In my best Linda Richman voice (Mike Myers on Saturday Night Live, for the pop-culture challenged): I'll give you a topic ...

In the March 2009 issue of our fabulous magazine (Practical Horseman, in case you missed that), we did a story on 39 "green" ideas you can implement around your barn. Ideas ranged from stuff everyone can do like recycling plastic and aluminum and using a bucket and sponge to wash your horse (instead of a hose) to the more complicated, such as installing wind/solar power generators and composting manure.

What strategies have you implemented around your barn to help "reduce, reuse, recycle"?

(And now for a shameless plug: For those of you who don't have a copy of the magazine, pick up the latest issue at your local tack shop/book store or, while we're on the subject, go the eco-friendly route and subscribe to the new digital version at www.zinio.com. True, it doesn't have that new-magazine smell, but it cuts down on stuff headed for the landfill--not that you'd EVER consider throwing out one single copy of our fine publication! Right?)

I have discovered a great organization called "Horses for Clean Water."   Their website is www.horsesforcleanwater.com.  I absolutely think PH should do a story on this -- they have a great newsletter and tons of tips on how to be a more conscientious horse owner and manager.

At my old barn, the owner called me "The President of Greenpeace" because I recycle absolutely everything. If someone was going to throw away an empty supplement conatiner, fly spray bottle, shampoo bottle, etc., I always set it aside and took it home to recycle. Unfortunately, most people in Miami are not very eco-conscious, so I try to pick up some of the slack.

Since I use Smartpaks, I bought a big canvas bag and hung it up in the feed room so that the caretaker can just throw the empty Smartpaks into the bag. When it's full, I take it home and put the contents into the recycling bin. It's not exactly an innovative idea, but I really believe that every little bit helps. 

Great suggestion, Solaris! I will definitely check it out. Perhaps I'll find some great tips for my news section!

Well done, Frizzle! Simple tip, but kudos for doing your part--and taking up the slack for others!

And if SmartPaks weren't already a godsend, the fact that they're recyclable makes them just that much better!