Fave Upcycling/Re-Purposing, Barn Style

[Pally]

Anyone else get a little tingle inside when you find the perfect solution for something you need comes from something you already have? I swear it’s my frugal, farm-kid upbringing that makes me look at everything through the lens of “What else could this be used for?”

So I want to hear how you have made creative re-use of items for your horsey endeavours. Whether it be from one use in the barn to another, or bringing an item from home or work to the barn (or even vice-versa, hopefully with cleaning in between lol). Curbside and Craigslist nabs that fit right in at the barn. Let’s see them all!

[Bluey]

We had several long rods from another project laying around.
We came across them occasionally and wondered if and what for we would ever have use for them.
We are making latches and pins from them for the pens we are building.

[frugalannie]

Driving down the road one day I saw a rather nice wooden bureau with my favorite sign on it: Free!

I hauled it home and replaced my tack trunk with it. I love it! I have one of those skinny drawers on the top row for bits, two small drawers on either side for the little bits and pieces I’ve collected and find useful, one of the big drawers is for my show stuff, and the other for the extra bridles, stirrup leathers, martingales, half chaps etc. There’s space below it to hold my emergency kit and as well as extra halters in SmartPak size plastic boxes. The top gives me a very useful workspace and I don’t have to dig far to find anything.

When I have a set of plastic measuring cups that is incomplete I’ll zip tie one to the barn scissors that are used to cut open hay bales. Keeps them from getting lost. (I mean the cups for solids, not liquids. They often come in bright colors too!)

Ace bandages from various injuries I’ve had are really useful for certain equine bandaging needs.

Baby shampoo is great for bathing horses and for cleaning wounds. No more tears! It doesn’t sting an open wound (ask me how I know) Dilute it a bit and it’ll rinse out more easily.

The blue rigid foam insulation that comes in sheets and an old inner tube for hoof protection. Get you horse to step on an “almost right size” cutout from the sheet foam, then cut around the edge and you have a great emergency pad. Then outline the hoof on the inner tube material (yes you will have to cut it) adding several tabs. Put it on the tube material over the pad and duct tape it all on. Good protection and frog contact.

They don’t call me frugal for nothing!

[NancyM]

My Dad’s WWII foot locker… was repurposed as a tack box in the late 1970s. Has been a tack box since then. Painted red on the outside to match other tack box. Inside still pale green. But it was always a bit heavy to pack around, it was never a “travelling tack box”, just a storage tack box at home. A few weeks ago, I removed the assorted crap in the tack box, and repurposed it as a storage chest in the house, for bedding for our extra bed (so that the cat doesn’t sleep on it when it is supposed to stay clean). Repainted the box- dark brown on the outside, off white on the inside. It took 3 coats of paint to even remotely cover the red. But it looks pretty good in the house, and it has a history.

[lorilu]

Old wall unit for tack room. The kind that is two side cabinets and a low flat unit for the TV to sit on. I have the two sides (and the “corner pieces”), and replaced the low center section with a recycled desk (I have a window right there.) Only tack room in town with leaded glass cabinets!
ALso, I redid my kitchen this winter, and mounted a section of upper cabinets on the other wall of the tack room. (I gave away most of the other cabinetry to a worthy cause).

[Pally]

@Bluey sounds like a huge money saver there!

@frugalannie so many good ideas. One of the worst parts of tack trunks is the “back hole” effect they have. I bet the drawers are much better. I think I’ve heard of the sheet foam trick before but not the inner tube… smart.

@NancyM the history always adds an extra sparkle to a good upcycle! Plus, you get bonus points for the double-repurpose.

@lorilu sounds like an awesome tack room with ample storage.

I guess I should share some of mine too.

Farrier’s Formula refill vacuum packs are VERY strong and also watertight… lots of possibilities there! In my case I used them to soak or clean a foot as it was less cumbersome than a bucket. Then I duct taped two together for more height and used it as a full on soaking boot for White Lightning.

My dog wears a lunge line (yes, he is the type who could use a lunge, lol). It was one I never used because it had a chain and wasn’t my favourite material (but is still 1000X better than the actual dog long line I bought). Cut the chain off and put it on a snap for him. It’s only about 20 feet now, which is perfect for him to have a little freedom on trails and in parks without being totally off-leash.

Lead ropes and leg straps where the “flicky” part has broken off the snap make good hooks to hold open gates and stall doors that want to awkwardly swing shut on you.

[Bristol_Bay]

No-slip pads for area rugs make great no-slip pads for saddles.

You can also cut a little piece to open jars with.

[sherian]

jumps - I have one jump that is a canoe with a big hole and one that is a leaky water trough
my tack room fridge is my cheapy college dorm fridge from 1994 (it still works fine, however my high end kitchen fridge died after 8 years urgh)

[luvmyhackney]

I use the old metal tool boxes that you can find cheap in yard sales for groom boxes, med kit, etc. they are great cause they are mice proof and super sturdy.

[ParadoxFarm]

My DH is fond of using the fatter pool noodles for tall-boot fillers. He shaves one side down a bit to fit his boots. Cheaper than purpose-made ones.

I use really, really well-cleaned out laundry detergent jugs that have the push-button-type dispenser for oil for feeding the horses.

I use pants hangers to hang saddle pads from an old shower curtain rod.

