Horse gifts & pony toys — the best gift ideas
The loveliest horse and pony gifts for children: from cuddly toys, Schleich figures and a Playmobil riding school to puzzles, LEGO, crafts and horse books by age. With a handy overview by age.
By Sonja ·
For the real horse fans, we’ve picked out the loveliest horse and pony gifts in this blog. 🐴 Whether your child loves cuddling most, acts out a whole riding school or wants to know absolutely everything about horses — there’s something lovely for every age and every budget.
From Schleich horses, craft sets and fun accessories to puzzles, horse books by age, LEGO and a Playmobil riding school: all handily sorted by type, with an overview by age. And fancy getting creative yourself? Then also see our guide to making your own hobby horse.
Which horse gift suits which age?
Every child is different, but this is a handy guide. Above all, choose by interest — one horse fan would rather play and cuddle, another wants to know everything about horses and learn to ride.
Toddlers (2–4)
Start with a soft cuddly horse or a wooden Holztiger pony to hold, a sweet rocking horse to rock on, and reading aloud from a cheerful horse picture book. Discovering things together.
See all our tips for the youngest horse fans →Young children (4–6)
Now the playing starts: Schleich ponies to collect, a Playmobil riding school, the colourful My Little Pony and a first puzzle. And the funny Stip activity book about the naughty Shetland pony.
Groep 3–5 (ages 6–9)
The age for acting out a whole riding school: Schleich Horse Club with a stable, a LEGO horse trailer and horse-themed crafts. And the first reading books about the riding school (such as De Roskam) really come into their own. (In Dutch primary schools, groep 3 is the year children turn about 6 and start learning to read.)
For the true horse fan (9+)
A challenging jigsaw (1000 pieces), painting with CreArt, the Equi Quiz to test their knowledge, and thicker reading books or an activity book from PaardenpraatTV. And the LEGO Creator “Prachtig Paard” to build and to show off.
Which pony or horse do you know?
There are hundreds of horse breeds, each with its own character. Here are three well-known ones — and a few fun facts to discover together with your child.
Shetland pony
The well-known little pony — but don’t underestimate him! A Shetland is small, incredibly strong and sometimes rather stubborn. He originally comes from the cold Shetland Islands, which is why he has such a thick winter coat and mane.
Arabian
One of the oldest and most beautiful horse breeds in the world, originally from the deserts of Arabia. You recognise an Arabian by its fine, slightly concave “dished” face, big eyes and high-carried tail. Not big, but with enormous stamina — perfect for long journeys through the desert.
Welsh pony
From Wales, and perhaps the most popular riding pony of all. Welsh ponies come in different sizes — from the small, sturdy Welsh Mountain to the bigger Welsh cob — and are known for being lively, clever and friendly. That’s exactly why so many children learn to ride on a Welsh pony.
Horse facts
Horses often sleep standing up — they can “lock” their legs. Their eyes are on the sides of their head, so they can see almost all the way around (but not directly behind them — which is why they startle easily there). And a foal? It’s up on its wobbly legs within an hour of being born.
Our favourite horse gifts
Below is our selection by category — from cuddly toys and Schleich horses to a Playmobil riding school, puzzles, LEGO, books and craft sets. We deliberately choose beautiful, sturdy and sustainable toys that last.
The product links are affiliate links: if you order through one, you support Kindkado with a small commission — at no extra cost to you. The shops are Dutch online shops that deliver in the Netherlands and Belgium, and the product names are in Dutch.
Schleich, play figures & riding school
For acting out your own riding school or meadow. The realistic horses from Schleich (the popular Horse Club range) are the firm favourite: foals, mares and stallions in every breed to collect. Combine them with a wooden stable and you can play out a whole riding school.
Schleich Horse Club — Haflinger veulen
Schleich — Andalusische merrie
Schleich — Andalusier hengst
Schleich Horse Club — paardenbox (Princess & Tori)
Schleich Horse Club — paarden pop-up boetiek
Kids Globe — houten paardenstal (voor Schleich)
Schleich 42712 Horse Club Lisa & Storm
Crafts & painting
Making or painting a horse yourself. Thread ironing beads, embroider or cast a plaster horse, paint with Ravensburger CreArt or “painting by numbers”, make a pixel pony or do a diamond painting — ideal for a creative (rainy) afternoon.
