The Top Entries from Lighthoof’s #BarnLifeHack Contest

Well everyone, we asked, and boy did you deliver! If it’s new and innovative barn lifehacks you’re after, you’ve come to the right place.  We wrapped up our #Barnlifehack contest  a few weeks ago, and now, after waiting with baited breath, we’ve got the top ten awesome barn hacks we didn’t even know we were missing out on! It’s always fun hearing about new tricks and tips to help your barn run a bit smoother. Get a jump start on a busy summer at the barn with some great tips to organize your barn this spring.

The Top 10 Barn Lifehacks:

It was really difficult to narrow down which of your clever barn hacks was the best! We deliberated for days. These are really brilliant, and we’ll even be putting some of them to use in our own barn. Our top 10 favorite lifehacks for the barn are:

1. Battery Operated and Remote Controlled Barn Lights - Our grand prize winner was Alexandra Nelson from Washington! How utterly adorable and practical are these? Battery operated LED lights from Costco, a Mason jar and some quick handywork and you’ve got yourself some inexpensive and practical barn lighting! And due to your ingenuity, two Lighthoof Mud-Management Panels are all yours, along with a gift card to ValleyVet.com! 
2. Garbage Pail Saddle Stand - Mariam Copeland  showed us her super useful #BarnLifeHack! Compact, perfect shape, affordable; this ingenious idea takes a 7.3 gallon $9.99 Sterilite trash can and flips that baby on it’s side. Viola! You’ve got a perfect sized saddle form with storage underneath. For the equestrian on the go!                                   
3. Barn Gutter Downspout - One of the more super practical  barn lifehacks submitted was the barn gutter downspout from Molly Ottele. What a super smart idea! She added what’s called a “Flexfit Diverter” inside their barn downspout/guttes to catch rain water. They then added an on/off valve to the outside of the gutter. This way they save money, resources and time!                                    
4. Kissing Gate - If you’ve never had the pleasure of utilizing the ease and convenience of a kissing gate, now’s your chance. Kathy St. Martin from Avalon Equine and Equine-Reproduction.com gave us the plans and how-to instructions on building your very own! Make entry in and out of your paddocks and pastures super simple! Congrats on this awesome submission.
   
5. DIY Straw Bale Soak Tub - Crystal D. from Memphis, TN writes: “It's our soak tub. My Belgian wouldn't pick up his feet to soak in a tub, so we made this walk in tub from hay and tarps. We just leave one end open, walk him in and then put up the back. While he eats we put in the water. Easiest way to soak we've found so far.” Brilliant! Thanks for sharing!
6. DIY Hay Elevator - Gibby and Roger B. from Massachusettes showed us how a $100 winch from Harbor Freight and two rollers from www.globalindustrial.com makes a super efficient and practical hay elevator. Getting hay into the barn was never so easy, and it’s a one person job. Thanks for your great #barnlifehack, guys!                                                                  
7. Ziplock Storage Hay Container - For all you homesteaders out there, Adam H. from Monroe, WA came up with a great way to keep your goats hay up off the ground and tidy. “I made hay boxes for my goats out of Ziploc storage containers with holes cut out of the lid (and sanded for safety) and hooks on the back to mount on their pen wall.”    
8. Clarisonic Face Brush coupled with the Exfoliating Gloves for the ultimate tack cleaning secret weapon - On their own, these are some pretty rad barn lifehacks, but combined? What a handy combo! Kalindi C. from Tullahoma, TN told us how she realized one day while washing her face with her Clarisonic Face Brush that if the brush was gentle enough for her face, it was probably perfect for her tack! She started saving all her old brush heads and away they went to the barn. We thought pairing that with Carly C. from Eau Claire’s exfoliating mitts made for the perfect tack cleaning tool box!                                                           
   
9. Wormer Tube Training - Kristin P. from Germantown, OH and owner over at Decidedly Equestrian submitted “Save your empty wormer tubes, wash them, and fill with applesauce or mashed bananas. I have a OTTB with a "I am going to fly through the roof" phobia of wormer, and now he is excited when he sees that wormer tube.” Anything that makes managing our four legged friends is helpful at the barn. Thanks Kristin!
10. Broomhead Threshold - “Use a contractor broom head (wood not plastic) screwed into the thresholds going from our box stalls to the attached paddocks to knock the bedding off of the horses feet as they exit the stall. Saves bedding, gravel, and time when mucking stalls.” Michelle R. from Coeur d'Alene, ID, we think that’s pretty awesome! We’re big on keeping bedding, dirt and gravel (don’t forget soil!) where it’s supposed to stay. Thanks for the tip!

Thanks everyone who took the time to submit an entry for our #BarnLifeHack contest! If you’re looking for some more fantastic ideas, check out our DIY Barn Hacks Pinterest and get to organizing that barn!