Shopping for a rider when you don't ride

Anything that does not have to fit: grooming supplies, barn basics, small rider accessories, treats and toys for her horse, and a gift certificate. I do not ride myself, so I leaned on what riders say. In the quotes our research read, the gifts that landed were mostly things that needed no size, and the misses clustered on sized clothing and matching colors. If the horse words on a product page make you nervous, our barn words glossary translates them.

Riders also joke about the well-meant gift that misses. Here is one in her own words.

• Grooming supplies and totes for the rider who already has a horse to brush.
• Treats and toys for the horse. If an item is a supplement, check with the rider or her vet first; this is one to leave to them.
• Rider accessories such as beanies and boot socks.
• A gift certificate, which gets its own answer below.

They are the most forgiving sized gifts, but they are not risk-free, so check before you buy. Gloves, socks and belts come in a few standard sizes, and belts often adjust, so a near miss is less likely to ruin the present than it would with boots.

Two cautions. Gloves still need to fit her hand, and kids' sizes are separate, so confirm a size rather than guess. And for riding, the warmest glove is not always the best: reviewers say very thick winter gloves can be too bulky to ride in, which makes a thinner glove with good rein feel the safer pick.

Yes. Gift ideas sort naturally by what she does most days, so start by finding out whether she shows, schools, trail rides or travels. Our own gift guides are organized that way. They group show-day pieces such as show coats, show shirts and stock ties, daily schooling layers, cold-weather gear, and travel bags such as boot, hat and helmet bags. The bags are the sort of thing that needs no size, which makes them a good fit for this page. Clothing and boots are where the sizes hide.

Our men's guide works the same way, by discipline: hunters, jumpers, dressage, eventing, western and trail, and even one for the horse dad who doesn't ride, which is a gentler place to start if that's who you are shopping for.

Helmets, tall boots, breeches and saddles: they depend on fit and on the kind of riding she does, so involve her or give a gift certificate instead.

The helmet is the clearest case. Our helmet guide says a correctly fitted helmet should feel snug without pressure points and should not rock forward, backward or side to side, and that head shape matters as well as size. That is not something you can judge in a box. For a child, Troxel's kids' guide says to purchase a helmet that fits properly now, not a loose one to grow into. If she is choosing one herself, our head-measuring guide and bike helmet answer can help her; a bike helmet is not a substitute.

For the others, the research we read points the same way. Tall boots and saddles tended to be given successfully only after the size was solved first: she named her exact size on a wish list, a parent tried boots on with her, or a fitter or shop helped her choose. We found no example of a partner buying tall boots blind. If she rides in short boots, our paddock boots answer and full seat or knee patch guide explain the choices she will be weighing. That route takes time, so start well before the last shipping day.

Ask someone who already knows her: her trainer, a barn friend or her own wish list, and get the brand and size, not a guess. In the quotes we read, working from her list was the most-named route, ahead of asking a barn friend, trainer or store staff, and a gift card.

A few easy ways in: ask her to send you a link to something she wants; ask the person she rides with; or check the labels on things she already wears, such as socks or gloves, and note the size and brand. Keep the receipt, and look at the store's returns information before you buy anything sized.

For kids, the best gifts fit now, so skip the grow-into-it approach; Troxel's guide says the same about helmets. Parents who sized boots and clothes up for growth report mixed results, while breeches and boots tend to be handed down and resold happily once outgrown.

Troxel's kids' guide is clear on helmets: purchase one that fits properly now. If you are not the parent, ask the parent or the instructor what size and style she needs, or choose from the no-size ideas above. Browse kids' riding clothes, boots and helmets with a parent's input.

Yes, with two cautions: anything the horse wears has to fit the horse, and anything the horse eats is her call or her vet's. Our department pages group horse gifts into tack (saddle pads, halters, bridles), horse clothing (blankets, coolers, fly sheets), horse care (boots, grooming, treats and toys) and barn supplies. Grooming supplies and toys need no size. Blankets, halters and saddle pads all do, and blanket sizing depends on the horse's build as well as a tape measure, which is why our blanket cut guide exists.

Supplements are not a surprise-gift item. If it's something the horse eats, ask her or her vet first. Treats are a gentler choice, but she will know what her horse can have.

No. Riders and gift-guide authors often describe a gift card as the safe path when you do not know what she needs. In the open text our research read, gift cards were the most-cited way riders and gift-guide authors described steering a giver. We found no rider who said they dislike them, though that is a gap in what we read, not proof, and some riders love a surprise.

A Tack of the Day gift certificate lets her choose the size, the style and the discipline-specific item you could not have guessed.

Our gift guides are a good place to start, and they are organized by who you are shopping for. The Gift Finder on the first page asks about the rider's age, riding level, discipline, sizes and whether she has her own horse, and filters the ideas to match. Here are the pages to look at.

• Find the perfect equestrian gift
• Gifts for her
• Gifts for him
• Gifts by budget