Tack Room Tips For a Clean and Organized Space

A tack room is essential for a horse barn. We need a home for all of our saddles, bridles, blankets, brushes, etc. Keeping your tack room organized can be a challenge for most, especially if you are sharing that space with others. Add these tack room tips for cleaning and organization to your spring-cleaning list and start this spring off on the right foot! 1. First things first, even though your tack room is an area to store your equipment, you also want to keep this equipment SAFE. Make sure that your tack room has proper lighting and dry air. Proper lighting will discourage rodents, birds and bugs from making a home in your tack area. The dry air will protect your leather tack from moisture. Moisture will eventually break down and destroy the leather. 2. Organize your tack by usage. Some equipment you may use on a daily basis, others you may use on an occasional basis or even seasonal. Store the items you use on a regular basis in an easily accessible area. The other items can be stored out of the way to provide more space. For seasonal items, (such a winter blankets) think about taking them out of your tack room and putting them in another area (i.e., garage, shed, basement). If you RARELY or NEVER use certain tack, consider selling it in a tack sale or donating it to a therapeutic riding center or an equine rescue organization. 3. Dedicate areas of your tack room to improve accessibility. Keep your grooming tools in one area, your saddles in another, blankets in one and bridles in an another. Try to give each bridle its own hook to avoid clutter. For storage, use wire baskets instead of wooden shelves. This will allow you to easily see what is stored in them. A clean and organized tack room will make your life much easier and will have you ready for another horse filled season! For more tips on how to organize or clean your tack room visit: https://www.usef.org/_staffIframes/pressbox/images/magazine/pdf/fc5f0e810fa80848640f7e35c8906399.pdf