Are There Dangers of Using Horses as Therapy?

It seems odd to say that there are dangers of using horses as therapy doesn't it? But when I say this, I'm not referring to hippotherapy, the widely successful type of riding therapy used for people with disabilities.

I'm referring to the many people who are drawn to horses because of the peace that they bring. I'm referring to the people who have experienced trauma, abuse, or neglect and find themselves drawn to the magic of horses.

My Experience with Dysfunction in the Horse Community

After a 20 year hiatus from horses, I found myself dropped back into the horse community like debris is sucked into a tornado. One minute I wasn't even thinking about horses and the next I owned a Dutch Warmblood gelding that everyone in the Austin-area horse community knew, and nobody wanted. (That's him above in the photo.)

As I excitedly prepared myself for horse ownership again, I moved my horse to a local boarding barn. Unbeknownst to me, the owner of that boarding barn was an alcoholic and prescription drug addict. After a month of her unpredictability and instability, I found another boarding barn.

I moved my horse there and thought I had found the right place. And for over a year, it went pretty well. But then the owner of that barn separated from her husband and started going through a divorce. She began to severely neglect the 15+ horses in her care, including mine. I discovered that she had a track record of doing this when undergoing personal challenge.

The Drama Continues

By this time I had 3 horses (you really can't have just one.) I found an individual that agreed to let me bring them to her place for boarding. I should have known when she told me “Some people call me a bitch” that I might be in trouble. However, I am really easy going and as she was a friend of a friend, I thought it would be ok.

That individual casually asked me one day after a month or two, if I would sell one of my horses to her. I declined. It was the Dutch Warmblood, that I had turned around, and suddenly he was wanted. But he was my heart horse and I was never letting him go.

I didn't know it then but telling her no was apparently not something she was accustomed to. She proceeded to make things as difficult for me as possible. This included trying to hold my horses hostage when I found yet another boarding barn to move them to.

At the next place, just one month after I moved my horses there, the barn manager was discovered to be a meth addict and was captured on video drugging horses. After he was escorted off the property by law enforcement, I was told that the agreement he and I had for care of my horses was no longer valid. Surprisingly, he had taken great care of MY horses to that point.

My horses would no longer be cared for in the same way however. They began to lose weight and two of them got rain rot, a skin condition often related to poor nutrition. I had hundreds of dollars of tack stolen after that as well, and the deposit I had paid to the original barn manager was never returned.

I decided I was done with boarding. Via a friend of a friend, I was lucky enough to find some land to lease less than 10 minutes away from my house. A friend helped me move my horses there and I have been taking care of them myself ever since.

Therapists Need Therapy

I was shocked at the dysfunction and drama I had experienced. I had always worked in professional fields where community and support of each other was the rule rather than the exception. It baffled me that the horse community was, in my experience to that point, selfish and unstable.

I remarked to a friend one day that it reminded me of therapists who become therapists because they need or needed therapy themselves. I said, “People find horses so therapeutic, except that some of them never get the true therapy they need.”

Years have gone by and I have mostly stayed to myself with regards to the in-person horse community. I have cultivated a small group of horse owning friends, as well as a faithful online following, of those who think the same way that I do about horses. That is, that horses are valuable, cognizant, and worthy of being treated well, no matter what is going on with us as individuals.

Having participated in numerous horse groups of all kinds on Facebook though, I see that the drama and dysfunction of the horse community is alive and well. The vehemence with which people are quick to judge, lash out, and condemn will give you whiplash.

Last year I attended a trail riding competition as a visitor. I was reminded once again of the reasons I have stayed to myself as I listened to complaining, judgement and disdain in the voices of many around me. All of this brings me back to my original thought.

Dangers of Using Horses as Therapy

There ARE dangers of using horses as therapy. They come if you are not in fact working on yourself too. Because not only does the horse lose, but the entire horse community loses as well.

The danger of using horses as therapy lies in being completely unaware that you are doing so. I think people are drawn to horses for their beauty, air of freedom, and more. Ultimately, horses have this seemingly magical ability to bring deep peace to those around them. And I don't think most are aware of the horse's immense ability to do so, or even that it may be the reason why they are drawn to them.

It simply mystifies me still that with all of that magic, there are so many unhappy, judgmental, and critical horse owners. There is so much peace available to access.

Finding Peace with Horses

One of the keys to finding your peace is to make time to experience the magic of horses.

