Furry Friends' Winter Wishlist

Posted on: December 15, 2023 by Ellen Brunelle

It’s December in Massachusetts, and we just got our first snow last night. I personally love this time of year, and have been having a lot of fun planning Christmas lists for my furry friends, my horse Nemo and my cattle dog Goose. Here are some of the things that Nemo and Goose are hoping to get for Christmas.

I’ll start with Nemo, my Morgan. I’ve been lucky enough to share the last 12+ years of adventures together with him and had originally met him when he was 7 years old. He’s now 19 and still going strong. We primarily do Dressage together now, and I’ve been eyeing the Harwich® Ergonomic Crystal Dressage Bridle by SmartPak. I love that comfort was the key goal with this bridle, with the padded noseband, mono-crown, and browband. Nemo is a very gentle horse, but does tend to fall on the sensitive side, and I love the ergonomic noseband; it’ll help provide pressure in the right places and alleviate it everywhere else. Finally, I know those fun crystals on the browband are going to look great against his jet-black coat with his big kind eyes.

Next for Nemo, I’m excited to get him the SmartPak Deluxe Memory Foam Dressage Saddle Pad. While I do regularly make sure that all his tack is a perfect fit, he is a horse that naturally is prone to SI soreness at times. I can’t wait to use this, with its goal of increased comfort, even pressure distribution, shock absorption, and impact protection, and keep him as happy and comfortable as possible. I was also lucky enough to “test-ride” this product when we were creating it and found that that shock absorption helped keep my lower back happy as a rider too.

Finally, and likely the gift Nemo wants most, I really want to check out the German Horse Muffins & Minty Muffins Holiday Treat Tins for him. I know his favorite is going to be the Minty Muffins, but I plan on getting both flavors. They’re also such a great gift for my barn friends as well!

Goose’s list also has some fun items on his list. The first, RedBarn® Elk Antler-Whole. Goose, my 6-year-old cattle dog, has some food allergies, which include beef and pork. That tends to make finding chews tricky, so I love this option! He loves chomping on these and is regularly known to grab one and sit behind me as soon as he hears a SmartPak meeting start. They also are durable and last him quite a while.

I’m also very excited to get Goose the Back on Track Mesh Dog Blanket. Typical to the cattle dog breed, he is very active and rough and tumble when he plays. I love that this will help keep any aches and pains at bay, and, from using Back on Track products as a rider, know how good they make you feel. I also think it’s going to be a base layer under his regular dog coat in cold weather.

Finally, Goose’s favorite toy ever is the Jolly Pets Romp-N-Roll Dog Toy. I’ve gotten him every year since he was a puppy. The 6” works perfectly for him, he’s about 45lbs, and he loves playing tug of war with me with it, or just throwing it around. It makes him happy, and makes me laugh at his silly antics.

I’m so excited for Nemo and Goose to get their presents this year, I hope they like everything!