[mroats]

I am hoping to get a small Christmas present for someone who has been a really great friend over the last year. I am not looking to spend a ton, just something small and nice. Friend will be looking to get back into showing after a few years off. I was wondering if a white saddle pad with a monogram of her initials would be an appropriate "back to showing"/Christmas gift? Not sure if dressage riders where monogrammed saddle pads in shows. I know some jumpers do... I was thinking of maybe getting a white monogram on a white saddle pad so it would be customized but not so obvious? Other obvious option is black, but as I said I am not sure if that would be appropriate in a show. Not sure about piping? Please let me know what you think or if there are any other small trendy things that may not have been in style a few years ago that she is not likely to have. Happy Black Friday all!

[SendenHorse]

there is some contraversy if monograms are allowed in USDF shows. When it doubt go with a white pad.

I use monogrammed pads --- Smart pak has it for free if you are a smart pak user.

[WannabeDQ]

I love monogrammed pads for schooling and get them from smartpak. I usually go with silver thread on a white pad. It's stands out a little more than white/white but not as much as black/black. I think this is a great gift idea.

Some other ideas for a horse shower: boot socks, gloves, buckets, monogrammed polo wraps, etc.

[angel]

To me, colors and things of that ilk are rather personal, I think I would rather choose my own. It also has to do with the size of the saddle and the shape of the horse's back. If it were me buying the gift, I think I might choose some lovely gloves...either for use when she rides in the ring, or better yet, when she is just riding. This might be even more important if you live in a cold climate, as she will get a lot more use out of gloves than she would get out of a special pad for showing.

[MysticOakRanch]

A set of crystal spur straps? A nice pair of gloves (don't know about you guys, but I wear my gloves until they are falling apart)? If you are sure of colors, a saddle pad would be great! Fun horse treats and good quality grooming stuff (I love a certain brand of hair polish and detangler, and it is expensive!). A great book! Or DVD of the Olympics? There are a lot of options - I'd much rather buy for a horse person then a non-horse person

[DQ01]

I agree with the white saddle pad with silver lettering, I think that would be lovely for schooling. I have a saddle pad with my horse's show name on it that I ride in at home.

[rideastar]

Gloves, a dressage rider can never have enough gloves. Dressage Extensions has some really nice gloves (Heritage) on sale right now, I only ordered one pair ($10) and wish I had ordered more

[ladybugsbw]

Check out Etsy.com and search Dressage. They have all sorts of cool handmade items for all price points! Very good site

[SugarAndSpite]

I have a white pad with my initials monogrammed on it in white and it is my absolute favorite show pad. The white on white is subtle and classy and I want ten more like it! Silver and white would be nice too... what about a pretty stock pin or something? I also show in a white pad with black piping and a black monogram and I have never had a problem.

Good luck!

[InsideLeg2OutsideRein]

A SmartPak gift certificate is always right. Might not be the most personal, but you can do no wrong!!

[Iberiansyes]

IN dressage we also need nice stock ties. Go to dressage extensions and look at a nice one. It will be much appreciated.

[dayglowmaple]

Gloves, a dressage rider can never have enough gloves. Dressage Extensions has some really nice gloves (Heritage) on sale right now, I only ordered one pair ($10) and wish I had ordered more

Yes, gloves are a great idea! I wear right through at least 2 pairs per year, so I'm always excited for new ones. And even the ones that last tend to lose their mates, falling out of pockets and finding mysterious hiding places in the tack trunk (... or getting snatched from grooming totes and chewed up by barn dogs). My old barn does a gift exchange holiday game where gifts can be "stolen" and gloves were always the most sought after items.

I got a saddle pad as a gift once that didn't fit my horse's back and had flashier monogramming than I would choose, and I used it a couple of times out of guilt and it now lives in my laundry room. Stock ties also strike me as subject to personal taste (especially now that fancier, more embellished options are hitting the market). But either of these would be very nice gifts if you knew the rider's taste and shape/size/color preferences well enough.

Polo wraps seem like a less risky item that could be monogrammed for that personal touch.