Tips for Organizing Your Barn’s Tack Room

Untidy and cluttered tack rooms are more than just unpleasant to look at. An unorganized tack room can lead to frustration, loss of time, injury, and spending money on products you already have. Most importantly, the tack and equipment in your tack room will stay in better shape if they are stored in a clean, organized environment. Continue reading to find out how you can transform your tack room into a space that’s easy to navigate and ideal for storing tack.

Organize Tools With Wall Racks

Using wall racks is one of the best ways to keep your tack room organized. Hang equipment like shovels, pitchforks, ladders, and brooms on wall racks and tool holders. This will give you more floor space for items that cannot be hung up. While there are many types of racks available for storing barn equipment and horse tack, don’t be afraid to get creative with methods of your own.

Bridle Racks

Bridle racks are a preferred method by many for storing bridles and halters. These hanging racks keep your tack from getting tangled or twisted. The type of bridle rack you choose depends on the amount of tack you have and what storage method you prefer. If you choose a bridle rack that can fit multiple bridles and halters in one spot, make sure you keep the tack you use most often nearer to the front so you don’t have to pull everything off to find it.

Saddle Racks

Many horse owners like to use molded saddle racks that can be mounted on walls to store their horses’ saddles. Tier saddle racks are ideal for storing multiple saddles while taking up less wall space. Some tier saddle racks even have the option to adjust the spacing between tiers.

Saddle racks help maintain the quality of leather and synthetic materials used in saddles while supporting each saddle’s weight and shape. That being said, it’s important to note that saddles need to be stored in cool, dry areas to keep them in good condition.

Pegboards

Pegboards aren’t just handy for workshops and hand tools, they’re also great for tack room storage. Pegboards can be used for hanging leads, bridles, and halters. You can also use pegboards to hang grooming tools such as brushes, curry combs, hoof picks, and sweat scrapers. Install small buckets or shelving on the pegboard to store supplies that can’t be hung such as clippers, blades, and braiding supplies.

To better organize your grooming supplies, you can install a sturdy shelf on the pegboard or above it to store bottled items like shampoos, conditioners, fly repellents, polishes, glosses, detanglers, and chew deterrents.

Keep Saddles & Saddle Pads Separate in Storage

We recommend storing your horses’ saddle pads separate from their saddles. If a saddle pad is damp or wet from weather conditions and sweat, your leather saddle can become damaged from that moisture. Likewise, saddle pads need to dry out completely before being placed in storage to prevent bacteria and mildew growth. To dry saddle pads you can use blanket hangers attached to a tension rod or mounted rod. Once clean and dry, saddle pads can be stored in large sealable containers or bags.

Take Fewer Trips With Carts

Using a tool cart for frequently used supplies is a simple way to keep your equipment organized and readily available. Tool carts are especially helpful for moving larger-sized tools that would otherwise take multiple trips to carry, such as tools for cleaning out stalls. You can also get rolling saddle carts to effortlessly transport saddles and bridles without needing additional help or taking multiple trips to the tack room.

Don’t Ignore Bags, Covers, & Catch-Alls

Tack storage bags, covers, and catch-alls are great for storing items that don’t need to be hung up. While you may think a catch-all isn’t very organized, there are many catch-all bags and containers that have separate compartments inside to keep your supplies in order. You can also use containers and baskets to make your catch-all storage even more organized.

When organizing with closed containers, keep similar products together and label your containers to know what’s inside. This will save you time when searching for a specific product or group of items. Additionally, if you want your tack to be dust-free, storage bags and covers are the way to go. These bags protect against moisture, bugs, dust, rust, and mildew.

Say Goodbye to Torn & Expired Products

Only keep tools, equipment, supplies, and tack that you use. If you have extra items taking up space that are old, broken, or never get used, it’s time to get rid of them. Instead of letting these items sit in your tack room untouched for a day when you’re able to mend them, save yourself time and space by allowing yourself to throw these things away.

Items that are in good condition that you don’t need can be sold or donated. Routinely check product expiration dates and throw out any products that are no longer in date. Removing unused items can open up extra space in your tack room that you didn’t know you had.

Have First-Aid Supplies Close-By

First-aid kits should always be easy to find and grab in case of emergency. While these items may not be used as frequently as other supplies, they can be vital to the well-being of you and your horse should an injury happen. Always keep your first-aid kit in the open where it can be quickly spotted and accessed when needed. While we hope to never need these supplies, prioritizing safety by taking precautions is crucial.

Are you in the market for a horse barn that meets and exceeds all your expectations? Raber’s prefab and fully customizable horse barns are popular with customers and their horses for good reason. Contact us today to see how we can help design the horse barn of your dreams.