Owning a horse comes with a range of lifestyle requirements. Having a love of riding, barns, and all things horses is something that is difficult to describe if you’re not immersed in the lifestyle yourself. One thing that most in the world of caring for your horse, would agree on is that this way of life is also time-consuming and expensive. Here are 12 horse grooming tips that can help you save both time and money, and common household goods that you can use as horse grooming tools.
1. Baby Wipes
Baby wipes are an excellent equestrian hack for many uses. You can dust off your horse with them before going into the ring or use them on yourself as well. They can also clear the goop from your horse’s eyes.
2. Closet Rod
Stacking blankets in a corner is an invitation for mice to nest. Instead, hang a closet rod across one end of your tack room so that you can hang up your blankets. To prevent them from slipping, put some vet tape on the rod.
3. Sweat Scraper
Some horses get really sweaty around their bony areas. You can easily scrape off that sweat with a piece of bailing twine. Pull the twine tight over the sweaty area to remove the perspiration.
4. Soap hack
Do you have a horse that chews on wood surfaces like doors, fences, or the wall of their stall? Just rub a bar of soap on those surfaces, and they will hate the taste of it so much that they will stop this behavior.
5. First Aid
Keep a simple saline solution handy to flush out minor wounds. You can make this with 1 tsp. of salt to 1 cup warm water. Also, keep some baby diapers on hand to use as compresses.
6. Zip Ties
Be sure to add some of these all-purpose items to your barn tack box. Use them to mend a broken fence and make temporary repairs to tack until you can buy replacements.
7. Duct Tape
There are a million uses for duct tape around a barn and at shows. Use it to fix lattice on jumps or make stripes on your poles. Fix cracks in buckets or quickly patch a ripped blanket.
8. Garbage Bags
Need to carry water long distances at a show or through your barn? Place a garbage bag inside a muck tub, fill the bag with water, and then tie off the top to prevent spilling.
9. Skimmers
Keeping your horse’s water clean is important. Use a pool skimmer in the summer to remove dirt and debris from the water and a kitty litter scoop in the winter to get rid of ice chunks.
10. Hoof Pick
Want to keep your barn aisle cleaner? Hang a hoof pick next to your stall door to pick your horse’s feet as you exit. This will keep their feet cleaner as they exit the barn.
11. Dusty Hay
If your barn’s hay gets really dusty, this probably happens because it’s sitting on a dirt floor. Instead of paying to cover the floor with concrete, you can elevate the hay by putting down some spare wood pallets.
12. Safety Mirror
If you have a nervous horse or one that gets lonely when you’re not around, hang a safety mirror from their stall wall and trailer. This can allow them to see other horses when isolated.
If you’re a lover of all things equestrian, your primary goal is to spend as much quality time with your horse as possible. These hacks can allow you do just that while saving time and money along the way.
