift’ this as a family activity.

IDEA 49.   Does your stable have a place for coffee breaks? Put out some nice cookies or other snacks. Or what about a big bag of carrots, for everybody to give to their own horse as they please?

IDEA 50.   Is there anybody in your stable who could need a little help? Because of illness, family problems, financial challenges, and so on? Just a few minutes of your time and some sincere interest can already make somebody feel a lot better. Maybe you can invite them on a trail ride, or just lead your horses on a walk together and have a chat at the same time? Or just sit in the coffee room and finish the cookies?

And, of course, you can also be their ‘Secret Santa’. Clean their horse’s stable for them, fill water, sweep the aisle, buy a bag of horse food or hang a bag with some treats with their things.
The best thing about being a Secret Santa: most likely you yourself will be the one walking around with the biggest smile on your face – but try to keep the secret!

 

We hope you enjoyed these 50 easy last-minute holiday gifts and stocking stuffers for riders.
Which one did you like the best – and which ones did we forget?
Let us know in the comments!

 

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