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Nikki C
10 Nov 2008 19:28
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Since we are learning so much from this site, how about sharing tips with each other. Here is one to start with. The very best tool for cleaning buckets, water tubs etc, is a toilet brush - long handle, bristles poking out to get in to those difficult corners and, best of all, cheap!
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Horsemad
10 Nov 2008 20:42
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A length of baler twine can be used as a sweat scraper. Take a piece hold it at the ends and scrape!
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Lucy Graham
13 Nov 2008 09:43
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I buy head and shoulders anti dandruff shampoo for my horse (the 'sensitive skin' one). It's far cheaper than horse shampoos and is really good at removing the dirt and dandruffy bits from his coat, mane and tail. He positively gleams after he's had it done, his coat is all silky and he smells nice and fruity!!
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Jazzyjeff
13 Nov 2008 12:37
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Sudocrem nappy cream can be used on anything from cuts, mud fever, cracked heels etc. E45 is another one to put in your stable kit, and it's fraction of the equestrian equivalent!
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Lucy Graham
13 Nov 2008 16:06
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Also honey is great at healing cuts and scrapes and it is totally natural and much cheaper than wound cream too! Bit sticky for your fingers but well worth using.
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Kels
13 Nov 2008 16:15
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If your horse wastes hay by dropping and standing on it, get a large bucket and place it under the haynet this will catch the fallen hay and means it doesnt get munched into the bed. You can use the good bits in the next haynet and chuck out all the dusty rubbish bits.
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rachyrooster
14 Nov 2008 08:53
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You can make your own fly spray! (but make sure you test it on a small area of your horse before you spray him all over!)
15 ml Citronella oil
4 teaspoons Meths
1 teaspoon Washing up liquid
4 teaspoons Vinegar
1 mug Very Strong Tea
add water to make 2 litres
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milsky
14 Nov 2008 21:52
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We use Mr sheen polish as a cheap alternative to tail conditioner, it works a treat, tails brush through really well!
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Nikki C
15 Nov 2008 20:04
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A string of onions hung in the stable prevents a stable cough - strange, but surprisingly effective
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Fiona Price
15 Nov 2008 21:06
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I also make my own fly repellent using essential oils in water in a large'ish plant water spray container:
6 drops Grapefruit
6 drops Lavender
7 drops Melissa
4 drops Peppermint
8 drops Citronella
Shake well before you use each time!
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Nikki C
16 Nov 2008 00:04
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If we are discussing fly repellants, try one teaspoon of paraffin (the pink stuff for fires) in about a gallon of water and apply with a sponge (do a skin test first though). Works brilliantly and a bottle of paraffin lasts years and years
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Fiona Price
16 Nov 2008 11:54
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I know from Alex's blog, Nikki, that flies were a nightmare at the World Mounted Games Champs in Oz (for those that don't know, Nikki is Alex's mum) and indeed when I spent a year 'down under' before university, I remember seeing badges for sale saying "Welcome to Melbourne, 50 million flies can't be wrong!". So what worked out there in extreme conditions, if anything?
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Nikki C
16 Nov 2008 17:38
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Not a lot! Well, actually, rather a lot. We bought a strong fly repellant for the horses (which was good until it ran out as we used it on us as well as the horses), a natural lavender based one for humans and had taken Jungle Formula with us, and the competition organisers provided vast quantities of a human fly repellant (chemical based) as well as sun block. The trouble is, each one only worked against one sort of fly! We all tended to wear a cocktail of all of them, which made us smell as though we had severe personal hygiene problems. One trick we learnt from the Aussies was to put plenty of fly repellant on our hats, particularly under the brim - that at least kept the flies away from our faces!
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Kiwi
16 Nov 2008 23:09
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Rat and mouse proofing leather! Clean gear as per usual, oil and hang, before putting back together finally dress in Castor oil, liberally allow to soak in. I promise that you will never have chewed gear again, my saddler taught me this when I was 11 and I have done it ever since, my gear has been left in many dodgy haybarns and never has it been eaten, you can treat your leather saddles etc.. this way. Also helps leather supple up.
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poacher
08 Dec 2008 21:24
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A great way to save cash and keep warm this winter - instead of buying expensive equestrian branded winter clothing, try ski clothing. Good ski kit is designed with very much the same functionality as winter riding gear - warmth without being bulky, waterproofing, strength, ripstop fabrics, flexibility, plus it looks good. You can find it on the high street and in the sales - TK Maxx is fantastic for ski bargains all winter, and especially towards the end of winter. My current riding coat was £15 there in March and it's perfect! At that price, if I accidentally wreck it at the yard...who cares?!
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ridersrecommend
05 Feb 2009 20:49
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My horse recently started tipping her feed bucket over and not finishing her feed. Someone suggested that I get a special kind of bucket that she couldn't tip over, or install a permanent manger. I couldn't find anything that was quite right at the feed barn, but the nice owner suggested I use an old car tyre! I headed straight over to the rubbish dump and asked very nicely if I could take an old tyre - they kindly said yes and now I have a perfect holder for my horse's feed bucket. It didn't cost a thing, will last for ages and is safe to leave in the stable! Top tip - measure your bucket so that you know what size tyre to get!
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Sophie.M
10 Feb 2009 21:05
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A useful tip in the summer if fly sprays don't quite do the job - next time you properly brush out your horses tail keep the hairs and tie them on to a short riding whip or stick of some type. When you see a fly on your horse swish it at the fly based on the idea of a horses tail which works very well!
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Francesca
28 Feb 2009 01:56
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"A string of onions hung in the stable prevents a stable cough - strange, but surprisingly effective"
Has anyone else found this useful? Also what exactly do I do? Thread some string through 4 or 5 onions? is it best to put them near(ish) to the haynet (where her head usually is)?
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Horse Hero Guru
28 Feb 2009 16:59
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Hi Francesca.
Old fashioned gardeners used to make strings of onions by plaiting them in to strings using their stems (which these days are cut off). I do much the same with home grown onions (but cheat by plaiting them into baler twine as my plaiting of them isn't too good! The string will last for several months until the onions shoot or go dry and hollow. I have also just put bought onions into a string bag from the greengrocers but find they don't last as long. I must admit I have never tried making a necklace with them.
I hang mine above the hay which I feed from the floor. Horses are designed to eat with their heads down. Not only does this help drain the sinuses if there is a respiratory problem, I also find that it reduces teeth problems as the teeth wear more naturally and evenly.
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Francesca
01 Mar 2009 18:49
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Thank you very much for your help, I'll be sure to buy some onions from the Grocers tomorrow. I also feed Hay from the floor but as I wrote my last post at almost 2am, I had a slight mental block and couldn't get past writing Hay Corner... so I just settled on Hay Net as it made more sense at the time. Thanks again.
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