Picking Gifts Equestrians Will Love
Do you need a holiday, birthday, or anniversary gift for a horse person? Have you been frantically browsing lists of gift ideas for equestrians? As helpful as lists can be, they often fail to hit the mark when every horse lover has different preferences. If you want to impress the horse people in your life, here are six helpful gifting tips you can keep using year after year:
1. Don’t Be Afraid to Embrace Their Horse Interest
Buying horse people horse-related gifts can be overwhelming. You might let yourself off the hook by saying, “They know what they like. If they want something for their horse, they’ll get it themselves.”
Most equestrians do love to buy horse things, but they often feel guilty about spending money on the latest products they’ve been admiring. If you sidestep horse-themed gifts in fear of disappointing them, you’re missing a great chance to gift them something they’ll truly love and appreciate.
2. Ask Their Horse Friends or Trainer for Suggestions
Trainers and horse friends can be a great resource for gift-giving, and they’re usually happy to point you in the right direction. If they’ve spent more barn time around your loved one than you have, they’ve probably observed quite a bit about your gift recipient’s favorite styles and current horse needs.
3. Make Note of Their Preferences
Meaningful gift-giving is about showing you care enough to pay attention to a person’s preferences. Make a little effort to gather information over time about what your loved one is drawn to and excited about.
Ask them about their favorite colors and brands. If they love having a chance to shop guilt-free, give them a gift card. If you hear them exclaim over a particular product, file that information away for later—even if you’re still months away from a major holiday.
Keeping your eyes and ears open takes very little effort, but it’s the key to giving a gift that exhibits your love and support.
4. Shop in the Right Places
Every horse person has received something well-intentioned but cringeworthy. Unless gag gifts are your rider’s thing, avoid searching Amazon for the latest cheesy horse tees and trinkets. Instead, check out a few retailers that tailor their products to horse people.
5. Request a Wish List
Asking your horse lover to make a wish list isn’t lazy or boring. It’s actually a great way to tell your horse person you care about what they need and enjoy. If you make a habit of using their suggestions, they’ll probably happily update it for future special occasions. Even if your rider enjoys surprises, a wish list makes a great resource to guide your gift choices.
6. Include a Gift Receipt
If you’re not sure whether your horse person will love the item you chose, include a gift receipt. Having your gift returned is not a sign of failure. When you give the recipient permission to return a gift, it demonstrates that you care more about their feelings than your sense of pride over choosing something perfect. With a gift receipt, your loved one will still be able to shop with cash or store credit somewhere they’ll enjoy, and your investment won’t end up collecting dust in the back of a closet.
Setting Yourself Up for Future Special-Occasion Success
Buying gifts for horse lovers on holidays and special occasions doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Remember to keep these handy tips in your arsenal, and you’ll soon be shopping for equestrians stress-free.
If you’re a horse lover on the receiving end of holiday purchases, consider sharing this article with your loved ones.
If you have a story about how horses or horse people have improved your life, please consider sharing!
Image by Ekaterina Shevchenko from Unsplash.
