If you had your own tackroom.?

Lintel

Lintel

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Lucky enough to be in the process of having a tackroom put up just for me the boy and a potential new pony companion one day!
It is 11x6ft and 8ft high.

So far what I'm planning is large shelving up the back for rugs and general storage.
Down the left hand side I'm planning on having feed bins and a shelf above them for any supplements and bits and bobs.
Down the right hand side I plan on having my tack and items that are in use.


OH had suggested perhaps a wee workstation would be a good idea and after dismissing it I'm now thinking perhaps it would be... Not sure for what but I'm sure if find a use!


So tell me if you were on my position...... What would be your plan and your MUST HAVES :)
 
Definitely add a workstation - very handy to stand or sit at when making up feeds, and cleaning tack, etc. Also a bin for rubbish, to save wandering to and from wherever the yard bin might be. White board to note down dates and times for vet or farrier, etc. If you have space, then one of those rug racks that fold up flat against the wall when not in use - good for hanging mucky turnouts on overnight. But my must have item is a comfortable chair - makes waiting around for deliveries or farrier much nicer :)
 
Ceiling hook-y things to hang bridles on for cleaning etc.

Lighting if you can/best approximation with batteries you can find if not - available quite cheap/good now I think.

Maybe with you large shelving I'd go with an extra low shelf just above floor height to keep things from getting damp by being put on the ground.
 
I' d have handy hubby make a proper moveable saddle cleaning station [aka a horse] sized for two saddles, with a shelf below, this would be used daily to store the saddle, so, essential it is a good fit, and the bridle hook is essential, just wipe everything every day with a spray and a two good clean saddle cleaning sponges and you will be fine. I used to have to strip and clean five sets of saddles and bridles every day, which was excessive imho, but I needed the proper tools for the job, and a rubber mat to stand on. I have plastic bins with twist lids. I would start using the tack room, then decide where things should go, the more shelves you have the dustier things get.
You can buy camping chairs for a fiver. You need a kettle and an oil filled heater is great, just don t leave it on too often!
 
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Definitely have a workstation. My "tackroom" is OHs tool shed and there's no end of useful stuff in there. If you have a water supply, install a sink. Also very handy! Plus a cat flap for a good mouser...mine keeps the rugs mouse free ☺
 
I use a couple of galvanised feed bins as rug storage. I have just bought some of those huge vacuum storage bags to compress and seal rugs not in use, so we will see how that works too.

I would have a rug rack with arms near the door, so you are not dragging wet, muddy rugs right across the tack room. I also like a freestanding saddle rack, as racks on the wall can get damp. Love spider bridle cleaning hook, and nicer ones for storage, also away from the wall to keep damp off the bridles.

I like a workstation, it is even useful for assembling first aid items as well as cleaning tack, making feeds etc. A chair is great, it is not just to sit on, it is also good for putting your foot on the put chaps on etc, and as an extra shelf when cleaning tack.

Good lighting. Electricity supply. Coat hooks.
 
can you fit a sink & washing machine in ? I have an inexpensive kitchen put in mine, with a fab little hot water heater under the sink. Use the cupboards for boots / vet stuff. Drawers for browbands etc. The washing is a god send. just a cheap one, so I can wash saddle cloths, boots bandages and the odd fleece

Hve a look at tack lockers website/facebook page. They have an amazing store for saddles on top and saddle cloths underneath. I'm saving my pennies for one

https://www.facebook.com/Tacklockers-Rugtrunks-1564386940439549/
 
I don't think anybody's mentioned a heater. It's essential to keep rarely used leather items mould free. We had one that could be set under a wall cupboard and set to just above frost level. Probably intended for a greenhouse.Hence no frozen pipes to the sink.

Medicine cabinet too.
 
I have my own tackroom and my favourite things are two huges wooden blanket boxes made my a local carpenter, they look lovely and I can fit two horses entire rug collection in each. They also make a good work surface and I keep my grooming kits and stuff on top. For my tack I had him also put in a huge built in waderobe which has a shelf along the top, a shelf along the bottom, saddle racks and also a waderobe rail to hang my spare jods/hi viz/coats etc.
 
I use a garden storage box for rugs and numnahs and have stubbs saddle mate on top for saddle, the rest makes a useful area. I also have a foldaway chair that's comfortable but doesn't take up much storage room.
 
sunnyone said:
I don't think anybody's mentioned a heater. It's essential to keep rarely used leather items mould free. We had one that could be set under a wall cupboard and set to just above frost level. Probably intended for a greenhouse.Hence no frozen pipes to the sink.
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Yes! One of my synthetic saddles got totally wrecked when stored in a damp tack room and I never quite got rid of the smell of damp off the (expensive) leather one that was on there.
 
