10 ways to save money with horses by reusing & upcycling

This article is from the August 2019 Horse Deals magazine.

1. Pre-loved Kitchens

Go on the hunt for an old kitchen. They are often advertised for minimal amounts or free. Pre-loved kitchens installed in a tack room will provide a fantastic storage option and make the most average tack rooms functional and practical, even if it includes the kitchen sink!

2. Wardrobes & Bookcases

Reuse a wardrobe to store tack or a bookcase as shelving. If you are handy with a drill, set up a saddle rack or two in the wardrobe to store saddles, bridles and other leatherware to stop condensation and mould. Wardrobes are also practical to store hats, boots and riding gear to eliminate any unwanted creepy crawlies.

3. Decommissioned Freezers & Fridges

Old freezers are a cheap alternative to store horse feed that will keep feed dry and rodent free with ease of access at feed up time. Old fridges are a perfect storage unit for all medical items including sprays, medications, bandages and wound items all in one easy place when required.

4. Old Pallets

An old Pallet secured to a wall in the stable area is a perfect storage organiser to keep stable forks, brooms, rakes etc out of harm’s way and ready for use.

5. Horse Feed Bags

If you’re handy with a sewing machine repurpose feed bags by making them into bags. Ideal option for keeping all registration papers in one place, or alternatively stand out at the shopping centre with your own horse feed shopping bag!

6. Clothes Horse

Short of space in your tack room? Clothes horses are a great option to dry saddle blankets, boots and bandages. They can be easily packed away when finished with.

7. Baby Potties

Are ideal to use as wings for raised trotting poles on the arena.

8. Retired Rugs

Old winter outer rugs are ideal to cover bird aviaries or rabbit hutches during the winter months. Doonas and woolen rugs are perfect cut down to size to use as dog or cat blankets. Your pets or your local animal welfare league will love you for it.

9. Heaps of Horse Poo

Let’s face it, most of us have an abundance. Composted horse poo is the ideal fertiliser for rose gardens and vegetable patches. Why pay for garden fertiliser when you have your own on hand. Or bag up and sell for a gold coin and you could be on the way to a great money making venture.

10. Bandage Aids

Heavy duty super wipes and nappies used for wound dressings are an inexpensive alternative. Applying topical medication to a clean and dry super wipe and nappies as padding before bandaging the area.

---

Sign up to our newsletter