Your newest GOOD IDEAS please
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LittleRibbie
Well-Known Member
Good News!! Well for me its that my husband has now figured out ( after 3 yrs.) that I have 2 sets of brushes for the horses. One set is only used on the white horses only and the other set I only use on the dark horses!! A pet peeve of mine is when he would use the "white only" brushes on my dark horses and I would have little white hairs all over them!!
....Its the little things that make me the happiest.....hence the little horses too!!
....Its the little things that make me the happiest.....hence the little horses too!!
Reignmaker Miniatures
Well-Known Member
My newest good idea was to take a plastic 45 gallon barrell and flip it up side down, cut a large hole in one side and use it for an outside feeder. It keeps the feed off the ground and out of the weather. My horses are happy to stand with their heads inside and don't pull hay out onto the ground. I can leave the salt in the feeder and even feed them any grain etc right theree. It is working so well I now have one in every paddock where I have single horses.
Carolyn R
Well-Known Member
That is a great idea. I need a smaller size hayfeeder for my small turnout. They always flip the hay on the ground when I cut down the barrels.My newest good idea was to take a plastic 45 gallon barrell and flip it up side down, cut a large hole in one side and use it for an outside feeder. It keeps the feed off the ground and out of the weather. My horses are happy to stand with their heads inside and don't pull hay out onto the ground. I can leave the salt in the feeder and even feed them any grain etc right theree. It is working so well I now have one in every paddock where I have single horses.
Carolyn
Reignmaker Miniatures
Well-Known Member
I was having the same problem. They either pulled it out onto the ground or pushed it out searching for something better at the bottom. Now they are content, they can root thro it without pushing it over the edge and the only other feeder I have that works as well is a wooden one that has uprights for their heads to go thro but it doesn't keep the rain/snow off the feed and it is too big for individual horses. The barrels were pretty inexpensive at the local Hobby Brew place 9make your own wine or beer) and had not had anything toxic in them. the best part is I can make them myself, no real skill required and I expect them to last for years. Also they are pretty safe, no sharp edges, no hooks or protrusions to get hung up on. I did drill a couple of holes in the back so I could run a piece of twine thro them and tie the feeder to a fence post, they kept knocking them over and I had to chase them around the pen (I think the boys thought it was a big toy for their entertainment lol)
oh and upside down because I took one of the bungs out so if water got inside it could drain away.
oh and upside down because I took one of the bungs out so if water got inside it could drain away.
RnRs Lilnickers
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Sounds interesting, I just can't seem to picture it......any chance you can post a picture of them? Thanks for the idea.
Tatonkas Dream
Well-Known Member
Not quite as interesting but recently used a large trash can (new) as a cart for my sq bale hay - I only live on an acre so its not that much but found myself walking to and from my carport (where I store my hay)
I'd been going back and forth about a wheel barrow or the garden cart etc - how big I'd need and still have to lug if from the carport to the main back yard area (my gate isn't wide enough for a wheel barrow)
Well light bulb moment I thought one evening what if I use the trash can with wheels on it - DUGH its narrow enough to fit down my narrow walkway and holds about 3/4 of a bale of hay. I also have less waste from it as it never seems to fail some of it flys off - ESP when we have windy days here in TX.
Its also helped alot for morning feeding as its right there vs getting it all over me and my clothes etc - I can't tell you how many co workers have told me I have hay in my hair on a random morning
I'd been going back and forth about a wheel barrow or the garden cart etc - how big I'd need and still have to lug if from the carport to the main back yard area (my gate isn't wide enough for a wheel barrow)
Well light bulb moment I thought one evening what if I use the trash can with wheels on it - DUGH its narrow enough to fit down my narrow walkway and holds about 3/4 of a bale of hay. I also have less waste from it as it never seems to fail some of it flys off - ESP when we have windy days here in TX.
Its also helped alot for morning feeding as its right there vs getting it all over me and my clothes etc - I can't tell you how many co workers have told me I have hay in my hair on a random morning
Reignmaker Miniatures
Well-Known Member
LOL, Tatonkas Dream, I know what you mean about people commenting on the hay clinging to your hair or clothes. I spend all year like that, only people who haven't known me long bother mentioning it now,
The garbage can is a good idea, wish I had firm enough ground to try that, Those little wheels wouldn't last in the places I'd need to pull it at this time of year (too much mud and later snow) But I like the enclosed idea, might have to see if I can think up a similar thing that would work for me.
RnRsLilNickers I will have to go and get a picture of one for you, when I do I'll be sure to post it so you can see what i meant.
RnRsLilNickers I will have to go and get a picture of one for you, when I do I'll be sure to post it so you can see what i meant.