On the back wall as you look in I would have a big shelf for RUB's to keep rugs in. Under that I would have a couple of saddle racks and under that I would have another big shelf to put RUB's underneath to match the top for saddle cloths, bandages ect

On the left wall I would have another high shelf running the length of the room with hooks underneath for bridles ect and the shelf would just be for random storage. On the right along the length of the room I would have a high shelf above a worktop and underneath the worktop I would have feed bins. A worktop will be invaluable just like a kitchen worktop is at home. Above the worktop underneath the shelf for supplements I would have a rail with hooks and I would probably have a strip of LED lighting under here for extra light when using the worktop.

If there was room next to the feed bins under the worktop i would have some more open fronted shelves. Never underestimate how much storage and shelving you will need!

Thats what I plan to do in my little space anyway, lol :)
 
My advice is don't leave anything of any value in there unless it is highly secure and can't be broken in to, or the stuff is insured. It's devastating when all your lovely stuff gets stolen :(

Otherwise, I'd recommend a saddle horse. Makes cleaning them so much easier!
 
Thanks for all the suggestions! Shouldn't be needing a kettle or washing machine as the house is a few feet away.... Can always watch for the farrier out the conservatory lol!
Antw23uk you are so right I keep thinking I'll have too much storage.... But then I forget how much stuff I have and with another companion pony I'm sure the storAge won't go to waste!
Will definitely build on a wee work top now it cetainly would be handy :)


A car flap and a cat lol.... No thanks I'll just use the next door neighbours car for mouse hunting:p
 
AJT92 said:
My advice is don't leave anything of any value in there unless it is highly secure and can't be broken in to, or the stuff is insured. It's devastating when all your lovely stuff gets stolen :(

Otherwise, I'd recommend a saddle horse. Makes cleaning them so much easier!
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Have cctv covering it hopefully it's a good enough deterrent and have a old front door with a lock for the tack room door so fingers crossed things are safe!!
 
Echo security! Read your insurance/talk to your insurance company to see what they would require to consider paying out. Good lighting, and sockets, think about what you need them for - and don't forget one for a phone charger if that is required. def sofa/chairs and tea station if poss. Metal feed bins. I would possibly wait with kitting it out to the nines until you've "lived in it" for a little bit.
 
our life saver has been a radiator mounted on the top end of a wall with a drying rack in the ceiling + washing machine (obviously for the drying rack with ropes to pull it up and down!) as that way you can wash numnahs/bandages easily without taking them into the house then hang them up to dry in a nice warm tack room :)
 
Definitely a work station, with sink, running water and an electric instant hot water heater. Cupboards below and drawers to one side, basically a standard type kitchen sink unit. The drawers are great for storing bandages and boots, and all those little things that don't have a true home.. A space heater, or oil filled heater great for keeping tack dry and mould free. Lino on the floor, easier to sweep and wash than concrete, and kinder to cold feet in winter.

A tube in a corner, a length of plastic drainpipe, for storing whips. You have good height so one of those old fashioned drying racks that go up into the ceiling space for hanging wet covers.
 
Lintel said:
Thanks for all the suggestions! Shouldn't be needing a kettle or washing machine as the house is a few feet away.... Can always watch for the farrier out the conservatory lol!
Antw23uk you are so right I keep thinking I'll have too much storage.... But then I forget how much stuff I have and with another companion pony I'm sure the storAge won't go to waste!
Will definitely build on a wee work top now it cetainly would be handy :)


A car flap and a cat lol.... No thanks I'll just use the next door neighbours car for mouse hunting:p
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We keep our valuable / current horses' tack in the house, since neighbours' tack was stolen from locked tackroom. It would be annoying to lose the old saddles but not a disaster
 
a lot of the break in near here were peoplemgetting in through the roof if it was metal sheeting, so we got the builders to put in a metal grid across the top and cement it into the bricks. it just stops someone pulling a roof panel off and jumping in.
 
Put rug racks on the wall for muddy rugs - although if you have them in your stable already you might not need them!
Heater
Might sound stupid but if you have space then a boot rack for wellies etc, it's much neater than leaving them on the floor and helps them dry. Ours is just sticks coming of the wall and you hook the leg of the boot over if that makes sense
 
Personally I'd keep wet rugs out of a tack/feed room as its more likely to cause tack to go mouldy, and dampen everything else in the tack room. They need to be hung in an airy place to dry quickly.
 
i always prefer to seperate feed and tackrooms, I think feed in tackroom encourages rats and mice running and nibbling at things and its more hassle to keep clean with feed dropping everywhere. we built on a lean to thing at the end for feed and hay and it works well.
 
paddi22 said:
i always prefer to seperate feed and tackrooms, I think feed in tackroom encourages rats and mice running and nibbling at things and its more hassle to keep clean with feed dropping everywhere. we built on a lean to thing at the end for feed and hay and it works well.
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I so agree with this. things in my tackroom are so much cleaner now there is no feed in there
 
I have a tack room which has saddles, bridles, air jacket, my best bike and my gun cabinet in. A rug store in one of the garages and feed and rugs in use are stored in the American barn. That has the two work areas , wet and dry.
 
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