Guest Blog: 5 Eco Friendly Changes you can make as a horse owner by Laura Szuca
5 Eco Friendly Changes you can make as a horse owner
By Laura Szuca from WannabeintherRibbons
We all want to make a difference and do out bit to help the planet – but it can be tough to know where to start can’t it?
As a horse owner I have been on a bit of a journey the last 12 months or so and have been trying to make more sustainable choices, by no means am I perfect, but I have made a start both with the products I buy, and how I choose to reuse and recycle!
Here are 5 ideas you might want to consider, some require very little effort at all whilst others will require more effort but long term could not only be a great sustainable choice they could also help you save money making it the ultimate win win.
If we all make just one change, together we can make a HUGE difference. What will you change?
Supplements tubs. If you feed a supplement you will know they can often arrive in HUGE plastic tubs. It is worth looking to see if your supplement provider offers refills that come in recycled paper bags. These can not only save you money but massively reduce plastic wastage, so opt for this option whenever you can. If you have got plastic tubs laying around the yard why not repurpose them, use them to store something in like a plaiting kit or a first aid kit or even plant some flowers in them to brighten up your yard?
Reuse your feedbags. Lots of horse feed come in large plastic bags and whilst these are sometimes made from recycled plastic, and can be recycled, how about making use of them once they are empty? Get creative and turn an old feedbag in to a homemade shopper bag that will last for ages – Pinterest has lots of great ideas of what you could create from your old feedbags! Feedbags also make great storage options (for that ever-growing saddle pad collection) keep them dust and dirt free stored away in an empty bag.
Ditch the sponges. Did you know the sponge you are using to bath your horse or clean tack is likely to contain microplastic? Those small bluey bits at the bottom of the sponge? They are made from materials like polyester and nylon which are none recyclable and fall off on almost every wash, washing straight down our drains into our water systems. These microplastics then stay in the ocean forever, either being digested by marine life or making its way onto corals or the sea floor. How about an eco-friendly alternative, Scrubbies are a perfect plastic free option. Each pack contains two Scrubbies, each with a different pattern made from 100% organic cotton & eco dyes, which is perfect to help differentiate which one is used for which task.
Let it rain! Rainwater can be collected from the roofs of stables, tack rooms and hay barns. A simple but effective way of reducing your water consumption, why not consider installing a water butt, save money and help the planet at the same time. Use the water to fill your field water troughs, wash your horsebox, water the yard plants or even use to bath your horse.
Coffee to go? If like most horse owners you are fuelled by coffee to get through the day, make sure you invest in a reusable cup – you can pick up cups that not only keep hot drinks hot for those cold days when only a steaming hot coffee will do but the same cup can be used for the summer to keep drinks cold meaning you don’t need be purchasing expensive coffee or milkshakes to go, and in the process using unnecessary plastic.
This is just a few ideas to get you started, we would love to hear what switches you have made to become more sustainable?
About Laura
Laura also known as WannabeintheRibbons is a horse owner and blogger from Bedfordshire. Owner of Mikey a 15 year older Irish Sports Horse who she has owned for 6 years. Mikey and Laura enjoy doing a bit of everything however with Mikey having picked up an injury several years back they have since only managed to get to 2 competitions last year although once lockdown is lifted they hope to get to a few shows!
Laura is keen to do more to become more sustainable and told us:
It’s scary when you start to realise just how much we all waste, never mind finding out items that you wouldn’t think have plastic on are filled with it. I have been trying to become more sustainable now for a while, and it’s something I am keen to learn more about and do even more!
Follow Laura and Mikey's journey over at
https://www.instagram.com/wannabeintheribbons
https://www.facebook.com/WannaBeintheRibbons/
Photo credit https://m.facebook.com/candicepottagephotography/