Best way to ID stuff at big boarding barn?

[onelanerode]

I’ll likely be moving my mare to a lovely but big boarding facility, definitely within the next year but possibly in the next few months.

I’ve only ever been at small (less than 12 horses) boarding barns or barns where I was about the only active boarder, so a lot of my bigger items, like tack and blankets, don’t have any ID. I have serial numbers and photos of all tack at home, but there’s nothing on my bridle, for instance, to indicate that it’s mine.

What’s the best way to ID bridles, other strapgoods, saddles, pads, blankets, leg boots, etc.? Economical is good, but this new barn is a bit fancier than anywhere else I’ve been, so I’d like any ID to be discreet but nice looking. (So, I’d rather not do the hot pink spray paint unless stuff starts walking off, LOL!)

Better to ID with your name or your horse’s name? Anything I can do in terms of ID/labeling that makes life easier for barn staff?

[stryder]

I’ve seen small, discreet (and quite lovely) ID tags on bridles, saddles, girths and halters. The woman used an engraved disk with the horse’s name on one side, emergency phone # on the other side. She said it helped keep her things together at the barn, and also provided valuable info if she and horse became separated at show or on the trail.

[Phaxxton]

I put name plates with my name or the horse’s name on them on all of my leather goods - halters, leads, bridles, saddles, breast plates, martingales, etc.

My quarter sheets and coolers are all embroidered - quarter sheets with my initials and coolers with the horse’s name. I try to get my blankets embroidered, too (at least the stable sheets / blankets), but haven’t successfully gotten that completed. A permanent marker on the belly straps works well, though, and is discreet. :yes: Most of my blankets also have tags sewn in the inside where I can write my name. (I believe you can also buy patches to sew / affix to the inside of a blanket to put your name or your horse’s name on it.

Stuff like hoof oil, brushes, shampoo, spray bottles, etc. all have my initials written on them with a sharpie. Most people at the barn do this, so it’s not like my stuff somehow stands out. Since many of us use the same products, it just helps us not to get everything mixed up.

As far as keeping it simple / easy for barn staff, I would just be consistent with the naming. If you use your horse’s barn name on his stuff, then use his barn name on all his stuff (as opposed to his show name). My saddles / bridles / martingales / etc. all have my name on them. Anything the barn staff needs (halters, leads, blankets) has the horse’s barn name on them.

[horsepoor]

I have a little electric branding iron that I use to stamp initials into leather goods. I’ve also used it for wood and plastic items but it doesn’t work quite as well. Unfortunately, I have no idea where I got it!

I’ve also found small metal tags, intended as dog tags I think, that were really cheap on ebay. I’ve had them engraved with the horse’s name and put them on everything – halters, lead ropes, stud chains (finally, they don’t walk away!), blankets, etc. I did different shapes and colors for each horse. The tags aren’t as nice as the traditional brass tags or plates, but they are only about a $1 a piece rather than $6+ so it was a lot better price for tagging a bunch of stuff.

[sadlmakr]

I have used the hot branding iron tool mentioned above.
I also kept the bottles of hoof dressing and saddle conditioner and cleaning supplies in a zippered cordura bag. I seldom left my really good stuff at the barn. If your barn has lockers for your tack that is great but I have lost tack in the past that just disappeared. Name plate and all.
I kept my good saddle in a zippered saddle bag at home and took it with me when I rode.
Brushes and such I put my return addresse stickers on them and put heavy clear packing tape over the stickers. Name plates on halters and tack is good.
One of my friends had her bridle disappear for a month or more and no one knew anything about it. Then one day it appeared in the tack room again?
Fishy stuff.
After that she took her tack home with her daily.
JMHO

[coloredhorse]

When I boarded at a large facility long ago, I used labeling measures such as those described above. It was not always successful; once I had to march into the indoor and remove my labeled bridle from another woman’s horse while ranting about the apparent failure of the American public school system to provide even a rudimentary reading ability. Yes, I left her fuming and bridleless in the ring …

That episode helped label me in others’ eyes as a hard-assed bitch :winkgrin:… this reputation was more successful than the labeling in keeping my stuff in place, but still not 100%.

A friend who boards deliberately buys equipment in loud colors. She has no trouble at all with “borrowing.” Even her fly spray is in a hideous lime-green spray bottle. I guess no-one wants to be caught dead with such ugly-ass equipment.

