Share your Ingenious Solutions to Everyday HorseKeeping...

[Pony express]

Orchid, for the dog's ears, as it seems all four of mine have chronic ear problems, is it half half for the vinegar and water. It seems like whatever I go to the vet for they try to make me spend a fortune for their ear cleaners.

[Pony express]

For mice......try getting a cat! Not only will you get rid of mice, but will also give some lucky feline a good home. I have 3 barn cats and never see mice or moles around here. Unfortuatly they kill the frogs in the pond too.

[divinemisselle]

There are some great ideas in this thread that may prove useful to some of our newer members.

[Range]

Just an FYI, I did the vaseline on the mane and tail thing, and apparently I did it wrong. Yes, it conditioned, but it stayed all sticky and now they all have clumps of dirty hair! However, I tried the Show Sheen recipe and it works GREAT! MUCH cheaper!

[muttduck]

Lisa Marie!! THANK YOU for bringing this back up top!! Nothing new to add at the moment, but I still say this is my favorite thread of all time!!!

[reba4]

For leg cuts/wounds that need to be covered and wrapped, maxi pads work great! You can put medication right on it and it wont stick to the wound. They are much cheaper than gauze pads and you can get a pack of about 15 at the dollar store. Also the cheap rubermaid type plastic garbage baskets work great for soaking a leg. They are the softer plastic so if your horse knocks it over and steps on it, it is less likely to crack and break. They make one at walmart that is the pefect height to soak a leg up to the knee and it cost about $3.

[ron]

I have the most ingenius methods.

I let Toveromom do it all.

[pippy]

to keep mice out we use a product called "cabbag" and also fabric dryer sheets- also we've put tin foil in holes that we think may let mice in- mice won't chew through metal
for homemade jumps, we've used old tires (drill holes in them so they can drain after a rain) and place the pvc pipe ontop of the tires or create an X w/the pvc, we have also stacked chopped firewood in a 2x2 row to create a jump
I've used old shower rods in my tack area to hang blankets & towels on
I've an outgrown child's toy box (playschool type) that works great for storing stuff in the tack room as well
when one of my horses needed his hoof wrapped, I bought baby diapers and placed the hoof in it, then snugged it up as you would on a human and then put vet wrap around it for extra security
hmmm...that's all i can think of at this time...

[Lopin]

Originally Posted by pippy

to keep mice out we use a product called "cabbag" and also fabric dryer sheets- also we've put tin foil in holes that we think may let mice in- mice won't chew through metal

Steel wool works great too!

[Orchid]

Originally Posted by ron

I have the most ingenius methods.

I let Toveromom do it all.

Ron! You're terrible!

And on the steel wool thing - the best part about using it is that the mice actually will try to chew through it; then they get all those little metal shavings in their digestive system and voilÃ*! No more mice.

[beth55051]

I know it's the wrong time of the year but for bugs I feed my horses apple cider vinegar and garlic powder in their grain, you can also use garlic salt if your horse doesn't drink enough water. I buy it in the bulk section at the grocery store.
For fly/bug spray, I buy the cheapest concentrate I can find add Ivory dish soap and white vinegar.
For a horse that won't leave his flymask on in the pasture, I braid his forlock part way down and attach strips of dryer sheets (scent/dye free) to the end of the braid as a tail. Long enough that they hang down a ways.
When it gets icy around the stock tank cause someone forgot to turn the water off. I spread rock salt (buy it by the 50lb bag at the feed store) around it, when you can hear the ice start cracking spread sand or shavings over the area. When the ice refreezes the sand/shavings will make it rough and give the horses traction in the ice.
For a horse that gets daily bute, asprin, etc. I mix it with vanilla frosting. They will soon look forward to their "treat". It also works for dewormer. Give them the frosting a few days in a row and soon they will beg for the dewormer. Just make sure to give them frosting after also.
For a horse that doesn't like to take the bit, pour grape jelly or frosting on it. They will soon beg to be bridled.

[tiggypoodle]

For the first month that I lived here I used a little red wagon that the prior owners left behind to do all my barn chores (feeding, cleaning, etc) because we didn't have time to run into town and get a wheelbarrow... does that count?

Lily

[Range]

Hey, I also use a red Radio Flyer to portion out my hay and carry my buckets around! I also use it to take things from place to place instead of the wheelbarrow. I like to think I'm like Santa....

[muttduck]

Hee hee... I cheat even further and have the kids tow the wagon full of hay! (Not often though, but enough that it is "fun" for them!)

[divinemisselle]

Proud user of the Little Red Wagon here, too! Works wonders. I've used one of the kid's sleds in the winter when there is snow and ice, too, to transport hay and grain to the pastures furthest from the barn.

[tiggypoodle]

Okay... who has had the brilliant idea to tie the dog to the wagon and make HER pull it??

Of course, not everyone has an enormous galumphing beast like Chloe, lol!

Lily

[divinemisselle]

Oh, yes, we've tried that one! It was hilarious! Goofy lab ended up feeding way too much hay than necessary. Course, he couldn't have been called stingy, just not real efficient!

[shyfilly78]

Don't believe this was suggested yet...

The plastic bags that your blankets or your bedding (Home Comforters) come in???

I use them for horse shows...they easily hold 2 flakes and keeps the hay dry...when get to the show, take a flake to the hay bag for the horses to have a hay day!!!

[Cowgirl Up 101]

Hey I great idea Tiggy and Divine - I have an over rambuctious 8 month old St. Bernard that needs to burn up some energy. Sounds like she will be pulling a wagon with hay and feed tonight! Cannot believe that I did not think of that sooner.

[Range]

Yep, the dog pulled the wagon here, too. Bought a dog harness, attached it to the wagon, and hooked Boy right up. Didn't even think about the fact that I hadn't desensitized Boy to the wagon to start with. Ever seen a Pit Bull being chased by a wagon? It was the funniest thing I have ever seen, even as I was trying to get him to stop so I could unhitch him. Poor thing, the wagon has been evil ever since...just me pulling the little red wagon now!