Your Projects

[Jessey]

Please share some pics/stories of your projects, things you have made, fashioned or improved for/around the horses

 

[Trewsers]

Oooh, I'll have to dig out some pics. We've made quite a few changes since coming here and had a few interesting ideas for improvements.

 

[Trewsers]

This is the bar that we made to keep anyone in the pig barn if need be. It's nobody's favourite place lol but sometimes when we have a delivery I need to get everyone in quickly and open the yard gate and this slots in neatly. A big door wasn't an option, and also the cost involved wouldn't have been justified. We ended up putting metal brackets on too, as at one time madam kicked it off out of the slots

 

[Trewsers]

The metal brackets just swivel on screws. Quite a good idea, I'll take a pic (the one above was ages ago and we've modified again since). Lol I think things around horse keeping are always evolving aren't they? Always some kind of improvement to be made.

 

[Jessey]

My project are constantly evolving, the idea stays but how it works changes, for the easier!
I had the most incredible luck on Saturday, met my neighbour but one out riding and got this as my next project

Hank has been hanging out with it pretty much since I picked it up yesterday morning it needs rewiring and maybe 1 or 2 wood panels replacing and the front ramp hinge sorting, but it's got a good solid chassis/frame and alu floor

 

[Trewsers]

How exciting!!! Matches Hank too

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

I think this year it will be putting in more water troughs so I am not hauling water in winter more fencing and possibly more hard standing

 

[Jessey]

The hank hut was built last March before the beast from the east, it was modified in the summer when I found Jess wedged in it

It now has an anti-Jess rail

 

[Jessey]

My favourite of all my projects at this field, was this super simple barn divider

The barn is too wide and has a solid floor so I just put some hooks on the shed and put an upright on their hay box with some more hooks

I can whip the whole lot out in minutes for the hay to be delivered into the back half and the neds gets the front as a shelter I do have to tie the bottom rain in the hook since Dan arrived

 

[horseandgoatmom]

I love this thread
I'll have to find some photos of my changes.

 

[Kite_Rider]

My project are constantly evolving, the idea stays but how it works changes, for the easier!
I had the most incredible luck on Saturday, met my neighbour but one out riding and got this as my next project
View attachment 96751
Hank has been hanging out with it pretty much since I picked it up yesterday morning it needs rewiring and maybe 1 or 2 wood panels replacing and the front ramp hinge sorting, but it's got a good solid chassis/frame and alu floor

Oooh very nice - I bet it will look completely different by the time you have finished with it.

 

[horseandgoatmom]

One of the best things was setting up 2 xtra 16 gal heated buckets to dip from in the am and have reserve when its really cold.
I started with one but added a second last week before the horrible ice storm.
Sadly when the person we bought from added a hydrant for us near the goats clubhouse.
We were not sure where the horses were going to go and another hydrant much closer to them would have been great. but it is what it is.


Making a small cavaletti pen

Being able to spread cavaletti around the property and leaving them in place
Especially out in the side area of the front yard.The grassy hill area is going to need some changes
to spray around them cause last year they got buried in the grass.

Turning some saddle sales into a third area that extends into the tree line.Which will make
a nice shaded area in the summer.

Setting up the paddocks off the stalls as round pens.

One of the biggest things was even though it was more expensive to begin with and will make more expansion a bit slower was to u se FENCE PANELS.
If needed it can change it goes up quickly and is very secure.
The old house always had broken boards.
There is one wood and elec wire paddock out back that was here that will stay as is.

 

[chunky monkey]

@horseandgoatmom is that just wood chip you've got on the top of the grass. Do you use that to lunge in. How well does it hold up over the winter or do you have to take it up and and put new chip down.

 

[domane]

Dom has to build me a moveable shelter this year for Jack and Lexie. It's got to be finished by the end of May when the horse flies hatch!! There will be progress pics.....

 

[horseandgoatmom]

The padocks by towards the barn we put woodchips around the edge.
That was when we first built them this spring.
This is the first winter... it has broken down a bit andsince the paddocks are a bit gravely
it has worked well.
I have not added more except where the water pooled a bit near Andi's gate.

