Let’s face it, horseback riding is a very expensive “hobby”. I use this term lightly as we all know it is not a hobby, it is a lifestyle. That being said, somehow the fact that horses are so expensive does not stop us riders from having an excess amount of stuff. You know who you are, countless bridles, saddle pads, horse shoes, draw reins, saddles, leathers, ribbons… you get the point. Maybe you are happy with the piles that are building up in your trunk, trailer, or home, but let’s talk about a few ways to repurpose some of the equipment that is sitting around and give your horse tack a spring cleaning.
1: Stirrup leathers
Do you have an abundance of stirrup leathers, maybe one broke and you have just one you are hanging on to? Turn them into a grab strap. They would make a great asset to cross country attire, a gift, or something to sell. Simply clean it up, and use color coordinating vet wrap or tape to decorate it to the color of your choice. Sometimes grabbing mane doesn’t cut it!
2: Horse Shoes
If you are like me, you keep old horse shoes on the off chance your horse throws a shoe in the field and you need one stat. If you are lucky enough to not end up using them, you may have a pair of Veredus Carbon Gel Vento Anke Boots sitting somewhere. There are great ways to repurpose horse shoes to be both functional and stylish.
- Wine racks: This requires a bit of tools and welding, but would definitely be worth the time in functionality alone.
- Hot plates: If you are not up for the time it takes to make a wine rack, you can use just one or multiple horse shoes to make a hot plate.
- Storage hooks: Keys, bridles, towels, coats, necklaces, there is always something to hang.
- Boot rack.
- “Good Luck” house warming gift: This is one of the easiest ways to repurpose a shoe. Spray paint the shoe either silver or gold, (or a vibrant color), and gift it with ribbon that will hold it over a door. Horse shoes symbolize good luck, so you are wishing your new homeowner friends good luck with their new home.
3. Ribbons
Instead of throwing away your countless ribbons (because we are all winners here!), or keeping them in a bag in the back of the closet (guilty), why not turn them into something great and functional?- Pillows and Quilts
- Shadow boxes (great for home or the tack room)
- Wreaths
4. Sell
Okay, not everything in your arsenal can be re-purposed. Perhaps you do not need 20 saddle pads and those 5 bits you bought that your horse didn’t like, but someone else does. Consider selling your superfluous equipment and attire to make some extra cash (to buy more stuff, of course). The best groups I have found for selling your equipment are on Facebook. My top favorite group for buying and selling through Facebook is: “Horse Sales and Horse Stuff for Sale". Don’t have the time to devote to selling pieces yourself? Drop off your stuff at the local tack shop’s consignment section. You will share partial profit, but when it sells, you usually get a voucher to use in the tack store, or cash, depending on their system. Either it will sit at home, or sit in the tack store, right? I hope you found some of these ideas useful, I would love to hear from you on ways that you repurpose your horse stuff. Please do not hesitate to email: customerservice@foalgroup.com
From one horse crazed human to another – Maria Holman