Houten pony om te beschilderen
SES — strijkkralen paard
SES Beedz Art — strijkkralen Paarden Fantasie
SES — borduren paard
SES — figuren gieten (paard beschilderen)
Schilderen op nummer — paardrijdster
Schilderen op nummer — paarden
Décopatch mini-kit — paard
Diamond Painting — paard (30×30 cm)
Pixelhobby — medaillon paard (klein, 6+)
Pixelhobby set — paard
Pixelhobby set met lijst — paard (groot)
Colouring, stickers & drawing
For the artists and collectors: cheerful colouring pads, sticker books full of ponies and a book that teaches you step by step how to draw horses. Hours of calm fun.
Stickervel paarden
Paardenstickers
Paarden stickerboek (A4)
Miss Melody Dress me up
Ik hou van paarden — kleurblok
Ik leer paarden tekenen (tekenboek)
Stap voor stap tekencursus — paarden
Stap voor stap paarden leren tekenen
Accessories & more
Cheerful horse accessories to show off or keep things in — a purse with a pony on it, sparkly pendants to make yourself, a friendship book to fill in together and a school cup for on the go.
Charm Series hangers - hoefijzer/paard goudkleurig
SES — “Ik hou van paarden” sieradenstudio
Souza — portemonnee Marith (paard)
Jeune Premier — rugzak Midi Pony (luxe)
Scootaheadz — pony voor op je step
Vriendenboek Paarden (om samen in te vullen)
Horse puzzles
Puzzling with ponies and horses, from a first puzzle with big pieces for young children to a challenging 1000-piece jigsaw for the true fan (or the whole family).
Crocodile Creek — Mooie Pony (12 st.)
Ravensburger — Paardenliefde (2×24 st.)
Schmidt — Paarden bij de stroom (150 st.)
Ravensburger — Wilde Paarden bij de Rivier (300 st.)
Ravensburger — Lady, Fate and Fury (300 st., 9-10 jr)
Ravensburger — Paard op het strand (500 st.)
Rebo — Horses (1000 st.)
Cobble Hill — Freedom (1000 st.)
Horse books for children
A horse book is a gift that lasts — and the choice is huge. That’s why we’ve grouped them by series and theme, each with an age or AVI indication (AVI is the Dutch reading-level scale used in schools), so you can quickly find something that suits your child’s reading level and taste. From first reading books to thick page-turner series. (These are Dutch editions.)
Information & activity booksages 4–10
Alles over paarden (8+) — handboek
Het allermooiste boek over paarden (8+)
Stip de pony (4-7) — doeboek
Paardenpraat & Britt Dekkerages 7+
Paardenpraat (9+) — het grote weetjesboek
Paardenpraat Dressuur (9+) — weetjesboek
Het PaardenpraatTV doeboek (7+)
Een veulen op de manege (7+) — Britt Dekker
Paard op hol! (7+) — Meer Paardenpraat deel 4
Manege de Zonnehoeve — Gertrud Jettenfrom age 7
De stoere pony (7+) — deel 1
Pony van goud (7+) — deel 2
Een pony met pit (7+) — deel 3
De springpony (7+) — deel 4
Droompaarden — Gertrud Jettenfrom age 8
De spetterende show (8+) — deel 1
Het allerliefste veulen (8+) — deel 2
Het verdwenen paard (8+) — deel 3
Echte paardenliefde (8+) — deel 4
De Roskam — Vivian den HollanderAVI M4 · ages 7–9
Vrienden op De Roskam (AVI-M4)
Paardrijden bij De Roskam (AVI-M4)
Op stap met De Roskam (AVI-E4)
Gouden Paarden — Christine Linneweeverfrom age 10
Aurea de wilde pony (10+) — deel 1
De redding van Roan (10+)
De overwinning van Erin (10+)
Learning to read (AVI)ages 6–8 · groep 3–4
Lot en Ot (AVI-Start) — Elisa van Spronsen
Stip, pony met streken (AVI-M3) — Sam Verhoeven
Draf in de klas (AVI-M3) — Marte Jongbloed
Pony Puk (AVI-E3) — Pien wil een pony
More reading series & beautiful horse booksages 7–13
Anne, het paard en de rivier (8-11) — Wouter Klootwijk (prijswinnaar)
Manege Appelbloesem (7+) — Pony’s zijn geweldig
De Ponyclub (6-9) — Supershetty’s op spokenjacht
SOS Manege in nood (8+)
Manege Paardenliefde (10+) — Het verdwenen hoefijzer
Building: LEGO & Plus-Plus
Building and horses in one. With LEGO Friends you build a horse trailer with a horse and foal, and with the LEGO Creator “Prachtig Paard” (“beautiful horse”) you put together an elegant horse to display. And with the colourful Plus-Plus pieces you build your own cheerful unicorn. Lovely, focused building fun.
