After a long day at work, you finally arrive at the barn, eager to unwind and spend time with your horse. But as soon as you enter the tack room, you’re greeted with chaos. Fallen off its bar is your saddle pad from yesterday, still moist and now dirty from the floor. One of your gloves is missing, everything has a layer of horse hair, and the dust is causing your allergies to kick in. A disorderly tack room can quickly kill the mood and derail your ride before it even begins.

A mild temperature and dry conditions provide the perfect time to tackle this vital part of your stable and give it a much-needed overhaul. These tack room organization and storage tips will help you create an efficient, clutter-free space so you can enjoy your time with your horse without frustration.

How to Organize Your Tack Room

1. Prioritize Safety – The safety of both you and your horse should always come first when organizing your tack room. You need enough space to move around freely without the risk of tripping over equipment or causing accidents. Additionally, if your tack room is near your horse’s stall, ensure that your horse can easily enter and exit without being startled or injured by disorganized gear. It's also important to consider how weather conditions might affect your equipment and storage. Make sure your tack room is well-protected from the elements to preserve the quality and longevity of your gear.

#2 A Place for Everything, and Everything in its Place – Pull out all your stuff and decide how best to organize it to make it work for you. Install some shelving, and buy hooks, storage containers and blanket racks so every item has a proper place to be, and to get everything off the floor. 

#3 Store Practically – As you plan your tack storage area, think about it in practical terms. Identify the items you use most frequently and store them in easily accessible, themed bins or racks. Tack items that are used less frequently, or seasonally, can be stored out of the way. If you find items you never use, donate or sell them rather than have them clutter your barn.

#4 Consider the Seasons – Storing tack with the seasons in mind prevents you from having a mixture of summer and winter items all in the same area. Make it easy to find blanketing layers in the winter, or fly masks in the summer, by separating your tack by season and storing accordingly.

#5 Spatial Organization – Make accessing tack simple and convenient by keeping everything within a short distance. Dedicate a single space in your barn to tack storage, and then divide that area into smaller sections that are intuitive. For instance, store all grooming items together in one space, and bridles and saddles in another, keeping each horses’ associated items together.

#6 Good Lighting – Aside from preventing injuries to you or your horse, bright lights in your tack area will discourage rodents, birds, and insects from taking up residence, while making it easy to find exactly what you are looking for.

#7 A Clean Space – A clean, clutter-free tack storage space makes it easy to find what you need, and promotes safety. In addition to straightening up your tack equipment and supplies, you should also clean up dust and debris. Seal any cracks or openings that allow dust and dirt to get into your tack storage space.

#8 A Dry Environment – Leather goods need to be stored in a dry environment to prevent the development of mould. If the area you use for tack storage isn’t air conditioned or insulated, keep the air circulating by using a fan. A clean, dry space will lengthen the life of your tack.

#9 Maintain it – Keep a broom and dust pan in your tack room and sweep up dirt, horse hair, and other debris daily. Before you leave each day, check that any damp gear can air-dry, and that everything has been put away in its proper place. You’ll really appreciate this tomorrow when you arrive at the barn after another busy day at work.

Create a tack room that works for you instead of against you. A clean, tidy tack room will be safer for you and your horse, allow you to find the equipment you need without stress, and let you maximize the time you spend bonding with and enjoying your horse. 

Thanks to Ashly Snell of Dover Saddlery for her assistance with this article.

Photo: Vespa/Shutterstock.com