#TBT: Barn Hacks for Broken Halters
Wondering what to do with your broken or unused halters? Check out these creative and useful ways to repurpose them.
Canva/Serhii Sychov/CC
If you think a halter’s life is over just because it broke, think again! Before I get too far ahead, let me just state that no, I am not a hoarder. In fact, I love myself a good semi-annual tack room purge. But there are a few things I opt to let stick around that other people may not think twice about tossing, and broken halters is one of them.
My very first segment of broken halter is now 19 years old and has seen more life performing alternative functions around the barn than it did being used as a halter. I promise I’m not a total weirdo that keeps track of the ages of my halters. I just know it was a piece from one of the first halters I had for my first horse Chicks.
Off the top of my head it has been a water bucket hook, hay net tie, created tie spots for horses, helped hold trailer doors open, helped hold doors shut, organized ropes and cords and has even been used as a wither strap in a pinch.
Here are just a few ways you can repurpose your broken halters.
1. Create a spot for tying that wasn’t there before. I wanted a spot on my hitching post for a quick release tie in the center. Not only does my filly enjoy untying herself, but also she likes to slide her lead rope down to edge of the post and flip herself around to the other side. This piece of halter worked perfectly as a spot to secure a quick release trailer tie, so now I can either tie her to the trailer tie or have her tied twice.
Photo by Nicole Cammuso
Photo by Nicole Cammuso
2. Hanging water buckets. This is probably my biggest use for broken halters. I utilize these in stalls when I want to hang more than one bucket. But they are even more priceless to have on the road. When you haul to various arenas, you never know how the stalls are going to be set up. Halter pieces are handy for creating places to hang feed pans, water buckets and places to hang hay nets.
Photo by Nicole Cammuso
Photo by Nicole Cammuso
Photo by Nicole Cammuso
3. Lunge line and extension cord wrangler. I love to be organized, but let’s face it, sometimes we are in a rush and our extension cords don’t get coiled back up in the most unified fashion. The same goes for our lunge lines. There is nothing worse than when cords and lines get intertwined or end up chaotically thrown around. Halter pieces can be just the trick to keep everything in its place.
Photo by Nicole Cammuso
Photo by Nicole Cammuso
4. Organize your snaps. You can utilize the rings on the old halter as a place to organize snaps on lead lines or even just store your spare snaps! Isn’t that the worst when you can’t find that snap that you know you have?
Photo by Nicole Cammuso
Photo by Nicole Cammuso
5. Combine with other recycled tack misfits for creative solutions. As I said, the possibilities are endless. Here are just a few that I came up with one rainy afternoon at the barn using pieces from broken lead ropes.
Photo by Nicole Cammuso
Photo by Nicole Cammuso
Photo by Nicole Cammuso
6. Keepsakes. Saving the cheek pieces from that leather halter that breaks can be a nice way to remember or showcase a horse you love. I am not entirely sure what I will end up doing with these, either putting them to work as something functional or displaying them in some artistic fashion in my home. For now, they are hanging in my tack room and make me smile remembering two great horses I had the pleasure to own.
Photo by Nicole Cammuso
7. Spare parts. Always save your leather crown pieces! They can be used as spares when other halters break.
Photo by Nicole Cammuso
Depending on how your halter breaks, the possibilities for future uses can be endless. I happened to have a broken halter waiting to be chopped up for parts, so below is the quick and easy process of halter dissection. The hardest part is deciding a possible future use and which sections have the greatest potential. Enjoy!
Photo by Nicole Cammuso
Photo by Nicole Cammuso
Photo by Nicole Cammuso
Photo by Nicole Cammuso
