Merry Christmas everyone! Hope your holidays are going well.

A happy blogger told me about a cool site that sells horse tack and gear at unbelievably low prices. What's the catch? They only sell one item a day! You gotta go check it out.... www.tackoftheday.com but be careful this site can become slightly addicting.

Here's the skinny: At noon (Eastern Time) Monday-Friday they post an unbelievably useful and precious item for horse or rider at an equally unbelievable price (paraphrased from their site). They have a limited number of items every day. When they are gone - they are gone. The shipping is reasonable and the products are quality.

To feed the addictions of frugal tackaholics, they have now introduced a "Whinny Alert System". It is a small program you install on your computer that does one thing - it tells you what today's product is automatically every day at noon. It literally whinnys when the noon message is available. What will they think of next?

It seems the snow is coming down all over the country right now, including down south. Up here in the Pacific NW we are seeing 3 storms in a row and our temperatures are dipping into the teens. Its c-c-c-cold! It struck me that there will be a lot of horses wondering how to get through the ice to their water!

If you haven't already bought a stock tank heater or similar product, here is a way to break up the ice on those frozen water tanks. Put a wooden fence post a couple inches in diameter in the water, with one end sticking out of the water. Other objects can work as well, such as a tree limb or in smaller buckets a large dowel. As the temperature drops and the water freezes, the water climbs the post, leaving a sizable air gap between the frozen surface and the water below.

A couple of tugs on the post and the ice breaks without splashing cold water everywhere. This beats getting your shoe wet while stomping or dipping your arm in the frozen water. Keep dry by using a stall fork to take out the layer of ice on the top. Make sure to take out the broken ice because a wider drinking area will encourage horses to drink more often which is essential to helping them stay warm!

Well, yesterday was Cyber Monday. I did a lot of screen shopping and placed my orders wisely. But what about those of us who like to save on the products in the walk-in stores?

Farnam to the rescue!! Click here to go to 43 printable Farnam coupons. Save on products such as IverCare, Leather New, MaxFlex, Quietex, Rain Maker, Thrush XX, StrongyleCare and many many more. The expiration date on most is 9/30/09 but a few expire at the end of December this year.

Christmas idea: You may be a savvy blogger but what about your other horse loving friends? For those friends that do not have access to the coupons just print them out and stick them in a cute envelope, scrapbook a coupon book, or even stick them to a gift calendar. Everyone likes to save money!

I will let you know of other coupons and holiday deals as I come across them. Have fun!

Wow, Thanksgiving is upon us already. You're probably going to be enjoying a meal and visiting with relatives indoors today. Your horse will have a day off but why not let him enjoy a special meal also? Here is a great recipe of bran mash to try out. It will warm his tummy and make his day special:

Thanksgiving Mash

Ingredients:
Hot Water
A dollop of molasses
A handful of brown sugar
Two carrots shredded
One chopped apple
6 Cups of bran mash
Your horse’s daily grain ration (either morning or evening portion)
2 cups of apple juice

Optional ingredients:
chopped up corn (still on the cob), apple sauce, carrot tops, dollop of corn oil, store-bought horse cookies or sugar lumps.

Instructions:Mix all ingredients together in a large bucket. Pour enough hot water on top to resemble soupy oatmeal. Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes, or until the bran has absorbed the water and is cool enough to eat. Pour the apple juice on top and serve. Discard any leftovers.

For more on this recipe and other news about equestrian life, visit www.horsechannel.com/ .

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

Today’s tip is all about dryer sheets. They are one of the most versatile creations of laundry room stock and are a valuable addition in the tack room. They smell good and have magnetizing and anti-static properties. As an added bonus they can serve as a great way to keep away all the little flying insects around the barn, pasture and on the trail.

As an insect repellent:

For sweet itch, an allergy reaction to the bites of midges or gnats, rub a dryer sheet on the top of the tail.
To rid the horse of flies, braid Bounce or other brand of dryer sheet in the horse’s mane and tail.
While riding, tuck a dryer sheet in the bridle and one in your back pocket or under a belt loop to repel flies, bees, and wasps.

As a static remover:

If your horse gets a buildup of static electricity in the mane and tail, wipe the hair down with a dryer sheet.
When your horse wears a wool-lined winter blanket, rub the horse gently with a dryer sheet before you put the blanket on to reduce static shock when you remove the blanket.

As an air freshener:

In between shows, place a dryer sheet in your tack trunk or garment bag to keep everything fresh.
Hang a dryer sheet in your tack locker to both repel flies and keep it smelling fresh. (The softening agents in the dryer sheets can affect the leather so make sure to hang it where it will not be in contact with your bridle and saddle.)

So the next time you are out purchasing your laundry needs, pick up an extra box of dryer sheets for your horse!

Welcome to The Frugal Horseman! Here you will be able to find resources for do-it-yourself projects for horsekeeping and ways to use what you already have in the care of horses, tack, and equipment.

These days it seems like we are reminded constantly about how the economy is not as generous as it used to be. So the question is "how do we keep up with the best care for our equine companions as possible on a frugal budget?" Well, I got ideas and resources, resources, resources.

Put this blog in your favorites and come by often for hints, tips, DIY projects, instructions, effecient care, and a few giveaways!