Used riding helmets aren’t a safe way to protect yourself in the saddle. When you need a new helmet, use the old one as a horse toy! An upcycled used riding helmet can make a cute, easy treat toy your horse will love.
What Should You Do with Used Riding Helmets?
Let’s start with what you shouldn’t do with a used helmet: wear it while riding.
Once a helmet has taken a fall, it may not protect you as well in a future accident. Plus, horse riding helmets have a lifespan, after which their parts may not work as well to provide the best protection and shock absorption.
For this reason, used riding helmets shouldn’t be worn and you should not buy them, even though it’s more expensive to buy new. Your helmet can mean the difference between walking away from a fall and sustaining a serious injury, so play it safe: once your riding helmet has been in a fall, you should get a new one.
Thankfully, basic helmets like this inexpensive Troxel schooling helmet don’t have to break the bank.
So what should you do with the used riding helmet? Don’t toss it! Instead, turn it into an easy DIY horse toy that your equine friend will love.
Why Turn a Used Riding Helmet into a Horse Toy?
Personally, I love a good upcycling project. Why chuck something in the trash when you could give it new life as something else?
A riding helmet – especially the vented kind with holes throughout – makes a GREAT horse toy. It’s solid, durable, and holds treats your horse will love. The straps make it easy to hang up, or you can even use it on the ground as a puzzle feeder.
Horses need enrichment, but horse toys are pricey. Solution: turn your used riding helmet into a horse toy, put the money saved on toys toward a new helmet. Now everyone’s happy: your horse, your wallet, and your head.
You can use this upcycled helmet treat toy in your horse’s stall, by attaching it to a rafter or stall wall. It also works great hanging from a tree in the pasture.
What Horse Behaviors Does the DIY Helmet Toy Encourage?
Enrichment for horses is all about encouraging natural behaviors. That’s the best way to prevent boredom and keep your horse healthy, mentally and physically.
The used helmet treat toy promotes foraging and encourages your horse to use their senses. They’ll need fine motor control and patience to work the treats out of the holes, and they’ll get to practice browsing (eating plants above ground level, like shrubs or tree branches).
The helmet also provides a new and interesting experience for your horse. It’s a lot like the hanging browse board made from a bucket lid, but different in shape and size. Exciting new enrichment items give your horse variety and provide extra boredom relief.
How to Make a Horse Toy from a Used Riding Helmet
Step 1: Get a Used Riding Helmet
First, you’ll need to find a used helmet.
A vented helmet is best for this project. If you only have solid helmets, you’ll skip the parts about wedging treats into the vent holes and just turn your helmet into a hanging forage box for your horse.
You can use any vented helmet, of any size, for this project. Lots of riding stables use old bike helmets, which is the kind pictured here. If you give lessons and need to have a helmet cleanout, this upcycle project makes a great group activity for riding students.
Step 2: Pick and Prep Treats
Any horse-safe treat works for this project as long as you can cut it into wedges or sticks.
Celery and carrot are great choices because they wedge easily into the helmet holes. Apple slices are also great. If your horse is sugar-sensitive and shouldn’t have much fruit, you can use slices of fall squash or pumpkin (yes, horses can eat pumpkin!) or cucumber sticks.
You can also get creative and use this project idea for edible branches and other browse, or fresh herbs. Your used helmet treat toy is reusable, so go for something different each time!
Step 3: Fill the Helmet with Treats
Carefully add veggie or fruit sticks to the helmet’s vent holes. The helmet will be used upside down, so fit them in as snugly as possible.
If you want extra fun, put treats inside the helmet and fill with hay or other forage. Your horse will pull out the
Step 4: Hang up the Helmet
This horse toys works great in several locations. Use the chin strap on the helmet to clip your toy onto a sturdy overhead structure, like a stall rafter.
The used helmet horse toy can also hang from a sturdy overhead gate post or pasture tree. It’s best to hang it just above the level of your horse’s head, so that they can reach it easily but can’t touch it with their hooves.
Place a pan or tray beneath to catch goodies that drop from the helmet. This adds a second dimension of fun and challenge to this enrichment activity, as your horse learns to check the pan after wiggling the used riding helmet around.
Once you’ve done that, you can invite your horse to enjoy their new toy! There WILL be silly faces.
Used Riding Helmet Toy Safety
This helmet is a much safer horse toy than piece of protective equipment, but it’s still important to keep safety in mind when giving your horse enrichment.
Don’t use a helmet for this project if the outer shell is broken or flaking away from age. Make sure to check the toy all over before each use.
Lastly, don’t hang it below the height of your horse’s withers. If you don’t have anywhere to securely hang this toy, clip away the chinstraps and just use it on the ground as a fun, textured treat puzzle.
Related Enrichment
Try these articles for similar ideas for more fun, boredom-busting experiences:
Swinging Plastic Jar Stall Toy
Cardboard Browse Board for Horses (this one doesn’t swing around, so it’s a good easy option for horses who want less challenge)