LEGO — Blaze's paardenranch (4+)
LEGO Friends — Paard en Veulen met Paardentrailer
LEGO Creator — Prachtig Paard (3-in-1)
LEGO Friends — Paardenstal en Rijschool (7+)
LEGO — Display met galopperende paarden (10+)
Plus-Plus tube rainbow unicorns: 100 stuks (4372)
Horse party & dressing up
Throwing a real horse party? Lay the table with cheerful horse plates, cups and napkins, hang up some bunting, bake horse cupcakes and dress up as a real horse. That way every birthday becomes a little riding-school party.
Paarden bordjes
Paarden servetten
Paarden slinger (folie vlaggetjes)
Paarden cupcakebakjes (50 st.)
Paardenkop om te verkleden (met elastiek)
Games
Playing together around the horse theme — from the cheerful “Hop in Galop!” for young children and a card game to the Equi Quiz and the strategy game Horse Academy for the slightly older horse expert.
Hop in Galop! — HABA (3+)
Hop in Galop! Mini — HABA (reisspel, 3+)
Mini Loco — ontwikkelingsspelletjes paarden (5+)
Kwartet Paarden (kaartspel)
Nature Challenge — Paarden (kaartspel)
Horse Academy — SmartGames (denkspel, 7+)
Huzzle Cast Horse — metalen breinbreker
Equi Quiz — paardenkennis (bordspel)
Playmobil, My Little Pony & more
Imaginative play with horses. With the Playmobil “Horses of Waterfall” range you build a complete riding school — from pony rides on the beach to a real pony carriage — and with the colourful My Little Pony you go on cheerful pony adventures.
Playmobil Horses of Waterfall — moderne paardrijschool (manege)
Playmobil — Welsh pony
Playmobil Horses of Waterfall — Ellie & Sawdust
Playmobil Horses of Waterfall — ponykoets
My Little Pony — pony met borstel
My Little Pony — Smashin Fashion Party Bus
Wooden horses (Holztiger)
We love the wooden horses from Holztiger — beautifully made, sturdy and timeless. Lovely to play with and lovely to display. A sustainable gift that lasts for generations.
Holztiger Paard
Holztiger — trekpaard
Holztiger - paard gevlekt
For the youngest horse fans
For the very smallest horse fans — babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Soft cuddly toys, a wooden pony to hold, a rocking horse to rock on, and cheerful picture books to read aloud together.
Knuffel me, klein paardje
Klipperdeklop (2-4) — Nicola Smee
George is jarig (3+) — Britt Dekker
Boer Boris (3+) — een paard voor Sinterklaas
Pluchiez Pluche Stokpaard Lange Manen 70 Cm
Houten hobbelpaard (voor de allerkleinsten)
Pintoy — hobbelpaard (design)
Hobbelpaard met geluid - inclusief zadel en halster
Knuffelpaard Fenny (Holsteiner) — luxe
Hobby horse (stick horse)
Hobby horsing — doing sport and jumping with a stick horse — is hugely popular. Choose a ready-made deluxe hobby horse, or turn it into a brilliant craft project together: in our separate blog we explain step by step how to make your own hobby horse, give it a name and get going with it.
Hobby paard deluxe (stokpaard, ~80 cm)
Meeting horses and ponies
A horse gift is even better combined with a real day out. This is how you get to meet horses and ponies up close.
Riding lessons or a pony camp at the riding school
🐴 Riding a horse or pony yourself
Almost every village has a riding school (manege) with (pony) riding lessons, and many riding schools run a pony camp in the school holidays. A trial lesson or a day at pony camp might just be the best horse gift of all — really riding a pony yourself!
A ride at the children’s farm
🐴 For the very youngest horse fans
Many children’s farms (kinderboerderijen) have ponies, and at some of them your child can ride a little lap on a pony (often at weekends or in the holidays) — usually calmly, led by hand. Ideal for the very youngest to sit on a pony for the first time.
A holiday with pony riding· at a campsite or holiday park
🐴 Pony riding during the holidays
More and more campsites and holiday parks have their own ponies or riding school. At Ponycamping de Vergarde or the FarmCamps, for example, your child can go pony riding or even get their own pony to look after. Search for “camping met ponyrijden” (campsite with pony riding) or “vakantiepark met pony’s” (holiday park with ponies) to find a place near your destination.
