Jul 21, 2013

Cool Ways To Reuse Hay Strings, Pallets, Horseshoes & Supplement Buckets

Okay, I know I am the extreme in tree-hugger mentality, I admit it, I recycle everything, even food scraps into compost. This aspect of my mission to help “save the planet” drives the people I live with crazy but even they can recognize how much trash we generate and do their best to support my cause!

Even if you are a boarder at a barn and not a horse farm owner, I am sure you have seen the mountains of trash that can be produced at a horse farm (and I’m not including the mountain of manure, that’s for another post). If you know the facts about recycling you can skip right over this part, but in case you want to know more.

Seeing this day in and day out on all the farms I visit got me thinking….What are the most creative things we can do with common farm yard trash? This led me to Pinterest (love that site!) for research (with a frenzy) and this is what I came up with:

1) Hay Strings:

I think hay strings are like coat hangers, they multiply on their own!! We all know the "on farm" re-uses of hay strings but want some more ideas? With a little creativity and the right type of baling twine just look at what you can create!

You can make a fake tail by weaving it into your horse's tail to help combat flies

You can weave it into belts, dog leashes, halters and leadropes using this macrame' technique

How about braiding it into a bracelet?

This door mat for the tackroom is pretty cool

Check out these creative baskets!

I like to use hay string and clothespins to hang pictures

2) Pallets

Most feed stores love the idea of getting rid of these and I see alot of them in barns for hay storage (keeps it off the ground).

Now here is where people get crazy creative! You can Google to find most of these or search on Pinterest for the “how tos” in making these amazing things!

How about this awesome storage rack? You could customize it for the barn!

Or this colorful coat and hat rack?

Who can’t use a neat way to store your barn shoes?

Or create a quick fence by slipping a pallet over two posts

Wouldn’t your dog or cat love this bed?

Check out this furniture!!!! Are you kiddin' me? LOVE IT!!

3) Horse Shoes

I can’t remember the last time I spent $100+ on a pair of shoes for myself (riding boots don’t count!). But it seems like I do that every 6 weeks for my horse! That leaves a lot of extra shoes laying around.

Leave it to these artistic horse folk to come up with these ingenious ideas!

These shelf supports are pretty cool!

What a neat way to store your jewelry!

Ummmm….gotta admit…CrEaTiVe!

These yard signs are innovative

Let’s talk about CRAFTS!!

Of course we can reuse them Around the Farm too!

I could do this all day but I’ll stop with....

4) Supplement Buckets:

Boy do we horse owners love our supplements! I see feed rooms packed to the rafters with every kind imaginable! Unfortunately, these nutritional mainstays usually come in plastic containers. When you look at that chart above and look at the amount of time it takes plastic to break down you see we should all pay attention to this "trash". Even if you aren't creative maybe you can recycle them with your household trash? Or donate them to places that might reuse them? But if you do want to get imaginative with your left over tubs, check these out!!

How about a hen house?