Sometimes it seems that the barn is being over-run with baling twine. Every time you open another bale of hay, two more lengths of twine end up on the floor! In addition to the ubiquitous orange baling twine, you can also get hay baled with blue or black nylon, as well as natural twine, not to mention baling wire – but that’s a whole ‘nuther story!
A discussion in the EquiSearch Horses Forum quickly showed that baling twine has as many, if not more, uses than duct tape!
Here’s a selection of uses for baling twine from our forum members, ranging from the utilitarian to the wildly creative!
In an emergency, baling twine can be used to:
- make a makeshift halter
- make a makeshift leadrope
- temporarily fix fence boards and gates
- replace broken blanket straps
- make a makeshift martingale
- make a grab strap for beginner lesson takers
- make anti grazing reins
- temporarily tie a gate closed when the latch breaks
- temporarily fix broken halters, bridles and reins
- as a temporary replacement for broken boot laces
- create an emergency fly fringe
- cinch your jeans up
Around the barn and pasture, baling twine can be used to:
- tie the feed buckets to the stall walls
- tie fans up in the stall rafters
- tie a jollyball to the rafters
- tie up stall guards
- use as breakaway ties on hitching posts
- create a pull for the loft stairs
- make pulls for light switches
- make a haynet (http://www.equisearch.com/horses_care/nutrition/hay/eqhaynet3477/)
- make handles for the ends of electric fencing
- cordon off sections of muddy pasture in spring
- tie down the office pen
- tie a big orange loop on the scissors and hoofpick so they don’t get lost in the bedding
- tether things down in the pickup
- tie down tarpaulins
With a little creativity and the right type of baling twine, you can:
- make a grooming wisp
- weave it into belts, dog leashes, halters and lead ropes
- braid it into tail strings for blankets
- make a hammock
- knit it into a pot-scouring pad
- make macrame plant hangers
- use it as saddle strings on western saddles
- use it to fasten latigos on western saddles
And, in my opinion, the most original (and possibly the most bizarre) use for baling twine:
- You can braid it into a sparse tail as an emergency fly swatter (separate strands first)
