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Are you looking for tack room ideas on a budget? If yes, you’re on the right article. You’ll get to learn some of the best ideas.
The tack room is one of the important places in the barn. It’s where people store horse equipment such as saddle pads, saddles, halters, and other items used for caring for horses, like buckets and grooming tools.
A tack room needs saddle racks, hooks, and shelves that are easily accessible to keep your gear organized. Setting up all these can be expensive, but there are ideas to help you save some money.
25 Tack Room Ideas on Budget
The ultimate goal of every horse owner is to have a tack room with everything they need. The tack room should also be clean and organized to make it easy and quick to find items.
So, whether you’re sprucing up your tack room or are simply building one from scratch, these ideas will help you save money.
1. Saddle Hanger
The saddle is heavy equipment, so you should ensure it’s well-secured and supported. The easy and cheap way to do this is by using a saddle hanger. You can buy a saddle hanger or make your saddle hanger or strap.
Other than just using it in your tack room, you can also use it in your car when traveling. It’ll keep your saddle neat on the go.
2. DIY Bucket Saddle Rack
You can screw some buckets into the tack room wall using heavy-duty screws. The buckets offer the best surface to rest your saddle, and you can also store your tendon boots and extra stirrup leather in the bucket. Before placing the saddles on the bucket, cover them with saddle clothes or covers to keep them neat.
Overall, the plastic buckets used won’t cost you anything. You can source them from painting specialists, feed stores, etc.
3. Saddle Racks or Stands
The saddle racks are available in different materials; some fold down when unused. You can use the wall-mounted saddle racks if you’re on a budget. They are ideal for English and western style saddles and great at saving space.
There are also portable wall-mount saddle racks which are relatively inexpensive but offer optimum support to the saddle.
4. Helmet Hooks
The DIY helmet hooks are an excellent option for anyone on a tight budget. There are different types of helmets, some expensive, some cheap.
If you own a mix of them, you should store the expensive ones in their helmet drawstring bags and then put those that you regularly use on the hooks.
DIY helmet hooks are made from old bits, but you can make them fancier by adding a tennis ball. This ensures the helmet is not distorted or pulled by hanging from the harness.
5. Whip Holders
The whip holder is a must-have for horse owners with several whips. There are several types of whip holders, but choose one that’s durable, non-toxic, and has odorless ABS plastic material.
Depending on your budget, you can also select a whip holder made of wood or steel. Whip holders are wall-mounted; thus, you can easily install them without much hassle.
6. Ventilation
Proper ventilation is one of the essential features of a tack room. It helps maintain the quality of leather equipment. If you’re on a tight budget, circulating air using fans will not be easy.
Achieving great ventilation can be straightforward if your tack is in the open. But if your tack is inside a locker, using a material that regulates moisture and looks elegant is wise. In this situation, wood will be the most suitable material, and it’s also quite affordable.
Additionally, ensure your tack room is always dust-free and dry as possible. You can achieve this by installing a small window to allow fresh air but keep moisture outside.
7. Portable Blanket Racks and Brackets
The portable blanket racks and brackets will ensure your fly sheets, horse blankets, and cooling sheets are off the floor. Plus, they keep them well organized. The essential function of this equipment is to allow wet blankets to dry out quickly.
You can make your blanket rack using rope and PVC pipe if you’re on a thin budget. These materials are easily accessible.
Depending on your tack room’s décor, you can use wooden or metal racks. The metal racks are strong and can hold several blankets.
8. Bridle Hooks
The bridle hooks are among tack room equipment that doesn’t cost much. There are different types of bridle hooks, but it’s best to purchase multi-units that can hold more than one. You can then add some sponge to the bridle hooks to prevent them from pinching the headstalls.
9. Rustic Ban-Style Saddle Poles
This is an excellent idea for anyone on a budget. You can use simple wood posts to make your saddle poles. The best timber to use should be 2 x 4 inches. For heavier western saddles, combine two kinds of wood measuring 2 x 4 inches to get the needed strength.
10. Cubicle Style Shelves
You can quickly make cubicle-style shelves because they are super easy to assemble. The shelves are handy when storing things such as medications and disinfectants.
You should make more than one set of these shelves. They make it a lot easier to search for your stuff.
11. Repurposed Containers
When storing medication, you can use clear cosmetic bags; they’re great for medicine. Alternatively, you can easily repurpose large plastic bins or tubes, depending on how much you have to store.
The PVC tubs in which horses’ supplements are stored can be ideal for storing cotton wool, bandages, etc. You should mark the tubs to know what precisely each contains.
12. Portable Wire Wall Panels and carts
The portable wire wall carts are best for storing all kinds of things. They help keep your store organized and neat. The carts work well to pop onto your tack room cabinet inside. Alternatively, you can slide the carts onto the metal rail on the wall.
