On this page I list a few ideas that we use, or have found elsewhere, that look like they might be useful to others.  Old timers my scoff, but there are always new comers to our business and sport (we hope).  They don't all have experienced mentors. Lets welcome them and help them.

If you have an idea or a comment you would like to contribute, please E-mail us at betarock@betarock.com if it looks good, we'll post it here and give you credit for it.

Need a one size fits all halter for daily lead out?  Use a chain shank lead.  Hook shank to itself at leather attachment to make a closed chain loop.  Slip chain loop over horses nose and drape lead over poll and back over (inside) itself at throat latch.  This forms a figure of eight around the nose and poll.  Adjust this fairly tight and lead out either by grabbing hold of the crossover point or even by the lead a little further out.  You have some effect of a chain shank (but not nearly as strong).  This method has the advantage of safety.  If the horse should get away from you, as soon as he puts his head down the weight of the chain will pull it off his nose and the whole thing falls to the ground and your horse is not running around with a halter and lead dangling!

You can use a cotton lead too!  If you have a strong grip you can use a cotton lead wrapped around the head.  Start by passing the lead over the poll (away from you), back under the chin (toward you), over the nose (again away from you), and then hang on to both lose ends. You need to tighten the spiral and hang on to both free ends close to the chin.  This doesn't give you any lead length but does give you a hold of the head.  Again if the horse gets loose the whole thing will fall off of its own weight.

Newspaper for bedding? For us the use of newsprint for bedding has few downsides.  It is very absorbent, cheap, clean, and easily handled.  For more information CLICK HERE.

Foalert:  We have been using the Foalert mare monitoring system for several years.  We have been very satisfied with it.  If you are contemplating using a mare monitoring system, we will be glad to discuss this system's merits.  We can also give you some helpful hints on its use.

Dry erase board: Commercial dry erase boards are usually constructed of fiberboard backing with a glossy surface.  These do not hold up well in damp locations.  We have found that glass cutting boards from a local discount store work very well. Hang them on the wall with mirror brackets.  They are made of sturdy glass, and mounted flat on the wall, are not prone to breakage. For stall boards you can use plastic sheets used for rolling out pies.  Instead of using dry erase board cleaner, we use a small amount of WD40! Its cheaper and found in most barns!

Hoof Pick: The most comfortable and useful hoof pick you will ever find can be made by bending down 3/4-1 inch at the end of an inexpensive screwdriver.  You can grind or file the end to your own personal taste.  Admittedly, hoof picks are cheap and often freebies, but I have found these screwdriver picks to be more comfortable and useful.

Tank warmer:  For those who might live in cold climates like we do and cannot use stock tank heaters: we found that having several inches of manure (always available!!) around the water tank really helps to keep the freezing to a minimum. Ours is just placed inside a larger worn-out tank and the manure filled in. We replace as needed. A  wooden box could be constructed as well. (submitted by Terry Wilson)

These are ideas we use or were submitted by readers.  Whether they will work in your situation, only you can decide.  But lets all share our ideas great or small.(If you have an idea or a comment you would like to contribute, please E-mail us at betarock@betarock.com if it looks good, we'll post it here and give you credit for it.)