Examples could include:

• Don't just run in, saddle up your horse, exercise/ride them, and put them up. Get to know them.
• Observe them with other horses if possible. Spend time with them grazing.
• What kind of behavior do they have when they eat their feed?
• Where are they tight in their body? What relaxes that tightness?
• Read horse behavior and training books.
• Study horse anatomy, and why and how they move the way they move.
• Learn to trim their hooves yourself.
• Only have as many horses as you can do this with regularly. (This primarily applies to individuals who own horses for personal use.) I've been guilty of having more horses than I really needed, but in this case, quality is more important than quantity.
• Have a Horse Magic session with me and my horses and let me show you what horses are truly capable of.
• No matter your regular discipline or choice of activity, take some dressage lessons. Your relationship with your horse will improve.

You have this incredible being that you have the good fortune to share your life with. Treating them solely as a tool is a disservice to both you and them.

Know Yourself

While you get to know them, get to know yourself. Each person's challenges are different but here are a few suggestions:

• Evaluate your responses to your horses every time you think about it. Are you patient/impatient, angry/happy, happy/grieving, informed/need more info.?
• After you evaluate your emotions, consider how the horse responds to you. In many cases, the horse is responding not to its own emotions or body, but to yours. For horses that you spend a lot of time with, they may even be mirroring something happening in your body. It might be emotions, limiting beliefs, or even pain or a physical condition.
• If you are responding from a place of trauma, emotional pain, grief, etc. just tell the horse what is wrong. Say it out loud. Horses generally just want us to tell the truth about what we are feeling. In some cases, it may be better to walk away from the horse. You have to make that judgment call. But more times than not, the horse will relax once you've expressed what you are feeling. And that's where the peace comes in for both of you.
• If you realize that there are dangers of using horses as therapy and it is more than you or they can process, find a good therapist. (I'm not suggesting anything I haven't done myself. I have seen therapists more than once in my life.)
• Don't give up on yourself.

These are just a few ideas for your horses and yourself. You may have to modify according to your situation.

Horse Community

Lastly I want to circle back to the horse community as a whole. If you do these things, or others, for your horse(s) and you, you will begin to see that many other horses owners have issues they struggle with too. As I said, many of us come to horses for the peace that they bring. When you understand that others are struggling, you will see that kindness and compassion will take you farther than judgement and criticism.

You will see that even in competition, you can be supportive and understanding. Boundaries can always be set with those that need them, but lead with kindness. The horse community needs as much of it as it can get, both the people and the horses.

In Closing

I close by saying that I KNOW there is a lot of goodness in the horse world too. I know because of the friends I've made and the resources I have found. But the drama IS prevalent in the horse community.

I know one article isn't going to change the horse community overnight, but this topic has weighed on me for years and I just felt like it was time to speak up. If it resonates with you, I'd love to hear your thoughts or have you share it with others that might enjoy it too.

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Horses Are People Too

Ultimately, if you want to know how to get a horse to trust you, you just need to remember “horses are people too.” OK, maybe not exactly and of course there are some key differences, but if you keep that statement in mind when you are interacting with horses, you will know how to get a horse to trust you much faster than you would otherwise.

A Few Things to Think About

• I've worked with horses of many different breeds, and horses of many different circumstances and while they all show it in different ways, what most of them WANT is to trust you. (There are some exceptions, but overall I feel this is true. Primarily because a horse always wants to feel safe wherever they are. If you are part of their environment, they WANT to trust you.)
• In wanting to know how to get a horse to trust you, first and foremost is to stop thinking of horses as “just horses.” There is no “just” about a horse. There are magnificent horses, intuitive horses, inspiring horses, intriguing horses, funny horses and even serious horses, but they are never “just a horse.”
• Horses have so much more to offer than riding. Having spent the large majority of my time with my horses on the ground with them, rather than on their backs, I've come to truly know and understand them. I don't understand them only as a horse, but as a friend. One of my current geldings, Ankh, for instance, knows things about me before I know them. He has “alerted” on me for migraines. He will tell me when it is time to leave the property as he seems to know there are other things I need to do. He's not usually an affectionate horse, but he knows before I do, sometimes days before, when I am going to experience a low spot emotionally and thus becomes very affectionate. He's truly like that best friend that knows when something is wrong and calls or texts to ask about it. Except he is 900 pounds of “best friend.”

How To Get a Horse to Trust You

When you think of horses as friends, rather than “just horses”, you have discovered the key to know how to get a horse to trust you. That is why “horses are people too” is a helpful reminder of how to treat and respond to horses.

