NORTH COUNTRY RIDER |
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Bulletin boards offer cost-cutting tips
Horses aren’t the cheapest animals to own, and — in these hard economic times — your dwindling bank account might be proof of that.
So it’s no surprise that a growing number of horse owners are contributing to online bulletin boards their own helpful, money-saving hints that could save you a bundle. Tips on grooming, health, feeding, tack, barn maintenance and lots more are available on at least three primary sites — MoneySavingHorseTips.com, NewRider.com, HorseGroomingSupplies.com — and in rider forums on at least a dozen others.
A few choice tips gleaned from these sites:
• Arrange vet visits to coincide with your neighbors or stablemates — veterinarians will often split trip charges among horse owners that live near each other.
• Buy in bulk. This may seem like an obvious suggestion, but many horse owners often spot a good deal but don’t take full advantage of the bargain.
• Use vegetable oil instead of show-sheen to detangle manes. Use dish detergent as shampoo (which works particularly well on grays).
• Use a pair of cheap rubber gloves to remove hair during shedding season.
• Cheap human hair brushes work well as mane and tail combs.
• A crushed aspirin added to ordinary shampoo makes a good anti-dandruff shampoo.
• Vaseline will smother external parasites, such as ticks.
• Dryer sheets will rub dust from a horse’s coat before entering the show ring.
• Apple cider vinegar in feed will add shine to the coat and repel flies from the feed bucket.
• Use toothpaste and a toothbrush to clean white stirrup pads and shine silver bits, stirrups and buckles.
• Cheap glycerin soap is good for cleaning tack.
• Rusted stainless steel bits, buckles and stirrups can be soaked in vinegar to dissolve rust.
• Wash white saddle pads with automatic dishwasher tablets to bring out the white. Follow up with ordinary detergent, then rinse well to prevent irritation.
• Wood oil, which is cheap, can be used to condition tack.
• Itchy horse ears? Try a mixture of Cortaid, Micatin, and Neosporin to soothe the itch and promote healing.
• The cheapest stall floor is dirt covered by a thick layer of shavings. It’s soft on your horse and drains well.
• Carpet tubes make good, lightweight jump poles. They can be painted any color.
• Anti-cribbing recipe: 2 cups water, 1/4 cup red pepper flakes, 1/8 cup garlic powder, 15 drops hot sauce, 10 garlic cloves sliced, 1/8 cup dried crushed garlic. Mix all ingredients in a sauce pan, then simmer for 10 minutes over low heat. Allow to cool and paint on cribbed area. (Warning: this strong recipe may stink up your kitchen!)
• Cheap gardening gloves can make great riding gloves.
Have other great money-saving ideas you’d like to share? Send them by e-mail to info@northcountryrider.com.
