Here are some of my favourite barn “hacks” – ideas and methods that I and other professional grooms across the United States use to save money, time, and aggravation.
Hack # 1
Hang wet boots and saddle pads on a stall chain to dry. (Note: Hanging items across the entrance of an unoccupied stall, tack room, or feed room might prevent your horse from rearranging them.)
Hack #2
Use adhesive mailbox letters to separate different types of feed, poultice, and other contents from one another. Use separated bucket labels for bits, feed, poultice, stall freshener, and so on. Nothing irritates a picky eater more than grain that has a liniment-like flavour!
Hack #3
During colder months, make a warm bath using boiling water or an instant hot kettle to provide soothing hot towels for stain removal and to keep your horse’s bit warm. Before bridling him, check the bit against your own skin to ensure it isn’t too hot.
Hack #4
To keep track of your leg wraps and polos, cut designs into the ends of them with scissors (choose a different design for each separate pair). If you have many wraps of similar colours but varying lengths, this is very useful.
Hack #5
Size 5 disposable diapers can be used as bandages for wounds, wraps for hoof poultices or packing, soaked with water and then frozen for icings difficult-to-wrap legs regions, such as fetlocks and knees.
Hack #6
To prevent your horse from making a loud clanging noise against the walls or ground when you unclip him, place tennis balls at the end of his cross-ties. Simply cut a gap on each side of each tennis ball, then feed a snap through it and attach it to the cross-tie with a pair of double-ended nippers.
Hack #7
To make pull-on bell boots more pliable and easier to put on, soak them in a hot water.
Hack #8
To pick his feet before you lead him out of the stall, hang a hoof pick beside his stall door.
Hack #9
To revive lifeless carrots, immerse them in a pail of cold, clean water. This is true!
Hack #10
Use a trunk as a step stool to groom, trim, or braid your horse’s mane. First, make sure the lid is robust enough to support your weight without breaking!
Hack #11
Baby wipes are an excellent cleaning choice for your horse’s body, from paddock boots to his or her whole body. They’re generally safe even for sensitive horses! Dirt and sweat may readily be removed with a quick wipe over your boots or equipment. What about a product that is both multipurpose and useful?
Hack #12
Coconut oil can be used as a substitute for hoof oil. It’s simple to put on with a tiny paintbrush!
Hack #13
Before you toss out your old tube socks, consider wearing them as fly protection on your horse’s legs.
Hack #14
Vinegar is a natural deodorizer that prevents smells from developing. Water buckets and feed pots should all be cleaned with vinegar! Many people keep a bottle in their kitchen. It’s also useful in deodorizing stalls.
Hack #15
Teas drinkers will be at a disadvantage! Next time you go to the grocery store, pick up one of those big plastic coffee containers. Reuse the container as a feed scooper after using it for the coffee.