Because if horses are your friends:

• You acknowledge their need to process new places, new things, and new experiences, just like you would a human friend. You wouldn't expect a friend to move to a completely new place, city, home, etc. or even to travel to different places without giving them time to adjust, to explore the new place, to rest after travel, to mourn leaving the old place, etc. Yes, horses do need time to process change and they do have emotions. In fact, they have a rich emotional life. You therefore must honor their need to adjust if they need it. Some horses, just like some people, tolerate change better than others. But oftentimes horses are expected to tolerate change instantly and that is detrimental to the horse. Ultimately that trickles down to the owner, rider or handler.
• You recognize that past experiences, and trauma in particular, can shape who they are today. Even more so than people, horses have a memory for people, events, trauma, etc. They will hold onto memories and react to anything that reminds them of that memory accordingly, whether positively or in a challenging manner. In the same way that a friend responds to life based on their experiences, so will a horse.
  
  Using an objective view with horses, rather than taking things personally, will get a horse to trust you. You see them as a culmination of their life from the day they were born right up until the present moment. Trauma can be carried in the horse's body as tension, just like it can with people. (This is something I help clear in horses and people with my sessions.)
• You know that it takes time to get to know a new horse, just like it takes time to get to know a new human friend. When you're getting to know a new friend, do you rush them into doing something just because YOU want to do it without any regards for what THEY want? If you've ever tried to do this, you know the response can be poor. Horses sometimes aren't given a choice about what they do. (And there are times that it is necessary, but not always.)
  
  Try paying attention to what the horse likes or doesn't like. How do they respond? What behavioral signs are they showing you? Are they showing signs of stress such as a concerned eye, a lifted head, or even turning their head? Or are they relaxed, head dropped and unconcerned? Just like you have to learn what activities and experiences a human friend likes or dislikes, you want to do the same for your horses.
• You know that everyone has good and bad days, both horses and people. Some days you may get to your horse and they are a little “off” or seem different. Others they seem to be having a great day. To get a horse to trust you, you have to recognize this day in and day out. Just like you show up with your own emotions, sometimes having a good day, sometimes having a bad day, they too have good and bad days. (Not to mention horses are brilliant at hiding pain.) You respond accordingly when friends or loved ones are having good and bad days. Doing the same with a horse engenders trust. They feel seen. And really, isn't that what we all want?
• You recognize that horses have strengths that you don't. Just like your friends have strengths that you don't, so do your horses. So, when your horse looks up sharply at something, or doesn't want to go a particular direction, give it some thought before responding. What do they know that you don't? Because some of their senses are far more powerful than yours. They can hear, see, and smell things for instance that you will never hear, see or smell. They can tune into emotions, intentions, and energy even better than me, and I have done so professionally for over a decade. If you want a horse to trust you, you have to trust him/her!
• You express gratitude for them. Being grateful for your friends means being thoughtful about what they like and need. What is their “love language” if you will? For instance, Ankh, who I mentioned above, isn't super keen on being touched except in very specific areas and even then he may only tolerate it for a very short time. Touch is not one of his love languages on most days. I do my best to acknowledge that and not touch him often.
  
  But food treats? They are most definitely high on the list of rewards, as is rest. He really likes to be able to rest by himself or just with me. Fyre on the other hand, seen in the photo with his father Ankh above, would crawl in my skin if he could. He likes to be up close and personal.
  
  And of course, being grateful for them means investing time in researching the best diet, environment and conditions for them. Do they like to be stalled or do they prefer pasture? Do they do best on a forage-based diet (what my horses get) or do they do better with a commercial feed? Coastal or alfalfa hay or both? (In Texas, these are the main two types of hay.) We have a responsibility as horse-owners to provide the best care within our means for our horse friends. When they know we are invested in them, they trust us even more.

In Summary

Ultimately, creating a perspective shift in how we treat horses, how we relate to them, and how we view them overall can create an entirely new type of relationship with these animals that inspire wonder and awe in us. They give us so much, shouldn't we match their gifts?

Other Examples?

I've really only scratched the surface on this topic. What examples do you have on using “horses are people too” as a philosophy for your relationship with your horses?

The post How to Get a Horse To Trust you appeared first on Julie Bradshaw.

• Beauty: Horses captivate us with their beauty. From flowing manes and tails to gorgeous colors and color combinations, the physical beauty of a healthy horse is nothing short of magnificent.
• Size: From the smallest miniature horse to the largest of work horses, we love horses for their size. Every size holds different capabilities. Whether used as a therapy horse in hospitals or nursing homes, to move civilizations from one area to another, to herd cattle, to pull wagons or plows, or to entertain with dressage, the horse's size captivates.
• Use: The productive uses of a horse decreased with the advent of automobiles but they are still used every day by farmers, law enforcement, and businesses, such as those with horse-drawn carriages.
• History: There is no animal more involved in the evolution of modern-day man than the horse. Utilized in wars, in giving people the ability to move across long-distances, in the Pony Express, and so much more, we love the horse for the reminder of times gone by.
• Sense of Freedom: Moving from the physical attributes of the horse to the more emotional, we love horses for the wildness, the sense of freedom that they give us. Watching or riding a horse as it gallops effortlessly across a pasture, an open plain or field, lights up a part of us that wishes we could be wild again, even if just for a moment.