More about A holiday with pony riding →Vakantiepark Ommerland· Ommen
🐴 Your own pony to look after for a whole week
More than twenty Shetland ponies live at this holiday park in the Vecht valley, and you can tell. Your child can “adopt” their own pony to look after for the holiday: brushing, feeding, mucking out and going for walks. There are also led rides through the woods for children aged 4 and up (led by hand, with an adult alongside). The number of ponies is limited, so book in good time — and if you have a pony of your own, it can simply come along and stay in a stable on the park.
More about Vakantiepark Ommerland →De Paardenkamp· Soest
🐴 Retirement home for old horses and ponies
The national retirement home where old horses and ponies get to enjoy a happy old age. On open days you can visit the old-timers up close — a lovely way to show that you look after animals when they’re old, too.
More about De Paardenkamp →Or make it a horse film night!
Don’t fancy going out? Snuggle up on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn and a horse film. A few tips (check they’re on your streaming service right now):
- 🐎 Spirit (from age 6) — the wild mustang who bows to no one; a real classic, also as the cheerful series “Spirit Riding Free” (all ages). Netflix/rent.
- 🌪️ Ostwind (Windstorm) (from age 9) — the German films about Mika and her special black horse; much loved by horse-mad girls. Rent/Prime.
- 📺 Free Rein (from age 9) — a girl on a British island who forms a bond with a mysterious horse. Netflix series.
- 🎠 Bibi & Tina (all ages) — cheerful riding-school adventures full of friendship and ponies (part 3 from age 6). Rent/Prime.
Ages according to Kijkwijzer, the Dutch age-rating system; they can differ slightly per film.
Which horse book for which age?
A handy cheat sheet — click through to the series that suits your child.
| Age | Type / level | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Ages 2–4 | Reading aloud (picture book) | For the youngest horse fans → |
| Ages 6–8 | Learning to read (AVI, groep 3–4) | Learning to read · De Roskam |
| Ages 7+ | Reading fluently & facts | Manege de Zonnehoeve · Paardenpraat |
| Ages 8–11 | Page-turners, exciting | Droompaarden → |
| Ages 10–13 | Tweens, thicker series | Gouden Paarden → |
Frequently asked questions
What is a good horse gift for a child?+
A horse gift goes down well with every little horse fan. Think of a soft pony cuddly toy, realistic Schleich horses, a Playmobil riding school, a puzzle, a horse book or something from PaardenpraatTV. Tip: choose something that suits the age — and the best gift of all might be a few pony riding lessons.
What age are horse toys for?+
Horses appeal to children of almost every age, and are especially loved by children of about 5 to 12. For toddlers, cuddly toys and wooden horses are ideal; young children love playing with Schleich ponies, Playmobil and My Little Pony; from about 6, reading books, bigger puzzles and creative sets come into their own.
Which horse book suits which age?+
For the very smallest (ages 2–4), read-aloud picture books such as “Klipperdeklop” and “Boer Boris, een paard voor Sinterklaas” are favourites. Beginner readers (ages 6–8, groep 3–4 at Dutch primary school) enjoy AVI series such as “Lot en Ot”, “Stip” and “Manege de Roskam”. From age 7, “Manege de Zonnehoeve” is the go-to first series, and for tweens (ages 9–13) there are thicker series such as “Gouden Paarden” and the activity books from PaardenpraatTV. (These are all Dutch books.)
What is a good horse gift under €10?+
Definitely possible! Think of a Schleich pony or foal, a wooden pony, horse stickers, a small (activity) book or a My Little Pony figure. Plenty of lovely little gifts for a small budget.
What is the difference between a pony and a horse?+
The difference is in the height at the withers (the height to the shoulder): up to 1.48 metres it’s called a pony, above that a horse. So a pony is not a baby horse — it’s a type of its own, often more solidly built and with a thicker mane. Popular ponies are the Shetland and the Welsh pony.
Where can you meet horses and ponies in the Netherlands?+
The most fun is riding a pony yourself at a riding school near you — many riding schools offer trial lessons or run a pony camp in the holidays. Also fun: many children’s farms (kinderboerderijen) have ponies your child can ride a lap on, and at the retirement home De Paardenkamp in Soest you can visit old horses and ponies up close on open days.