[Bluey]

We have a rod for drapes with all those little clips high in a wall of the tack room and hang bits from it.

[anon40672407]

@ParadoxFarm

I use really, really well-cleaned out laundry detergent jugs that have the push-button-type dispenser for oil for feeding the horses.

This tip made me wonder. What do you use to wash soap out of a soap container?

I found a store display drawer cabinet once. About 24 inches tall, 60 inches wide, 30 inches deep, very sturdy and heavy. The kind of thing they could set whole displays on. It had 4 enormous drawers. After wrestling that into my tack room, I didn’t have stuff lying about for a long time because those drawers ate everything.

I once used a steamer trunk for tack, but it got ruined in a rain storm. Was sad about that.

Of course, old tuna cans nailed up as bridle racks. Everybody has done that one.

Mostly since I don’t have horses at home anymore, my old horse stuff is being repurposed here to other things.

[beowulf]

Facebook Marketplace has been the single biggest antagonist to my “live minimally” lifestyle - there are so many things there you can get for free.

A free white school cubby (5ft by 3) was perfect for our shed - propped up against the wall, with lower cubbies being good for things like boots (a milk crate fits perfectly in each cubby) and medical supplies, and uppers being good for folded blankets.

Found a free antique hutch with large glass facing doors; weatherproofed it and turned it into a plant terrarium with grow lights (“upscale plant jail”) for the houseplants - keeps the housecats out of them. Then when I got free FB bakers rack, swapped the plants and lights over to that and now the hutch is a fancy liquour cabinet.

I recycle the zipper plastic bags clothes come in if you shop online; those are perfect for holding a single bridle, or leather goods. Also always keep the silica gels, which get chucked into my tack trunk and other areas.

About ten years ago for Secret Santa on COTH I got a beautiful quality black/white patterned woven wool saddle blanket… The horse it was for has since passed away - I washed the much loved saddle pad and it now looks sharp as a statement piece on the cedar oak chest I have in the living room (added plus, the cats think it is their personal blanket…).

People are always giving away three or five tier shelving units – those are an absolute godsend for organization in a barn. I have a bunch in the grain shed for supplements, buckets, etc. And the rest are good for blanket and saddle pad storage.

[paintedpony]

Our county has recently switched methods of garbage collection. The switch left every home in the county with a compost bin that was no longer of use. I posted on our community chat group that I had a use for them (providing they were not gross). Surprisingly, some people never used them. Each bin perfectly holds 1 bag of horse/dog feed. The bins are very sturdy, have lids that lock, are on wheels and have great handles. Better still, all edges are rounded so they wash out beautifully.

[frugalannie]

Those compost bins are great for storing grass seed and fertilizer in, too. Mousies won’t consume your seed if it’s in one of the bins!

[frugalannie]

Beowulf, you’re amazing. I used to love when my town, or any of the surrounding towns, did “Big Trash Day”. Chairs, desks, tables, exercise equipment, you name it, there for the picking. Folks would drive around looking for things they could use or just wanted. Sadly, all of the towns near here have given that up.

We live on a street that gets lots of weekend traffic in good weather. In general if we put some piece of furniture out on the curb it’s gone in 24 hours. This weekend we set out a reciprocating saw and a small wicker table. I’m delighted they found new homes!

[Jo]

@ParadoxFarm

My DH is fond of using the fatter pool noodles for tall-boot fillers. He shaves one side down a bit to fit his boots. Cheaper than purpose-made ones.

I do this too and my sister made me custom fabric covers for them. I’m obsessed with them!

[Pally]

@sherian

jumps - I have one jump that is a canoe with a big hole and one that is a leaky water trough

Amazing idea!

@ParadoxFarm

I use really, really well-cleaned out laundry detergent jugs that have the push-button-type dispenser for oil for feeding the horses.

This is pretty brilliant…even with pumps oil is always such a mess. (Though I do have to lol at aregard’s question)

@Bluey

We have a rod for drapes with all those little clips high in a wall of the tack room and hang bits from it.

Been wanting to do this myself… though I may just put it in the house to double as decor

@beowulf

Facebook Marketplace has been the single biggest antagonist to my “live minimally” lifestyle - there are so many things there you can get for free.

A free white school cubby (5ft by 3) was perfect for our shed - propped up against the wall, with lower cubbies being good for things like boots (a milk crate fits perfectly in each cubby) and medical supplies, and uppers being good for folded blankets.

FB may be killing your minimalist goals, but at least it’s keeping you frugal!

I actually had those school cubbies as a childhood closet. My Dad installed a rod in one and extra shelves in the other and it was the most amazing storage ever (maybe too amazing…I definitely wasn’t a minimalist kid, lol). I would definitely jump on one of those for free!

[equinelibrium]

@beowulf

Facebook Marketplace has been the single biggest antagonist to my “live minimally” lifestyle - there are so many things there you can get for free.

I don’t think it counts against you if you’re a) getting stuff for free and b) repurposing something that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill. At least that’s what I tell myself

[Renn_aissance]

Supplement buckets make the best porch planters. Drill a bunch of holes for drainage and you’re golden. The handles make them easy to move around. My herb garden is currently growing in a bunch of empty SmartStride Ultra buckets plus a blackberry bush in an empty Platinum Performance bucket.