I recently was feeling very down about my life. While I spent the first half of my adult professional life having great success at everything I touched, when I hit “middle age”, everything seemed to fall apart. I am blessed to be “gifted” in a number of things, coaching, photography, making jewelry, and of course training anxious rescue horses, but no matter what I tried to put my focus on, I couldn't seem to get any financial traction.

And on this day, I was feeling particularly low. I wasn't making enough money to even pay all my bills. I felt restricted by my ability to do anything but have my own business due to the needs of my son with autism. My mind was in panic mode, not only hashing out all the terrible things that had happened, but those that could happen. I was the extreme of “monkey mind” that had “gone down the rabbit hole.”

Having recently rediscovered my love of journaling and the insights it brought, I grabbed my journal and pen with turquoise ink to take with me to my horses. (My horses don't live on the same property with me.) My plan was to feed the horses, hang out with them, and then do a little journaling to see if any insight came about what I should do next.

After they finished their breakfast, they roamed around a bit before following me out to stand under some shade trees. Prince, my chestnut gelding, was especially attentive. He wanted to be right next to me. And initially, he was adamant about not wanting Ankh, or Fyre, close to me. But they were persistent, as they too seemed especially adamant about being close to me. I slowly convinced Prince to let them get closer.

The Set Up for The Realization

So, there we stood, the four of us. I was leaning against a tall oak tree that was in a shallow ravine that ran through the front half of the property. Prince was on my right. Ankh and Fyre were on my left. Or occasionally Fyre was standing in front of me. He and Ankh were particularly restless it seemed, moving around each other in order to position themselves close to me without catching the disapproval of the herd leader Prince.

Slowly my “monkey mind” began to fade. I was no longer covered up in the darkness of the rabbit hole. My mind cleared and my body relaxed, shoulders dropping. The tension headache I had woken up with just disappeared. I realized I felt like I do when I go to the beach and ocean. I was so at peace. It explained to me why I hadn't felt the urgent need to go to the beach like I used to. In fact, I haven't been to the beach in several years.

As I stood there, an idea just seemed to bubble up. It was an idea for an event that incorporated a particular type of journaling and/or other creative outlets that could be done while spending time with my horses. I have had so many “ideas” that I wasn't 100% positive that this wasn't just another “monkey mind” idea, born out of desperation.

But I soon discovered, that was not the case.

The Experience

I was feeling so good and thought I should try to do some journaling just in case some other ideas needed to bubble up. My journal and pen were in the barn though, so that meant leaving the circle I was in with the horses and returning back to the barn. I wanted to grab it and come back before the horses could leave the treed area. I went at a brisk pace and hadn't made it 50 feet when I noticed I was back in “logical” mode.

Just like that, when I stepped out of that ocean of horse energy, my body and mind shifted away from that peaceful place, and into my mind. It was a noticeable and significant “re-entry” just like when you return from vacation to your own life. I went from paradise to reality in less than 50 feet.

I went and grabbed my journal, pen and folding chair and ran back to sit under the trees with the horses. Every time I tried to open the journal, Fyre or Prince came and BIT it. See the picture of Prince biting it below! They would not leave me, or the journal, alone. I literally could not write anything because they wouldn't let me open it long enough to write anything in it. I finally had to give up.

They were telling me that the idea I had been given was the only one I needed.

The Science Behind It

But the true result of the entire experience was the insight into why we love horses as much as we do.

Every time we share space with them, they are taking us out of our logical mind. The logical mind that often is filled with doubts, anxiety, self-criticism, judgement, and even choices that don't ultimately makes sense for us. The mind may encourage us to make them out of desperation or a place of fear.

But what happens when we are taken out of that place? What we feel, what we “hear”, what we experience is not our conscious, but our subconscious. Our soul even.

On a scientific note, the mind processes 11 MILLION bits of information per second. The conscious human mind, the logical mind, can only process 50 bits per second. Think about that for a second. Let it sink in.

When you are making decisions from your logical mind, you are actually making them with extremely limited information. But when you separate from the logical mind, and tap into the subconscious, you are accessing an ocean of knowledge. It's like comparing a 1/4 teaspoon of water to the entire ocean.

