Photo by Mike Mozart/Flickr/CC.
Why spend more than you need to? Here are 20 dollar store finds for around the barn:
- Shallow tubs: Use these shallow tubs to soak their feet. Fewer spills and easier to maneuver than a large bucket.
- Diapers: These things are expensive! And if you’re like me and have your horse on pasture board, they don’t last very long. You can buy a variety of sizes and amounts at the dollar store to keep your foot wrapping costs down.
- Duct Tape: To fix, wrap, rig, and use on just about anything you can imagine. You can never have too much duct tape!
- Scissors: useful for cutting the duct tape and bandages, but also great for other barn chores.
- Petroleum Jelly: For those of us that have horses with bell boots. Every once in awhile, my horse gets rubs from his, so I apply this generously to his ankles and it soothes the irritation.
- Thermometer: A must-have for a horse person. Know your horse’s normal temperature so that when he is sick you’ll know for sure if there is a difference or not.
- Mouth Wash: Do you have a horse that rubs his tail constantly? Try applying a bit of antibacterial mouth wash! It can fight that pesky itch your horse is experiencing.
- Baby oil: This is a two in one, because it can help with dandruff as well as sheath cleaning. For horses with dandruff, mix mouth wash and baby oil in a spray bottle (50/50) and apply in the problem areas. As for sheath cleaning … well I won’t go into detail on how to do it, but baby oil can be used as your cleaner!
- Washcloths: A great item for bath time, clean ups, and many other barn happenings.
- Moisture Eliminating Box: Put this in your tack trunks, tack lockers, tack rooms, etc. This will help minimize mold on your expensive gear!
- Lint Roller: You can use this on your own clothes as well as your saddle pads (specifically show pads). It’s a good way to stay on top of clean show gear.
- Laundry Detergent/PreWash: I have a lot of white saddle pads (apparently I enjoy laundry?) so using the prewash helps a lot, and buying detergent and spray for just a dollar keeps my costs down from the million horse loads I have to wash!
- Multi Tool: A great and handy item to have on you, specifically for hay string cutting!
- Socks: Long socks and especially zocks made for riding are expensive and wear quickly. Buy some long socks here for everyday riding and maybe treat yourself to a nicer pair for shows. (Extra sock tip: every year I got to black Friday and buy long Christmas socks. They usually only run me about 25 cents apiece and I get to have Christmas cheer all year long!)
- Shallow Baskets: Use this for your polo wraps, jump boots, bell boots, etc. I use one of these baskets because it fits perfectly in my tack trunk!
- Fake Flowers: What a great and cheap way to decorate your jumps! These would normally cost you much more than a dollar anywhere else.
- Mini Tupperware: Perfect for your supplement organization. These colorful ones are four to a pack but you can also get 10 white top ones in a pack. Up to you if you’d like to go crazy and spend more than just a dollar!
- Mints: We know what these are for. And our horses do, too!
- Spray Bottles: Useful for fly spray, show sheen, water, the aforementioned dandruff killer, etc.
- Measuring tape: You’ll think you don’t need one, and then soon you’ll kick yourself in the butt for not having it!
Total spent: $20!
For more barn bargaining tips as well as an online horse show for only $19, head to BetterDressageScores.com!
