Is there a DIY thread?

[QuiltinMom]

I tried searching the forum for DIY projects and haven't been able to locate very much. Maybe I am not putting in the correct terminology. I also tried a google search for "diy" or "homemade" horse stuff and can't seem to find much.

I guess what I am looking for is a "one stop shop" for DIY stuff that you have made. Horse blankets, halters, hay bags, bridle bags or barn organization ideas. How about a spreadsheet that you use to track each of your horses, when they are due for vaccines, worming, farrier, etc. We are DIY people and love to save money when we can. Hubby is a carpenter and is capable of making almost anything as long as you can get the idea in his head of what you want. I am a quilter and can do some useful projects too (although, my machines totally refuse to do any mending type work!!!

) I also have an embroidery machine so could do some decorating on some existing items.

I would really like to find a pattern for the slow feed hay bags. They can't be that hard, but I am a visual person and need to see it laid out step by step.

So is there a website that has great ideas and patterns or is there somewhere that there is ideas compiled? I know about Pintrest, but I am not a member and so it won't let me look at very much stuff before a stupid box comes up to "Join". I know it is free, but I just don't want a bunch of nonsense e-mails.

THANKS!!!

 

[JanBKS]

Did you check utube I typed in homemade slow feeder for horses and got over 7 pages of all different ones .

I have copies a few pictures off here but I don't think there is a special section for DIY stuff for horses, good Idea if it is done though.

hope that helps some

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I have made slow feed hay nets from hockey goal nets. Just cut and stitch it closed (with heavy nylon twine- not on a machine ) into a bag shape and then I wove a cord thro the top to make a drawstring that can be pulled tight and knotted after I fill the bag. Be sure to use heavy cord or rope for the drawstring and tie it so there are no hole large enough for hooves to get thro, don't want anyone getting hung up. I think it cost me $30 Canadian for 6 nets but it was a while ago. You would probably get it cheaper in the US. The hockey net can be purchased at most sporting goods stores. I keep looking for smaller holed netting now that my horses have adjusted to the nets (they are pretty efficient at getting the hay out now so I'd like to slow them a bit more) but I haven't found any that the material used is heavy enough that I think it will stand up (and off course I don't want it slipping between their teeth like floss and maybe pulling teeth - yikes) I also use my embroidery machine to make name tags with small snaps to attach to their halters of other tack so everyone knows which piece is adjusted for which horse. I have added my phone number to the newest ones so they can work like a dog tag if the horse is ever lost (or the tack is)

There is a 'Best Of' forum on LB that you should check out. As I recall it has loads of good ideas/tips

 

[Brody]

With regard to your question about a spreadsheet to track horses vaccines, worming, trimming, etc. I have been using 'rendaivu' for a bit over a year now and I love it. It is free online software. You can also buy an app for a smartphone, but the online version is free and works wonderfully for keeping track of absolutely everything you can think to keep track of for horses! It is intended for and set up for horses, but I actually use it to keep track of all my critters - the goats, dog, etc.

 

[AngC]

I don't know about a 1-stop-shop-DIY in these forums. You can find many interesting things if you search here; just not all in one place.

Regarding hay nets/bags. I did quite a bit of research. I read about using baling twine to make hay nets, but I noticed how baling twine shreds and decided it wasn't worth the potential vet bill. I dismissed the nets made out of goal netting for the same reason. I ended up buying the Nibble-Net which the vet hospital recommended. And before buying a Nibble-Net, I checked that out ad nauseam--I looked at the cost of materials and the labor involved. I couldn't see a way to beat her price. I wanted something solid with wide straps. By the way, you mention a sewing machine that doesn't like to mend; I thought about that too when I was trying to make a 'strappy' hay net; the weight of the materials involved in making your own Nibble-Net-type bag had the potential to kill my Husqvarna Viking. Way cheaper to just buy.

I would still like to figure out how to make halters. I've dinked around with some of my husband's climbing rope (and tying instructions I found on the internet.) His ropes have a nice 'feel' besides I figure if he can dangle off a cliff with that stuff, then it might be sturdy enough to make a decent halter.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I don't know about a 1-stop-shop-DIY in these forums. You can find many interesting things if you search here; just not all in one place.

