# homemade DIY mini ideas



## Intexas2stay (May 25, 2013)

I love DIY projects! Anyone else? Would love to see your ideas!


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## Pippin' (May 25, 2013)

I love them too! We've made tons of human and animal items because of high costs.

Things we've made (If you want the plans we've used please tell me):

- Rabbit cages

- Rabbit & Chicken nest boxes

- Chicken coops

- Fencing using old hay pallets

- Incubator for Chicken eggs

- Storage boxes

- Saddle stands

- Halters (rope)

- Bookcases

- Jewelry boxes

- Spice racks

- Shelves

- Bridle\Halter hooks

- Dog agility equipment

- Horse jumps

- Trail equipment

I love to build things and quite a few of our friends are awesome DIY guys.


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## atotton (May 25, 2013)

ditto to pippin


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## BSharpRanch (May 25, 2013)

I've made baling twine hay nets and halters with leads!


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## Intexas2stay (May 26, 2013)

Pippin, could I have the rope halter instructions please? I think I will be making hanging hay bags and treat stall toys today.


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## Little Wolf Ranch (May 26, 2013)

Id love to see how you made the pallet fencing!


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## Pippin' (May 27, 2013)

For the rope halters I'd have to ask the family friend because he's actually the one that made the majority of them. I made one with his help but he has all of the detailed instructions.

For the pallet fencing we stood all the pallets up on their side around the perimeter of the yard and then stuck t posts in where the pallets met and then used bailing twine around the t posts and the pallets to connect and stabilize them. I will get some pictures tomorrow to help explain better.


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## happy appy (May 27, 2013)

The only thing that we have made is slow feeders.


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## candycar (May 28, 2013)

Here's one I'm kind of proud of, a home made harness rack.


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## paintponylvr (May 28, 2013)

I started making horse equipment when I was a 4H teen in Colorado. I think one of my first was turning a broken rein into a split ear headstall for a large pony. Next would have been making my own bell boots out of the carpet squares we'd had a den carpeted in in HA. Wish I still had that "pattern" - could probably work out another! Then I went thru a series of braiding my reins out of the jute twine on our large alfalfa hay bales and making halters out of the hollow marine rope using a "fid" to join the parts and utilizing the hooks that came on the original rope halters in those days... Mostly made my own lead ropes - hated the flat nylon ones that were all the rage in late 70s thru mid 80s.

Fast forward to 1995 - I couldn't find bridles to fit our Shetland ponies at first. So, made my own for working them (I don't have any good pics that show the "work bridles"). Then it was show blankets/pads.









Both of the headstalls/reins that are on the mares above were made by Triple LLL - B mini size. They still make products, but they are no longer marketed directly to the public.

Now, I often braid my own flat braid collars that ponies are both identified by and tied up with during feeding. Most are braided out of our recycled haystring from our own hay bales. The small hay bale strings can be used but for only short projects. I use them in both 4 strand and 6 strand (round braids) for feed ties and trailer ties. They also work to hang equipment.






I also braid lead ropes and no hardware halters.






I've made 2 complete training harness (s) - pleasure type, 20' driving lines plus one set of pair driving lines, headstalls w/ curb straps and reins, several sets of balancing side reins, back straps and cruppers for small pony sized English saddles.









Recently I finally got around to getting paracord and have made several lead ropes and collars for our ponies. Here you can see a lot of the projects that I've made - Braided tack.


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## Lindi-loo (May 29, 2013)

Iv made bridle/head collar hangers from empty tuna cans



..screw them to the tack room wall and your head collars are always to hand


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## Marsha Cassada (May 29, 2013)

Lindi-loo said:


> Iv made bridle/head collar hangers from empty tuna cans
> 
> 
> 
> ..screw them to the tack room wall and your head collars are always to hand


Following that idea, I use an empty canned pineapple can in my harness bag for the headstall. It's a little deeper than a tuna can. Cut out both ends and the hanging strap holds headstall/can in place.


