Elf on the Shelf: Equestrian Edition…

By: Brittany Bevis

In case you’ve been out of the loop for a while, a Christmas tradition that has swept the nation over the past few years is that of the wildly popular Elf on the Shelf.

What originally began as a simple children’s picture book accompanied by a plush toy elf quickly turned into a popular culture phenomenon and social media craze. Creatively Classic Activities and Books, the company behind the original Elf on the Shelf, has sold more than 6 million copies since its launch in 2005 (CCA & B Media, 2013).

As the brainchild of the mother-daughter trio, Carol Aebersold, Chanda Bell, and Christa Pitts, The Elf on the Shelf is even the star of an animated feature, An Elf’s Story, which airs in December on CBS-TV. This adorable character was immortalized in the recent Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and was the first self-published character to have a balloon since Peter Rabbit (CCA & B Media, 2013).

With the goal of helping families create Christmas-time memories and traditions, this busy elf has been entertaining children and big kids alike for the past eight years. Major celebrities and television personalities have gotten in on the game as well.

Why is this tiny elf causing such a big commotion? It might have something to do with the character’s impressive social media presence. Currently, The Elf on the Shelf has 430,926 likes on Facebook and 23,396 followers on Twitter.

As the story goes, each elf serves as a special scout that is sent from Santa Claus at the North Pole. Elves typically arrive just after Thanksgiving and stay in a family’s home until Christmas Eve. During that time, the elf is charged with the task of monitoring the day’s events to help Santa keep updated on his naughty and nice lists. The elf flies back to the North Pole each night to report to Santa. Each morning, the elf returns to a different place in the house, and that’s when the real fun begins.

Children and big kids alike are entertained by the clever places where the elf chooses to pop up and some of the mischievous antics he has been up to while the children have been asleep. Elves have been known to make snow angels in piles of flour, get into stashes of Christmas candy, empty the refrigerator, or even hijack Barbie’s dream car for a drive down the sidewalk. The creative options are virtually endless.

However, what we haven’t seen yet are what the equestrian elves have been up to this holiday season. In case you might be needing a few last minute ideas to entertain the little equestrians in your household, scroll below to see what our Equine Chronicle elf has been up to… We want to see your pictures too! Send us photos of the equine-related antics your elves have been getting into lately and you might see them featured on our website or Facebook page. Photos can be sent to b.bevis@equinechronicle.com or shared on our Equine Chronicle Facebook page.

– Horse Show Elf– This elf is ready and raring to go for the 2014 show season. Load the horses up and let’s go!

– Feed Bucket Elf- This elf tried to help out with morning chores by feeding the horses, but, as you can see, he got a little distracted.

– Tractor Driving Elf– Up with the sun and ready to help muck out stalls, this eager elf has taken the wheel.

– Hot Walker Elf- Wheeeee! For an extra bit of fun for the kids, turn on the hot walker and take the elf for a ride!

– Trail Elf– Who wouldn’t love to have a little Trail Elf to help set up the course?

– Stall Picking Elf- A nice surprise to find along with this elf is that all of the stalls have already been cleaned…

– Ice Bucket Elf- When it’s time to rest and relax, there’s nothing better than a frozen water bucket jacuzzi.

– Win Photo-Bombing Elf– Upon closer inspection you will see that this mischievous elf has been doing a little photo-bombing.

– Trick Riding Elf- Heigh-Ho Silver, Away!

– Award Guarding Elf– This helpful elf is keeping a close eye on all of your hard-earned horse show ribbons and prizes.

–Lead Rope Elf- Someone got tired of elf messing around in the barn, so he’s all tied up!