Regarding hay nets/bags. I did quite a bit of research. I read about using baling twine to make hay nets, but I noticed how baling twine shreds and decided it wasn't worth the potential vet bill. I dismissed the nets made out of goal netting for the same reason. I ended up buying the Nibble-Net which the vet hospital recommended. And before buying a Nibble-Net, I checked that out ad nauseam--I looked at the cost of materials and the labor involved. I couldn't see a way to beat her price. I wanted something solid with wide straps. By the way, you mention a sewing machine that doesn't like to mend; I thought about that too when I was trying to make a 'strappy' hay net; the weight of the materials involved in making your own Nibble-Net-type bag had the potential to kill my Husqvarna Viking. Way cheaper to just buy.

I would still like to figure out how to make halters. I've dinked around with some of my husband's climbing rope (and tying instructions I found on the internet.) His ropes have a nice 'feel' besides I figure if he can dangle off a cliff with that stuff, then it might be sturdy enough to make a decent halter.

I have had the goal net haynets in use for 3 years non stop and my SIL also has some and have not ever had one shred. In fact the material is made in such a way that I don't think it could. Maybe your goal netting is made differently than what I can get here.

 

[AngC]

I have had the goal net haynets in use for 3 years non stop and my SIL also has some and have not ever had one shred. In fact the material is made in such a way that I don't think it could. Maybe your goal netting is made differently than what I can get here.

My apologies. I have no goal netting. Such material could be perfectly awesome.

I decided not to try that route.

Commercially-made nets (made for big horses) didn't seem safe to me, in addition to being much too large.

I would have had to expend money on goal netting, then experiment with it to try to make it work. I felt it was easier, quicker, etc. to just buy a slow-feeder with inch wide straps.

Sorry.

 

[paintponylvr]

DIY threads - hmmm, don't think I've really ever seen any (at least not since 2010).

I've not done anything with the slow feed netting - simply too much work to fill those beggers when you are dealing w/ large #s of horses. I did purchase a slow feed hay net for $8 that is small enough to feed my ponies from w/o waste. Our ponies and horses eat free choice - either from round bales in the pastures or from small squares put out for them. Unless there is bad weather - I usually have very little to no waste.

I've made my own saddle pads for our children to ride with that matched their clothing (nothing fancy - but ultimately easy to care for), halters, lead ropes, cross ties, trailer ties, lounge/driving lines, bridles and harness. I've made such from purchased rope, paracord not braided, paracord braided and recycled haystring braided. I've started using those $20 cattle/combo panels (50" tall x 16' long) for "hay rings" and for a hooped coop for our chickens. Will soon have several "buildings" from the panels in different configurations. Also, they make an awesome round pen in any size that is soooo much less expensive than a "regular" one. Keep the horse/pony in the pen, too - no jumping out or running thru the fence(s).

Saddlepad - Paracord halter made by my farrier for a foal -

and here are several braided items in one photo - the "harness" is mostly flat braided from recycled hay string from the round bales, her collar is round braided from larger diameter but short strands of haystring from small squares, her headstall is braided purple paracord w/ the "innards" pulled out, the driving lines are a 12 strand round braid made from recycled hay string.

Here's pics of Braided Tack

I'm now opening up the bottom of the feed bags I get (w/o cutting the bags), then stitching them together like large, flat pieces of material w/ haystring using rug needles. AWESOME equipment covers - now protecting my equipment from my free range chickens and makes cleaning up chicken manure so much easier!

I've made light weight "bath covers" from twin sized sheets cut in half. Didn't have time to sew these - so grabbed some of the elastic sheet holders from the bed area in Wal-Mart to clip on. Worked on some ponies overnight in a stall, not on others.

Use tube socks (cut 2 straight lines down from tops to make ties when I replace mine every winter) to make tail bags. Now they make "tail socks" just for the tails.

For grooming tools - I love both the little round scrubby thingies and the bath scrub gloves (the cheap ones in vibrant colors). Use them for bathing of course, but also as grooming tools - works great on heads at any time, on sweaty heads when bridles have been removed and on both sweaty or muddy/sandy legs. For bot eggs - a plain old cheap disposable razor...



and then I just repurpose different articles. Probably could do more...

 

[paintponylvr]

As to records - I've tried several programs and always go back to a simple table on in either Excel, Word or Power Point.

I don't have an iPhone to use an app with.