At my barn, we muck the stalls and dump the manure by pushing the loaded wheelbarrow up a ramp and flipping it into a dumpster. I would like a device that lifts the wheelbarrow up and dumps it without me being involved at all, to prevent me from rolling backward because the ramp is wet and slippery or the wheelbarrow is too heavy.
Joann Robertson, New York
An automatic bit cleaner.
Lynsey Steinberg, Ga.
A bridle storage and cleaning rack. I hang up my bridle, and the machine cleans and polishes the bit, shines the leather and makes it ready for every ride.
Nancy Gauthier, N.H.
Self-cleaning water buckets.
Joanne Butina Fatur, N.H.
An automatic horse wash.
Christine McGarrigle, S.D.
A heated hose reel.
Kim Cronenwett, Ohio
Automatic jumps that raise and lower to the height I want at the touch of a button.
Alex Crown, N.Y.
As an instructor, I’ve been dreaming for years about a robot that sets up arena equipment. How lovely would it be if it came perfectly programmed so that all I’d have to do is specify what I want: “A bounce to a one-stride to a two-stride for a 13.2-hand pony, please”–and it would scurry off and move all those heavy jump standards for me while I turn my undivided attention to my students!
Nikki Surrusco, Ga.
An automatic feed measurer, so that I always know my horse is getting fed what he needs.
Lindsay Connolly, Ky.
Something that tacks up my horse for me.
Julie Stephenson, N.J.
A machine that gets my horse dressage ready with a matching outfit for me at the push of a button.
Linnaya Graf, Pa.
Something that sweeps out dust and cobwebs.
Anna Bryant, Texas
Some way to test the soil in the pastures for the bacteria that causes scratches so we would know which pastures to stay out of when wet.
Susie DeVito, N.Y.
An automatic bandage roller.
Allison Leung
A low-profile, inexpensive and reliable automatic feeder and waterer with metered compartments for oats, fat/protein additives and supplements.
Brooke Vander Honing, Mich.
Mud that dries instantly.
Pam Brace Merrick, N.Y.
Somebody make me a robot to turn out my horses! It must be able to tolerate nippy colts and horses on hand-walking-only regimens. I think for kicks it should be able to say, “Ouch, damn it!” when it gets stepped on or kicked.
Cynthia Chesnutt, Texas
A machine that wraps my horse’s legs for me.
Kayla Spitzer, Ind.
My horse’s dream invention is an automatic carrot and banana feeder–which is not the same as my dream invention!
Wiebke Sch?ller, Hessen, Germany
To read more answers to this question or find out how to submit answers to future questions, see Rider to Rider in the January 2011 issue of Practical Horseman magazine.