I used the little cavaletti pen all last winter before the horses were here and I did top
up the chips a bit In the spring and I had put the chips right over the grass in there.
I will probably top that off again in spring.
I would like to add a ring over the grass in the 2 big 100 ft rd pens on the hill
and in the grassy field with the pines with the cavaletti up there id like to spray
and then maybe add the wood chips aroung those cavaletti since they got lost in the
really tall grass last summer.

The town electric co does a great job trimming the trees and you can get the chips
for free.
I still have some inside of Sonnys paddock and another pile out beyond the little cavaletti pen.

The bit of a double edge sword is that they will break down and make things more muddy over time.

 

[horseandgoatmom]

Here is another thing I'm so happy with Being able to store shavings right in the stalls

WE did not put a door between the stalls but we changed the configuraton to put a gate
between them on the outside .. this has been a GODSEND.

I am not sure what they used this area for but I'd like to put a roof on it to put wheel barrels etc in under cover.
The green thing on its side I think is a boat of some sort they left . I need to figure out how to make an obstacle with it

 

[Jessey]

@horseandgoatmom my boys would be chewing into the shavings bales just to check if it was food inside, because obviously everything that comes in a bag is food

 

[horseandgoatmom]

Jessey..
That would be ANDI

I made the mistake of putting some hay I was going to put outside on top of shavings.
A few strands fell on top and behind I was only 2 bags high.

I went out the next morning and she had pulled one to the middle of the stall and had some
holes in the bag from her dragging it out of the way.

She is a vaccum cleaner when it comes to food she wont leave a strand.
And its not like she is not getting LOTS of hay.


This is the state of the wood chips in the little cavaletti pen right now.
The footing in there is very smooth no lumpy bumpy.
I am trying really hard to not mess it up.
So right now I only go in there when the ground wont dig in at all with getting soft and hard.
So that I can have a place to play all winter and that ring is very out in the open for sun
when its cold so its the best place to play.
Its also the most perfect size for sonny to be very responsive at liberty going around on his own til I ask him to change something.
When I online lunge I pass the line behind me and do not turn around with him. It is his responsibility to keep going behind me.
I have a chair in the little cavaletti ring and do the same thing I can sit in the chair
and he will keep going til I ask him to halt or reverse.
It may sound lazy but I feel its him behaving well..
I don't have to be constantly going around urging him.

If your going to do traveling circles you really need the horse to go behind you with you moving the LINE behind you as you move foreward.

Traveling circles is the one really good thing I took away from Parelli.

I don't follow any ONE person I take wh at works for me and my horses from
everyone out there.

This was last May and the grass did creep i nto it .

 

[chunky monkey]

Thanks @horseandgoatmom. I'm trying to work out a way of being able to have a lunge area to use over winter. I have used a flat area of field for the last 7 weeks for lunging 2 horses, 5 days a week. It's just starting to cut up now, but weve had a relatively dry couple of months. It's also our hay field and grazing so it's in my interest not to trash it. I'm trying to plan ahead for next winter. Looking at yours for ideas.

 

[horseandgoatmom]

I totally understand

That's why I'm guarding that footing

I have the little and arena but we have had such odd winter torrential rain making soft ground then things freeze rock hard and if you have made lumpy bumps that are now frozen its horrible.

The tall pines shade the arena right now for a good part of the day do its harder to have it soften.

I have pretty good drainage but this heavy rain then flash freeze to 0 f is awful.

We had rain then freezing rain and snow last nite . Snow squalls are coming thru ahead of 0 f real temps again tonite

THANKFULLY THIS TIME
The storm was reversed with rain first THEN snow rather than soaked snow freezing to cement
There is some Ice still but it's not as bad

But OMG the midwest will have real temps of -25f and windchills of - 50f
Our windchills will be - 15 to 20 f

Then next week we could go to high 40,s f
A couplevdays next week
And more rain

Its beyond bizarre