DIY horse-themed x-mas ideas?

[HappyAltermas!]

So, I decided I'd like to make some gifts this year for my horse-loving family members. I have a few ideas, but would love more! So COTHers, what are some good gifts that you can make yourself for the horsey people in your life? :)

Also if you include instructions, that would be an added bonus! :lol:

(Oh, if you're wondering about the username, some folks I'm trying to get ideas for are on COTH. :lol: )

[downthecenterlinetheycome]

I don't have any horse loving family members, but good for you for doing this. A couple ideas off the top of my head...

A gift certificate of a...

Day of help around the farm
Day (Night!) of staying up with a colicy/sick/foaling horse.

ETC ETC. Might not be your style. :lol: I'll think on it, sorry, I'm not much help.

[fizzyfuzzybuzzy]

I recently saw prepackaged horsey "emergency" kits, has things like advil, chapstick, hand sanitizer...you get the idea. Well, what about thinking about your friends/family and making custom ones? You could get cheap containers (or not cheap, depending on your budget), hit wal-mart and go nuts! Then decorate the containers to thier personal style/needs!

[Invested1]

Two years ago I made ornaments for a bunch of folks at my barn. I wrote down exactly what their horses looked like, then bought little wooden rocking horse ornaments and painted them to look like the horse. Then I put the horse's name and the year on the "rocker." They were a big hit....

Last year I just did stockings. I ironed on the horse's name and filled it with treats for both the horses and their humans. :)

[MissintheSouth]

A few of us made a huge gift bag for our trainer a few years ago - we called it the Client Management Emergency Kit. Got a big LL Bean bag with Trainer's name on it, and filled it with funny and helpful little things. Ours had:

Advil
Ace Bandage
Duct Tape
Box of assorted Band-aids
Icy Hot
Assorted mini bottles of alcohol
A nice bottle of wine
Ear plugs (to drown us out)
Crop (obviously to beat students with)
Small broom (to ride on in her witchy moments)
A gift certificate to a nice restaurant for her and her husband

She got a kick out of it and at least half of it was actually really nice stuff, to even out the prank things.

[Lori T]

I got this idea from the Dovers in NH when I was there a few years ago. I buy an inexpensive wreath. Wrap an old pair of reins or anything leather (like stirrup leathers or an old leather lead) several times around the wreath, about 6-8 loops around. Take an old bit and put in the center on the bottom of the wreath. Add some festive bows. I have also hung stirrup leathers down from the top center and attached a stirrup iron that hangs in the center. I have them at my barn and sold a bunch at a resell it day last year. Made 10 this year to sell at the resell it day.

[867-5309]

I got this idea from the Dovers in NH when I was there a few years ago. I buy an inexpensive wreath. Wrap an old pair of reins or anything leather (like stirrup leathers or an old leather lead) several times around the wreath, about 6-8 loops around. Take an old bit and put in the center on the bottom of the wreath. Add some festive bows. I have also hung stirrup leathers down from the top center and attached a stirrup iron that hangs in the center. I have them at my barn and sold a bunch at a resell it day last year. Made 10 this year to sell at the resell it day.

What a GREAT idea!

[Calhoun]

The wreath idea sound cool, do have photos to post?

[Lori T]

Give me a day and I will put one on our website...have been meaning too anyhow!

[ddashaq]

Last year I found some wooden cutouts shaped liked horses. I painted them to look like my friends horses and stuck a magnet on the back. (I also made scarves, but those were not really horsey.) The year before I found little wooden picture frame ornaments. I took pictures of my friends horses, painted the picture frames and gave them out with a bag of treats. Another year I made baskets which included bran mash mix, horse cookies, home made cocoa mix, and home made coat conditioner.

[sublimequine]

Last year I found some wooden cutouts shaped liked horses. I painted them to look like my friends horses and stuck a magnet on the back. (I also made scarves, but those were not really horsey.) The year before I found little wooden picture frame ornaments. I took pictures of my friends horses, painted the picture frames and gave them out with a bag of treats. Another year I made baskets which included bran mash mix, horse cookies, home made cocoa mix, and home made coat conditioner.

I've been looking for recipes to try to make my own coat conditioner, and have been unsuccessful. What do you use? :)

[pony grandma]

Find, cut, some nice squares of old barn wood. Clean up some horse shoes, or use new ones, to nail on top and voila! it is a wonderful trivet! Make small single shoe ones and larger multiples in a design.

Old horse shoes wrapped with bits of cut up Xmas greenery (when garlands are marked down cheap after Xmas), then add broken jewelry pieces, horsey charms, horseshoe nails - anything can be glue gunned onto the garland. Then hang with a leather string.

Gingersnap cookies! for everyone! Horses love them too. We make 3 double batches up in an evening. Gets the house all warm and yummy too.

[bwills2]

I buy wreaths at a craft store and glue on peppermints. The peppermints pull right off and can be fed as treats. One year I attached brass bridle tags with the names of each horse in the barn. It looked great and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

[War Admiral]

I posted this on another thread, but... over the TG holiday we are going to TRY (caps emphasized!) making decoupage Christmas ornaments w/ pics of ppl's horses/dogs on them.

Instructions here:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2143656_victorian-christmas-ornaments.html

[TikiSoo]

I buy unfinished wood switchplate covers ($1 at Michael's or AC Moore) and paint them with the person's horse in the style of old 18th century "horse" portraits, like Stubbs. Varnish and everything. They fit beautifully in the home of someone who enjoys traditional antiques.

If you're not that artistic, you can cut horsey printed fabric and cover a plain switchplate cover (49¢ at Home Creepo) I've made several of these using unusual fabrics and they are welcome gifts!