Gifts For Horse-Lovers of All Ages

Some people like collector plates with almost any horse, while others prefer themes such as a certain breed or colour, famous horses or a particular sport like show jumping. The great thing about plates is that, if it's a duplicate, the recipient can often trade it with another collector for a similar one that they don't have. The secret is to buy good plates by well-known artists. The smaller ones are quite inexpensive. The cheap discount-store plates are generally by poor artists and have little real value, but would probably delight a young child.

Posters, posters, who want posters? Horses are among the most popular subjects for commercial posters, and there are so many types to choose from! You can get posters of famous horses, cute horses, baby horses, pretty horses, and all breeds and colours imaginable.

Some are reproductions of paintings from long ago, and capture all the delightful vibrancy of the original works, like this example of The Pharaoh's Horses by Herring. Some are by more recent arrtists such as Fred Stone and Chuck DeHaan. Others are photographs, and some of these are truly breathtaking. You can even find reproductions of posters from old horse shows and race meetings.

To make a simple poster into a great gift, add a fairly plain, elegant frame with glass. You can have it professionally framed, or get a frame at a local arts supply or craft store and do it yourself. Whether you want to include a matte depends on the poster. Some look better with a matte and some are best without one.

I've picked out a few here that I really like. There are hundreds more available!

Have you ever heard of a buzzer that neighs? Now that is a real attention-getter! Barnyard Answers Buzzers are available from Discount Office Items and, while intended for children, I can think of a few (okay, a lot) of adults who would get a real kick out of these.

You can create unique photo books, cards and posters using your own photos on Shutterfly. If you have a child (of any age!) involved in horses, gather a bunch of photos of him or her with horses and ponies and mark their progression as they advance in the sport by putting the pictures into a photo book. That would be a treasure to keep forever, and a special gift they won't get from anyone else.

How about a clock? I listed a link previously to CafePress, and clocks are available there with a variety of equine designs.

Horse picture frames are great, too. I found one from England that I especially like from A1 Gifts, but a little hunting will find many more. Another English company, Animal Den, has tons of different horse items from horsy socks to throws and pillows to licence plate holders.

I also found some really different horse-themed items at Collections Etc., including wind chimes, accent rugs, even a chair cover. I especially liked the buckskin horse throw blanket and wouldn't object in the least if someone gave me one!

Of course, for a girl of any age, you can never go wrong with jewellery, and even the toughest guy may occasionally need to wear cuff links. HorseLoverz (described as the "world's largest on-line tack shop") has lots of wearable art for men and women, including charms, bracelets, earrings, rings, necklaces, pins, hair clips, watches, zipper pulls and, yes, cuff links. The Snaffle Bit Watch (my personal favourite) even comes in a smaller size and three different colours.

Finally, don't forget eBay! The list of gift items with a horsey theme is almost endless. You may find something there that is vintage or unique and not available anywhere else. I just spotted a beautiful horse cameo that I would love to own — and a belt buckle — and a Breyer model horse — and a jigsaw puzzle — and a Spanish Riding School postcard — well, you get the idea!