18 (small) things all horse owners would appreciate this Christmas
Don’t worry about splashing out on an expensive gift for your horsey partner or friend this year. Instead, consider a seemingly small gesture which might seem trivial but will mean a lot.
Here are 18 of the little things all us horse owners would be happy to receive this Christmas time…
1. For one whole morning off mucking out duty (in other words, a lie in)
2. For the muck heap to be swept back and tidied
3. For all the jumps to be put up while schooling (so we don’t have to keep getting on and off, and then on and off again…)
4. For the grass to be mown so we can canter while out and about
5. For the potholes on the yard track to be filled in, to avoid both horse and vehicle injury
6. For all the summer show tack — which is currently sitting in the lorry gathering mould — to be cleaned
7. For your horse’s mane to be pulled (so we don’t have to be the ‘bad guy’)
8. For the horse to stand for the farrier without nipping his back or lean on him, just the once
9. For all of next season’s society membership forms to be filled in
10. For the weekly poo picking to be done
11. For all the rugs that have been sat in the tack room for the past nine months to actually be taken to the local tack sale and sold
12. For all the haynets to be filled
13. For all the haynets with holes to be repaired
14. For the arena to be harrowed
15. For any broken post and rail destroyed by your horse to be repaired before the yard owner notices
16. For the person who always drives a bit too fast past your horse to slow down a bit
17. For the piece of bale wrap spooking your horse out hacking to be removed from the hedge
18. For the abundance of sweet wrappers and general detritis to be emptied out of the lorry cab
You might also be interested in:
11 reasons why your horse thinks you’re crazy
Subscribe to Horse & Hound magazine today – and enjoy unlimited website access all year round
Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday, is packed with all the latest news and reports, as well as interviews, specials, nostalgia, vet and training advice. Find how you can enjoy the magazine delivered to your door every week, plus options to upgrade your subscription to access our online service that brings you breaking news and reports as well as other benefits.
Stay in touch with all the news in the run-up to and throughout the major shows and events during 2026 and beyond with a Horse & Hound subscription. Subscribe today for all you need to know ahead of these major events, plus online reports on the action as it happens from our expert team of reporters and in-depth analysis in our special commemorative magazines. Have a subscription already? Set up your unlimited website access now
Never miss out on the latest happenings in the equestrian world

Born and raised in the Lake District, Alex has grown up on the showing scene. She has qualified and competed ponies at the Royal International, Horse of the Year Show and Olympia and has first-hand knowledge of the current issues in the showing world as well as the horses, ponies and riders who compete in the sport. Alex joined H&H in January 2018 as showing editor, cementing its place as the leading equestrian publication for both showing reports and current showing news in the UK. She moved on in October 2024 to pursue other opportunities, but continues to write for us on a freelance basis.