13. Simple DIY Boot Hanger
There are a variety of shoe storage ideas that you can copy from. But this smart idea is cheap and will reduce chaos in your tack room. You need vital pieces of wood and are good to go. Install this simple boot hanger behind the tack room door to save space.
14. Store Feeds in a Steel or Plastic Bin
The trash bin can effectively store your horse food if its primary material is steel and it closes tightly. A steel bin is great since rodents can eat through it. Choose a container that allows you to lift the lid with your foot while scooping dinner for your horses.
You can also go for a plastic bin if you’re on a tight budget, but you’ll need to be extra cautious when handling horse feed.
That’s because rats can eat through plastic. If you avoid spilling feeds on the floor, the rats won’t know there are feeds in these bins.
15. An Old Freezer
Other than disposing of your old freezer, you can use it as storage for your feeds. There’s no need to plug the freezer into power as you only need it to keep feeds.
Note that rats are great at figuring out how to enter the lids. So, make sure you use a sturdy hasp latch to prevent rats from entering in.
16. Crate Draws
This is another great storage idea for anyone on a budget. The design is cheap, and almost anyone can execute it. You can buy the crates online; the other design parts are made from aluminum profiles. However, you can cut your budget by using wood instead of aluminum.
17. Pallet Rack
Today the pallet rack is widely used because it’s an optimal way to enhance storage. It allows you to create various arrangements that properly suit the needs of your tack room space.
On top of that, it’s easy to assemble, and materials are affordable. This makes it a cost-effective storage method. You can store cleaning equipment and supplies in your tack room.
18. Portable and Simple Boot Rack
A boot rack is essential to keep your tack room tidy. It protects the floor from mud and dirt. There are different types of boot racks; wall mounted and portable.
The wall-mounted boot rack isn’t a great option if your tack room is small. You’ll need a portable freestanding boot rack like this one.
19. Simple Open Closet
You can also make a simple open closet and use hangers to keep your colorful saddle pads in place. Plus, you can also keep your blankets and jackets in this closet. You only need high-quality, robust metal and timber to make this closet.
20. Wall-Mounted Saddle Rack
You can easily make your wall-mounted saddle rack. It doesn’t need too many skills and a lot of resources. Make it more beautiful with a lacquer finish or any other color that matches your tack room.
21. Hidden Shelves
This is another innovative and great idea that needs very little investment in terms of money. If your tack room space is small and has no space on the floor or walls, then you can use this idea to utilize your roof space.
These hidden DIY storage shelves will surely solve your storage space problems.
22. Hanging Bags
You can use hanging bags to store different types of supplies or equipment. It’ll help you keep your tack room neat without spending a crazy amount of money. Hang these bags on the wall using nails or clips.
23. Bins for Blankets
Suppose you live in a place that needs year-round blanketing because of rain, snow, or flies. Then this idea will be a huge space saver that’ll keep your room neat.
After cleaning and drying your blankets, you can store them in large containers. However, don’t forget to label the bins with the horse’s name and the type of blanket. This makes it easy to find a particular blanket.
24. Overhead Drying Rack
This setup is a huge space saver that’ll ensure your blankets and saddle pads are always dry and ready to go. It’ll also make it easier for you to rotate through your collection.
25. Rolling Tack Cart
If you’re on a thin budget, this DIY rolling tack cart can be a great addition to your equipment. It’s great for people with back issues and allows one to transport multiple things simultaneously.
Tips To Keep Your Tack Room Organized
The above-tack room ideas on a budget are the best and will change the overall outlook of your room. But you can improve your tack room by organizing it with these simple and practical ideas.
Keep Everything Simple
Keeping your tack room organized doesn’t have to be an expensive project. You can use some inexpensive organizers; they usually cost between $2 – $3 and are found in tack stores.
Visit a home and tack improvement store and choose accessories to help you organize your room.
Take Care of The Basics
You can make your tack room organized again by making simple changes. For example, you can fix the damaged floorboards, windows, and doors to prevent debris and dust from accumulating in the tack room. Add a coat of fresh paint or wallpaper to spruce up the tack room walls.
Make It Appear Cozier
It’s easy to make your tack room cozier; add some curtains, warm rugs, and warm colors on its walls. You can even enhance the lighting if you aren’t on a tight budget.
Use Art and Poster
There is so much at your disposal regarding horse-related art and posters. These posters/ arts usually have phrases, quotes, sayings, and more; you can purchase them online. Or you can also make your art/ posters.
Conclusion
The mentioned tack room ideas on budget are great if you want to organize or decorate your space.
Before you commit to a specific idea, you should create a to-do list to get the desired outcome. Additionally, if you’re on a tight budget, get the necessary material and equipment from an inexpensive saddle store, organizer, etc.