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## lucky seven (May 29, 2013)

Does anyone have instructions to make the halters and lead ropes?


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## candycar (May 30, 2013)

Here's the website I use for rope halter instructions. I use the pretty rope from Lowes or Walmart it's about 3/8 in dia. www.naturalhorsesupply.com/tiehalter.shtml


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## paintponylvr (May 31, 2013)

That website above is similar to what I use, but I purchased the printed out plans from U braid it dot.com (take out the spaces).

It's a little different - takes a little longer to do. I've adjusted the knots to fit my ponies by bringing in a halter the size that fits the pony (s) I'm making the new halter for. I measure and put knots where the hardware is. If you don't want it too small, you need to add a little more space as the knots are smaller than the hardware and so will end up closer together, making the halter too small if you don't adjust it out a little bit.

The above website is the one that I started out ordering my book about braiding. Braiding Tack  That is where I got the general pattern for my headstalls, my lead ropes, collars and driving/lounge lines. I used the general ideas to come up with my own patterns for doing harness. If I really get busy with braiding, I could probably do a decent gig saddle, but I just use a purchased one - sooo much faster and since I saved $$ by making the rest of the harness - it's OK.

I've gotten my paracord from several different sources. Latest source is thru my farrier who also makes tack for sale. We went in together and I got 3 1,000 ft rolls of paracord (need a minimum of 5 rolls from this supplier at a time). The cost came to $120 for all that "string". My hubby got some for me from a supplier thru Amazon and just got 500 ft... Cost almost as much. The paracord from the above links also cost a bit more - but you don't get as much if you don't need it AND they sell by the foot if you'd prefer.

I've noticed both our tack stores and some catalogs are selling single strand paracord products that anyone can make!

Some of the other things that I made I made my own patterns (saddle pads) by using measurements of the saddles. Others I had patterns from magazines MANY years ago (Horseman, Horse Illustrated Year End English and Western mags).

Just about all my life, I've purchased rope and made lead ropes, lounge lines, trailer ties and cross ties in different styles. Still get rope from Lowe's, Home Depot and TSC. Some of the Natural Horse suppliers also will sell different sizes/types of rope (besides the ever popular Yacht rope) that can be made into your farm colors!


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## paintponylvr (May 31, 2013)

Candycar - can you post larger pics of that silver dapple with the halters you've made?? Do you have a website or online photos?

Like the name of your farm, too!!


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## paintponylvr (May 31, 2013)

Does someone have a pattern for mini/Shetland sheets and blankets? I'd love to be able to make the polar fleece blankies for the foals and I'm not doing good coming up with my own working patterns...


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## bevann (May 31, 2013)

Borrow or buy 1 of what you need,lay it down on large paper and trace around= pattern.there are places you can buy webbing or wide velcro.Used to be a place in WA or OR that sold by mail all sorts of fabrics and trims including rip stop, denier,parachute cord and webbing.Nowadays with google it is easy to find almost anything you want.


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## paintponylvr (May 31, 2013)

I have lots of material (s) - wanted to use up by making some things to fit my guys, denims/fleeces/cottons etc. I have a couple blankets - they are too big or too small BUT you are right, I can use them for patterns, thanks! I had completely forgotten about some that I purchased last fall!! Your comment reminded me.


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## candycar (Jun 1, 2013)

Paintponylvr, here's what I could find in my photobucket. I don't have a website, I have just 3 minis. Thank you for the compliment on my "farm" name. Someday when I have a proper farm I'll use it!

Some of the halters are askew and too loose in the pics, I was still learning how to adjust them. I wrap the noseband between the knots and make the tassels with left over cord unwound.


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## Never2Mini (Jun 1, 2013)

Wow you all are crafty ! Sure wish I was more crafty. I have made rope halters and lead ropes for my riding horse. I need to get me a book on the braiding to make something cute for the Mini's.


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