While there are many methods of tapping into this wealth of knowledge, many can require practice, skill, and a conscious focus (which seems ironic). Instead, one can spend time with horses, and they help you to do it much faster. Not to mention they smell so good!

Personally. I believe they are even able to do it to a certain extent by seeing them in pictures, in movies, in videos, etc. I've had many people tell me my horses have brought peace to them solely from the pictures I share of them. Horses inspire just by being them.

The Real Reason We Love Horses

But what if they do more than inspire? What if the reason we love horses so much is because they are a switch that can take us from our conscious mind to our subconscious mind, or soul, just by being in their presence? Think about the possibilities!!

My experience confirmed that. And looking back on daily experience with them for years confirms it as well.

I didn't realize that the idea they gave me to host events with them held an even deeper meaning. Each event will give attendees the opportunity to experience this switch from conscious to subconscious mind for themselves.

I pondered the idea of holding the events on Saturday mornings but in the end, decided on Sunday mornings. The time will vary depending on the temperature outside. (Summer/high temperatures will mean earlier mornings for instance.) As long as there are attendees signed up, they will be held even if the date is a holiday in most cases. And rain or shine. Check this page for all the details on Soul Sundays with Horses!!!!

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Regaining self-worth after trauma can be a multi-faceted issue. I'm not here to tell you I have all the answers. But I have at least one, and it only takes 25 minutes.

Sometimes you just have to start with one tool, especially when you've experienced significant trauma.

I experienced significant trauma myself from 2014 to 2021, with a heavy focus around financial challenges. I thought once the constant “emergencies” themselves finally came to an end that things would get better for me financially. And while they did improve somewhat, not remotely to the level that I needed them to be.

I have studied trauma responses in both humans and horses in an effort to help my son with autism, his brother, my rescue horses, clients and myself. While I'm no neuroscientist, I've read enough books, medical articles and attended enough trainings to consider myself educated. This enabled me to come up with the below.

After the worst of the challenges had passed, I realized that I continued to have what I would call a “freeze” response to many responsibilities related to finances. I also realized that it created a cycle of shame and guilt, and that over time it had robbed me of my sense of value. I wasn't valuing myself in the way I had most of my life once the trauma really settled into my body.

Freeze Response

Physically, the freeze response, along with the more commonly known fight or flight responses, occurs in the cerebellum of the brain. During the call, which was done in video format, I shared this image so that you can see where the cerebellum of the brain is located (in case you've forgotten your brain anatomy.).

This is where the most intense trauma responses occur and I focused on this area in the meditation, but also on the brain as a whole, as trauma responses vary from extreme to mild. As the responses move away from extreme, the part of the brain responsible for the responses changes from the cerebellum to other parts of the brain.

I have always been a very driven, focused and successful professional and after experiencing years of trauma and stress, I began to lose my drive, my focus and even my success. It was sneaky and subtle, and took me years to figure it all out.

I don't want it to take years, or one minute longer, for you to figure it out.

Regaining Your Innate Value

I think regaining your self-worth after trauma, and more specifically even, your self-value, is the catalyst for finally moving on from trauma. When you realize that you are NOT the trauma, that you have so much innate value, then you can leave it behind you. I explain why I think value is even more important than self-worth in the call before the Release Trauma meditation.

Once I was finally ready for this freeze response around finances to come to an end, I began to see the connection between the trauma, the shame and the loss of value.

It also occurred to me that there was a family pattern with financial emergencies, shame, and a trauma response. So, it wasn't just me, but it was in my ancestry too.

Release Trauma Guided Meditation

I did this “release trauma” guided meditation for myself. In addition to releasing the trauma from my body, it was just as important to me that it included taking back my VALUE.

It was so immediately effective that I knew I had to share it with the world. Regaining self-worth after trauma can have so many positive and reverberating effects!

There is much greater detail in this call and guided meditation. When I wrote this meditation, it was very very important to me that attendees and anyone listening to the recording later, felt SAFE. Trauma is not something to be taken lightly and I took it very seriously when writing the meditation.

After doing this call live, I asked the attendees to share what they experienced after the meditation (not included in the recording for confidentiality purposes).

Every single one of them said they “felt an overwhelming sense of peace and tranquility throughout the meditation and afterwards.“

This is the best testimonial I could have received! From trauma to tranquility…in 25 minutes. (The call is a total of 45 minutes but the meditation itself is only 25 minutes!)

Just 25 minutes to release your trauma and regain your self-worth and value after trauma! Go get yours and let me know how it helped YOU!

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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.

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