MiniHunterHorseFan
Well-Known Member
This is probably an idea other people have used before, but last winter it got to be really cold here, (strange for Texas, eh?) and we wanted to put some extra warmth on our guys. So we bought some cheap regular people blankets from Family Dollar and cut them out to size for the minis, laid it on their back, wrapped it around their chest and duck taped it together. (Don't worry. It was overlapped, not taped to their fur)Then we put their regular horse blankets over that.
Tatonkas Dream
Well-Known Member
Yes LOL Reignmaker Miniatures - my co workers are starting to get that its my 'norm' and while I try and where 'barn clothes' for feeding some days your running late or have that last min check and I always seem to get something on me in 'work' clothes
I thought of another one - I've used the 5 gal water jugs with a little concrete in them as jumps and cones - I've painted them all different colors - 2 are grass green and 2 brick red with 'grout' lines on it now its my attempt at having a roll top and brick wall on a budget. I also have an idea to eventually drill holes in another one and have that as the center for the circle where you have 4 'ground' poles coming out at different heights. Sadly my idea of stacking them doesn't work but they are good cones and jumps just the same
I made my own tetter totter this year too but its to high so I need to redo that one - lucked out found a pallet at work that is exactly the size of a sheet of plywood used a metal chain link fence post with fastereds and attached that to a 4x4 post scrap.. I am now going to take the 4x4 off to see how that helps the to high part.
This is in the works - but I am going to add the side window to a truck topper to my full size horse trailer to give the minis a window to look out, the other windows will be added in the same manner to my barn - and the actual top will become a sun shade (on 4x4 posts/min framing) OR poss a storage shed for my carts...
Neighbor was throwing out a futon and I was going to use each side of the frame to the bed itself- attached to the fence - as a hay rack (its metal stand up to some abuse and all of it was already rounded edges etc - BUT someone else picked it up before I got home from work that day.
I think outside the box alot - for better or worse
I thought of another one - I've used the 5 gal water jugs with a little concrete in them as jumps and cones - I've painted them all different colors - 2 are grass green and 2 brick red with 'grout' lines on it now its my attempt at having a roll top and brick wall on a budget. I also have an idea to eventually drill holes in another one and have that as the center for the circle where you have 4 'ground' poles coming out at different heights. Sadly my idea of stacking them doesn't work but they are good cones and jumps just the same
I made my own tetter totter this year too but its to high so I need to redo that one - lucked out found a pallet at work that is exactly the size of a sheet of plywood used a metal chain link fence post with fastereds and attached that to a 4x4 post scrap.. I am now going to take the 4x4 off to see how that helps the to high part.
This is in the works - but I am going to add the side window to a truck topper to my full size horse trailer to give the minis a window to look out, the other windows will be added in the same manner to my barn - and the actual top will become a sun shade (on 4x4 posts/min framing) OR poss a storage shed for my carts...
Neighbor was throwing out a futon and I was going to use each side of the frame to the bed itself- attached to the fence - as a hay rack (its metal stand up to some abuse and all of it was already rounded edges etc - BUT someone else picked it up before I got home from work that day.
I think outside the box alot - for better or worse
Ok so here's my latest invention: Yalls know I hate round bales but yet I've gone and bought a couple because the hay was very nice. Problem was that I don't trust any of the round bale holders I've seen at all. To me, the paranoid person of all time just thinks they are going to cause trouble with my little active group. So after I removed all the miles of strings, I had to figure out how to keep it from collapsing. This is where I found use of my bungies. I went around the bales twice. Made two rows and so far it's working out fine. As they eat it and it shrinks down, just remove a bungie and tighten it back up.
Under the round bale is also a pallet, but I nailed plywood on top just in case anyone thinks of getting their feet stuck in it, ain't gonna happen.
And to keep the night mist and morning dew off of it, I give it a hat every night. It's the horses kiddie pool which they are no longer useing to play in since its not summer anymore.
Rain? No problem. I have a tarp to throw over it and to weigh it down, I have 4 gallon jugs half filled with water. Attach by hay string to the corners and the round bale is saved.
Under the round bale is also a pallet, but I nailed plywood on top just in case anyone thinks of getting their feet stuck in it, ain't gonna happen.
And to keep the night mist and morning dew off of it, I give it a hat every night. It's the horses kiddie pool which they are no longer useing to play in since its not summer anymore.
Rain? No problem. I have a tarp to throw over it and to weigh it down, I have 4 gallon jugs half filled with water. Attach by hay string to the corners and the round bale is saved.
