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There are so many fabulous pool noodle hacks for use with horses and barns. They are inexpensive and almost genius in their uses sometimes. Who knew a fun pool toy could have such diverse uses?

If you visit virtually any active and large social media group devoted to horses, you will find recommendations for pool noodles used in a plethora of ways. I decided to create a list of pool noodle hacks for horses and barns to that horse owners can reference this list for ideas and for sharing with other horse owners.

Tips for Using Pool Noodles

• You may need to cut slits in them in order to get them to fit what you're using them for. Use a serrated knife, box cutter or utility scissors.

• You can cut pieces off for smaller jobs.
• Pool noodles can be located beginning in the spring, and throughout summer, in a wide variety of stores such as Walmart, Dollar General, Target and yes, pool supply stores. If you need them outside the usual seasons of fall and spring, Amazon usually has them as well.
• However, f you can't find pool noodles, need something narrower, vertically pre-cut, with adhesive or not so bright in color, use foam pipe insulators as a replacement. You can get them at most hardware stores. They are dark gray in color, pre-cut, are thinner, and usually have pull off adhesive strips to attach.

Pool Noodle Ideas to Use in Horse Trailers and Trucks:

• Place on dividers and butt bars to provide cushion.
• Put under dividing/tack room walls to stop shavings from getting into your tack room, or into the first stall if you are using it as storage.
• Place temporarily on trailer handles to prevent horse injury while tied.
• Add them to the kickstand back door stop to keep it from rattling while hauling.
• Put on the shafts of driving carts if hauling in a truck to prevent scratches to the truck.
• Use on HiTies (if using.)
• Use on saddle racks to protect saddle panels and flocking. The rounded edges provide a much more gentle experience for that expensive saddle.
• Any place you or your horse run or bang into frequently, LOL. This is often metal but may include wood or other hard surfaces.

Pool Noodle Ideas for Use with Horses

• Attach to ground using tent pegs and use as obstacles. Place in arenas to walk or jump over.
• Hang vertically from a tree or bar, and walk around and through. Attach horizontally to posts for jumps, obstacles or desensitization.
• Pool noodles can be used in horse enrichment activities. For instance, hang several together with a treat ball, horse popsicle or hay net. The horse has to work to get to the food/treat and it is always moving.
• Use to introduce a foal, or any fearful horse, to touch. Check out: How to Train a Foal to Like Touch
• If a foal gets injured on their lower leg, a section of pool noodle can be used to protect and support the leg. (Get your veterinarian's approval before using this tip.)
• Protection for other wounds/injuries, such as this ingenious use of slices of pool noodle to keep a young horse from bumping and rubbing a medication line for continues medication delivery to an eye.

Pool Noodle Hacks for Horse Barns/Farms

• Put pool noodles on stall doors or overhead bars to prevent cribbing or injury. You may also need to use duct tape, vet tape or polo wraps for additional protection. (This may not work for some cribbers but it's worth a try!)
• Use pool noodles over water hoses in freezing temperatures to prevent the hose and water in them from freezing. For short distances, they could even be used in place of water hoses.
• Attach to water faucets and even pipes, to keep them from freezing.
• No bathroom at the barn, and need to sit and not squat in the stall? Get a 5 gallon bucket, a bag if you want easy clean up, kitty litter and a pool noodle. Cut the pool noodle to fit the bucket and you have a cushy-for-your-tushy seat rather than a cold flat lid like is sold for this purpose. You could even wrap it with polo wraps to make it softer.
• The gaps between pipe gates and fence panels can be a danger zone for horse legs. Cut a piece of pool noodle and insert into the gap and duct tape in place.
• Use as tires for garden carts if hubs/spokes are in good shape.
• Put on cross ties to decrease noise.
• Place a small piece on the end of the hitch of your garden cart so you don't get bruised or cut WHEN you bang your leg into it. (Because we all know it is when, not if. LOL)
• Place around the tops of t-posts (these are used frequently here in Texas with fencing) or other metal fence posts to prevent injury.
• Place around chains or pvc pipes used in stall doors.
• Put in wiring boxes or other small places where birds try to nest.
• Any place you, or your horse, run or bang into frequently, and yes, this IS worth repeating.

Pool Noodle Hacks for Horse Tack/Supplies

• Attach horizontally to a wall and cut slices to store crops, lunge whips, etc.
• Cut a section as tall as your boots and use as inserts to keep them upright.
• Slice to about 1.5″ and slip on tack hooks. It will keep your bridle crown round.
• Use on saddle racks for rounded and larger edges. This protects the saddle panels and flocking.
• Cut them and put on wire hangers to hang chaps.
• Put on bucket handles to prevent manes or tails from getting caught where the handle attaches to the bucket.

Disclaimer: These are suggestions only and should be used at your discretion and with your horses in mind.

The best pool noodle hacks for horses are the ones YOU come up with and use. I'd love to hear your pool noodle hacks for horses! Share them with me in the comments.