Abolishing Tack Room Clutter

We all have them: messy lockers and tack rooms that look like a tornado went through them. My mess is the result of years of acquiring tack and a lack of time to figure out where it should all go. But a disorganized tack room can be the biggest time eater: time can be wasted finding the right bit or a set of polos that match. If you lose things because of clutter, you can also end up spending money needlessly to replace items that are buried at the bottom of your tack locker.

"You know Martha Stewart has been in your barn when the manure in your barn yard has been sculpted into swans."
- Lynn Sampson, Alberta

You don't have to go quite that far! In this article I hope to offer you some simple, easy and cheap organization solutions for your tack room or locker. All of these items are available at your local dollar store or home improvement shop. Many may already be lying around your property.

The first way to free up space is by getting your polos and boots put away in an easily accessible place. The cheapest and most effective way to do this is to put a bungee cord on the wall attached by either 2 nails or eye screws. This simple storage solution will save you time and neatly display your bandages and boots so they are easy to find.


Bridles and halters can be another source of clutter. Improperly storing these expensive pieces of tack can lead to broken leathers. This also is a time waster because you end up spending needless time replacing or untangling your equipment. A cheap and safe way of making your own bridle hanger is to use old shallow tin cans, like tuna or saddle soap cans, and screw them to the wall. This also keeps the shape of the bridle, which prevents the leather from cracking. You can even paint them your barn colors for aesthetics! Another neat thing you can do is paint the center, like I did, with "chalk board paint." (I purchased this at my local hardware store.) You then can write each horse's name in the center - a great solution if you are managing lots of horses and students. This way, you and your students (especially kids) will know which bridle goes with which horse.

Milk crates are a great space saver. I purchased the ones seen here for $1.00 a piece at my local dollar store. They are fantastic for storing cottons and bell boots. The holes enable you to see what's in them, eliminating the need to fumble blindly through box after box. They are also stackable, making them great in the tack room or on the trailer.

Corks and braiding items are a well-known hassle for competition riders. A handy storage method is the plastic containers. These were also purchased at the local dollar store for $1.00 a piece. They are often used in offices for paper clips, tacks, etc. As you can see, they neatly display all the items and the compartments keep the items separate. They are very handy for metal corks: I use a J-Cloth and soak it in WD-30 to line the bottom of the container, preventing the corks from rusting. Every month or two, I simply add a few more drops to keep the sheet moist.

Saddle pads, coolers, and blankets can easily be stored with custom-made hangers. I went down to my local hardware store and picked up a few ¾" inch 4' dowels and some nylon rope. You simply drill a hole at each end and you can make your own hangers as seen in fig. 5 These may feature as few or many hangers as you please. Storing them by hanging saves so much room and makes post-ride drying easier. There is nothing worse than a wet blanket or saddle pad the next time you go to ride! These are handy to take with you to a show where space is at a premium.

Small plastic drawers are a great space saver. They are stackable and available at any dollar store. They work great for storing bits, small bottles, and miscellaneous supplies. If you label them, this saves having to go though each drawer to find what you are looking for.

Crops and whips can easily and safely be stored by taking a piece of sona tube or PVC piping and screwing it to the wall. This saves them from being all over the floor and eliminates the risk of them being broken by careless feet. It also saves time; you won't have to fumble around to find one. Hang a few nails on the wall to store helmets and other items. This minimizes wear and tear - you don't have to worry about them getting cracked from falling.


There are two handy ways to make your own saddle hangers. Either with 4"X 4" treated lumber approx 2' feet long, with a rope anchor screwed to it or 4" PVC pipe 2' long with a rope anchor bolted on. To fasten them to the wall simply screw an eye screw into the wall and hang the attached rope anchor to the eye screw . If the hanger sags a bit, you can level it up by adjusting the distance the eye screw is in the wall or putting a block of 2"X4" behind the hanger.


Once you have organized your tack storage area, you will find that the time spent at the barn simply getting your stuff ready to tack up will be greatly reduced. If you spend 10 minutes each day finding your stuff, that's 70 minutes a week! That's at least one ride! Think about how many rides that would be each month - especially if you have more than one horse. Your tack and equipment will also last longer. As Martha Stewart would say "It's a good thing!"

Megan Dykeman- 2004 (c)

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