2009 Holiday Gift Giving Guide – What to get a horse lover for the holiday’s!

So last year I wrote up a gift giving guide and I got a lot of e-mails from parents, husbands and friends of horse lovers thanking me for the ideas.

This year I am doing things differently. I am going to organize the gifts by price. I am also going to include t999/8he link to where I have found the product for cheap but also a place that I trust. That means that I have purchased something from the site within the past 6 months. So without further ado, here is my 2009 horse lovers gift guide.

Gifts for under $5

These bridle charms are adorable. They come in a variety of designs and also can be used a zipper pulls, boot charms or an embelishment to any tack. These make a great gift and you can get a price break if you buy more than one at the same time. 5

A nice soft brush. I think any horse person would agree that you can never have too many brushes. There are lots of soft curry combs, body brushes, and face brushes that are very inexpensive and will add to any grooming kit.

SSG riding gloves. A horse person can NEVER have to many gloves. Even if they don’t ride with gloves they probibly do barn chores with them!

Gifts for under $10

Make you own horse treat kit. At about $6 this is a very cute idea. Sure, it is cheaper to go out and just buy some treats, but where is the fun in that? Give this cool

Cotton Lead Rope. These make a great gift and come in a variety of colors so you can get one to match every personality. One one of the pros of cotton is that if a horse pulls you wont get rope burn, and one of the cons is that it is not long lasting so it is one of those always in demand items.

Himalayan Salt lick. This extra fancy salt block is cored from mountains half a wold away. It has extra minerals in it and is something that a lot of horse owners don’t want to splurge on themselves, but will love to receive!

Gifts for under $20

Make your own horse hair jewelry. This is a really cute idea. I highly doubt that whatever is made will really last, but regardless I am sure that it would be fun to do. I know that I am dying to buy one of these myself.

Sheepskin inserts for your boots. I don’t know who thought of these but I want a pair! They look so comfy and also seem like a great way to keep your toes tosety all winter. I am dying to get a pair myself now. One of the reasons sheepskin is so popular with saddles is because it has the ability to conform in just the right way without negativly impacting fit.

Get a speical braclet with the name of a speical horse. This personalized braclet can be in black or brown with wither brass or silver looking engraved nameplate. I know that I wear my bracklet with Gens nameplate a lot. It is horsey jewerly withouth being tacky.

Gifts for under $35

Rain Boots! Now this gift is awesome for anyone who lives in an area where it can get muddy. These are not the warmest or sturdiest rain boots, but there are some of the cutest!

“Wish Ring” necklace. I am a total sucker for horse shoe jewelry. This wish ring necklace is a good twist on the tradition because not only does it give the wearer something to fiddle with, but it also has silver, gold and black in it so you can wear it with most anything.

Any horse person of any discipline needs to keep up their education. Regardless of your age, the Pony club manuals are a great way to learn new things. I know that I have all 3 manuals as well as the suplemental book on lunging. All the pony club books are packed with information and are easy to read because they are kid friendly. Grab a few books and give someone the gift of knowledge.

Gifts for under $50

A personalized halter. I LOVE this idea. For so long only all nylon halters had the option to be embrodered. Now Tory leathers has come up with this cool looking number which is SAFE! It is the kind of thing that a horse person probibly will never buy for themselves. I mean, you can get a breakaway halter for $18 so most people cannot justify the over $45 dollar expense on themselves, but it is really cool and anyone I know would be thrilled to get this. It would even make a good gift for someone who does not have their own horse because they could get their name on the halter and bring it and use it whenever they take lessons.

A fancy browband can make a rider feel like a million bucks. These cool browbands can add come color and fun to any dressage riders look without being too much.

And not to halter you all out, but this uber fancy looking padded fully leather halter is a great buy. They use a lower quality leather, but that is not noticible to the untrained eye. This looks like a $150 halter to most people and as someone who owns several I can tell you that they stand up to the test of time. Gen has one for turnout that he has been in for almost a year now and it is still going strong. Add a bridle plate and your friend of loved one will really think you broke the bank on this present.

Gifts for under $ 75

A nice show pad. No matter what discipline, or even if the person shows or not, a really nice saddle pad can make any rider feel special. If the person rides dressage you want a white square pad, if they ride hunters, jumpers or eventing you want a fleece pad that is cut to saddle size. I thought this was a pretty cool idea for a western show pad.

Speaking of saddle pads…this animal print bareback pad is a must have! I think they are totally adorable and you can bet that that one of these is on my Christmas list this year! Bareback pads make a great gift for any horse lover. From the long time owner who wants that speical connection to someone just starting lessons who wants to develop the perfect seat.