WLS
Well-Known Member
One of my best ideas was the "after bath blanket"; great for horses that get cold after being bathed. ( I bath with warm water via a hose hooked up to my laundry tub) I took my old terry cloth bathrobe, laid it over my horse's back, with sleeves hanging down at the front and bottom of robe over the horse's hips, tie the sleeves around the horses neck to keep it snug. Keeps the horse cozy and warm and soaks up ALL the water. I find if you leave the terry robe on the horse for 15 - 20 minutes, the horse is almost dry. My horses love their bath blankets.!!
Tatonkas Dream
Well-Known Member
Thanks
Not sure which one's a great idea (and I never seem to be able to post pics - prob user error) but heres a link to the jump course I played with earlier this summer
http://www.freewebs.com/crossroadsminiatur...albumID=2528923
The first pic is of jump standards that I thought up - they are pvc conector/links with about a 2 inch - well I put the dang things in backwards so I had to reinvent it to hold the bar in between - my org idea was to have a slightly larger (2 1/2 'pole') rest on the ends of each side and if rubbed hard would fall down... it wasn't til after I had the whole thing built I realized I'd installed it backwards and since I used liquid nail I gave up and just redid it...
Great idea on the robe - I have just done a plain old fleece blanket that I cut out and sew into a cooler but thats not new at all
I also like the round bale ideas - I've been considering one for the winter but am not a fan of them in general.
Not sure which one's a great idea (and I never seem to be able to post pics - prob user error) but heres a link to the jump course I played with earlier this summer
http://www.freewebs.com/crossroadsminiatur...albumID=2528923
The first pic is of jump standards that I thought up - they are pvc conector/links with about a 2 inch - well I put the dang things in backwards so I had to reinvent it to hold the bar in between - my org idea was to have a slightly larger (2 1/2 'pole') rest on the ends of each side and if rubbed hard would fall down... it wasn't til after I had the whole thing built I realized I'd installed it backwards and since I used liquid nail I gave up and just redid it...
Great idea on the robe - I have just done a plain old fleece blanket that I cut out and sew into a cooler but thats not new at all
I also like the round bale ideas - I've been considering one for the winter but am not a fan of them in general.
minimoesmom
Active Member
I haven't tried to make one yet, but at a show last summer I saw a blanket someone had made for warming the horse after its bath. They used 2 large bath towels and sewed them together at one end and slipped it over their head. It didn't have any straps or anything, just a cover to put over them until they're dry. Great idea!
luv2ridesaddleseat
Well-Known Member
Whitney, that is all we Dog groomers use to dry dogs with! Yes, they are amazing for horses also!
Marty, you are the most creative person I've ever seen! My hubby and I want to move to East TN so bad, I'd really love to hook up with you!! Your little horsies are so lucky to have you.
We can't make another trip to East TN right now as we have a German Shepherd Dog that is 15. There is no way we are going to leave her. When we are ready to make another trip, I'll have to let you know. I'd love to meet you!!
Joyce
Marty, you are the most creative person I've ever seen! My hubby and I want to move to East TN so bad, I'd really love to hook up with you!! Your little horsies are so lucky to have you.
Joyce
Bess Kelly
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At Lowe's, Home Depot, etc., you can buy the large, heavy black (usually) formed tubs that the contractors use to mix small batches of concrete, etc. They are very tough and sturdy & approx 10" deep. About $8-15, come in 2 sizes.
The hay you want to carry around in snow? -- drill a couple of holes at one end, run a rope and put hay into it......you can get about 3/4 of a bale in it, single layer, more if you stack it. Pulls nicely as all edges are curved
Will work for jugs of water, bags of feed, etc.
I also use them to make small feeders. You can use it as is but, I like to nail them to a pallet, or a box frame of 2X6 underneat them & nailed to that. This makes them taller AND less likely to blow around, or be moved very far by the minis. Oh, 4 mature ones can eat from it nicely.
If you soak BP....they are like huge lasagna pans
I like to mix feed into it and this allows you to mix it more easily and uniformly when it's spread out......you can scoop it into a bucket to carry elsewhere if that is not where you are feeding.
OH -- with the rope attached, my grandaughter has been pulled through snow, quick sled
The hay you want to carry around in snow? -- drill a couple of holes at one end, run a rope and put hay into it......you can get about 3/4 of a bale in it, single layer, more if you stack it. Pulls nicely as all edges are curved
I also use them to make small feeders. You can use it as is but, I like to nail them to a pallet, or a box frame of 2X6 underneat them & nailed to that. This makes them taller AND less likely to blow around, or be moved very far by the minis. Oh, 4 mature ones can eat from it nicely.
If you soak BP....they are like huge lasagna pans
OH -- with the rope attached, my grandaughter has been pulled through snow, quick sled
Bess I SURE could have used the sled idea last year. I stored some hay in the horse trailer up at the house with my regular sled they were ALWAYS sliding off. I have those black pans both sizes in the basemnt DARN!
