Horsekeeping,trailride,horsecamping etc tips

[Becky (ridendurance)]

Does anyone have some great ideas for better horsekeeping, excellent tips on trailriding or great products you love? Let us know about it.

[Becky (ridendurance)]

One of my favorite tips was from an endurance rider. You know how five gallon buckets can stick together and nothing except maybe dynamite will separate them? Well this tip only works on the ones before they are already stuck! When you pack up, and your buckets are still wet, take a piece of twine and put it between the buckets when you store them. They will come apart easily as this keeps them from sealing up together when they dry.

[Donna Campbell smith]

That is a good tip! One more use for baling string.

[Donna Campbell smith]

Here are some trail riding safety tips:

http://hubpages.com/_DCS/hub/Trail-Riding-Safety

One thing that has always stuck in my mind from when I was a student in the equine tech program at MCC was keeping the barn aisle floor clear of anything. That way you don't have any "traps" to cause an accident for horse or human, and it makes the whole barn look so much neater and well managed. Sweeping or raking (depending on the floor) every night adds to the neatness, too. I had a dirt floor at my first barn. We raked it last thing before leaving the barn. In addition to looking clean, you knew the next morning if anyone had walked into your barn while you were away.

[Ashley]

Hi, can't seem to find a fly spray that actually keeps away flys so I got a receipe of a friend and nothing bites us now when Im riding!! -

Flyspray. A few drops of lavender oil, a few drops of citronella oil, a cup full of cider apple vinegar. 1 cup of cold tea take the tea bag out. Mix it all together and put in a spay bottle.

[Suzanne]

One thing I learned about hot weather distance riding when I was living and riding in Texas/Oklahoma was to tie one of those natural sponges to my saddle when starting out. Then, whenever we crossed a stream, while my horse was drinking, I'd drop the sponge into the water and wet down his neck, butt and whatever else I could reach. It really does help your horse stay cool.

I lived in Dallas during the summer of 1980 when we had 100 days of 100+ degrees. Many days were 114-118 degrees. There was a creek crossing on our regular trails, and I did the sponge thing even on short rides. My horse loved it, and he always came in cool and comfortable.

P.S. I have a t-shirt that says, "I Survived The Summer of 1980"

[Becky (ridendurance)]

I agree the sponging idea that you get from distance riding is a great idea. I learned a lot about my horses health during those years. Did you and your saddle pals ever have sponge "fights" at the creek crossings? I left a lot of water crossings as drenched and cool as my horse was!

[Jessie]

This is something I understand for a lot of people with a lot of horses they will not be able to do, but for those of us with just a few "This Really Works" I don't ever have to buy fly spray during the summer. If I have three flys a year that is a lot and do you know why? I have NO manure on my property. If you clean your paddocks out, just like you clean your stalls the flies will have no place to lay their eggs and will go away. I clean my stalls and paddocks every morning and the manure goes into garbage pails with a lid and then into a dumpster. It works! No manure, No fly's!