[Phaxxton]

I will also add, I never leave tack out (though I do leave blankets out). If we didn’t have lockers, I’d keep everything locked in my trunk. For certain things (longe whips, longe lines, and other things that might sit ring side unattended while I ride), I get them in loud colors AND put my name on them.

[Ride_emCO]

For my blankets, I have little “keychain” type tags that have his name embroidered on them. You can get them in almost any colors you want, and they’re pretty darn cheap!

I found them on eBay. Unfortunately, I can’t find them again right now, but I’ll keep an eye out.

[Ibex]

Ok, I read that as “How to ID stAff at big boarding barn” :eek: :lol:

Buying things in obnoxious colours helps. No one wants to borrow/swipe your florescent pink turnout boots…

[goodhors]

Our local Pet store that sells dog food etc, has an ID machine for dog tags. Lots of variety in shapes, they make the tag while you wait for a pretty cheap price. Could be a place to get tags for your equipment.

Sure glad I keep them at home. I don’t do well with folks using my stuff and not taking care of it! They would not be doing well after I caught them at it either!! Such stories about blatant appropriation of other folks belongings is just outside my thinking. Would NOT be able to deal with that.

I LOVED the story about taking the bridle off the horse in the ring, probably something I would do too!

[LauraKY]

A lock on your tack trunk will come in handy if you don’t have a locked tack locker. You would be very surprised to see what happens when you’re not there. Consumables like first aid supplies, hoof dressing, fly spray, etc. can easily be appropriated if you’re not there.

[onelanerode]

Touch wood, I’ve never been at a barn where stuff “walking off” was a problem. The worst things I’ve ever had to deal with are along the lines of my hoofpick ending up in someone else’s brushbox because I left it out. So I’m hoping that continues. I know of several people who board there now or have done so in the past, and none of them have mentioned any problems with things “walking off.” But I do want to make sure everything is marked/labeled so there’s no confusion. I’ve been rather slack about that.

Thanks for the ideas everyone. :yes:

[Pat_Thrasher]

Half inch wide vinyl tape in colors – stripe things like longe whips, bats, etc. A wood-burning tool to mark wooden things. Plastic laminate i.d. tags for blankets and the like.

Your stuff will still go walkabout, probably. How big a problem this is depends almost entirely on barn management attitudes; a fish rots from the head down. I’ve had very readily identifiable items stolen from my temporarily unlocked tack cabinet (unlocked for 15 minutes while I tacked up, but out of sight), including gloves, pullovers, and so on. Barn management shrugged. Same woman who saw no problem with her dog grabbing stuff from your cabinet or grooming kit while you were standing there and running off with it. When the barn learned I was leaving my bridle and saddle were vandalized – reins and billets cut. So I started locking everything in the dressing room of our trailer. So it goes.

But if management has a zero tolerance attitude towards theft it will help a lot.

[trubandloki]

I can not imagine staying at a barn where the management did nothing at all about someone cutting up another boarders tack.

[Gray_Horse_H_J]

Everything mentioned above is good, but keep in mind that some people don’t give a rat’s behind if your name is all over something. :mad:

Now I’ve actually never had anything of value go missing. Thankfully! But I’ve had a bucket, with my horse’s name on it in ginormous block letters in perm. marker, go wandering off. Someone swiped the tack hook off the front of my stall. Someone used all my horse’s shampoo and left the empty bottle - clearly labeled in marker - laying in the washrack.

My old barn apparantley had a shortage of halters for sale horses, because I would routinely find my horse’s turnout halter - the only one I left on the stall - on a sale horse. That got pretty annoying.

And if I found someone riding their horse in my bridle, they would be standing in the ring with a bridleless horse, too!

[Amchara]

Jesus. Cutting billets/reins? :eek:

I got on Ebay and found the $1 dog tags. Very economical, I think I’ll get some for my two bridles and my blankets. Even the 3/4" circle has three lines, my horse’s three letter barn name and my first and last name will fit just fine!

Luckily I do have a fancy looking locking trunk, so I have the means to keep my gear stashed away if I’m disciplined about it. My brushes and such items have my insignia on them, and I’ll get out the permanent markers for my saddle pads/coolers, and look for colorful electric tape to use :P.

[intrepid]

http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/home/department/Tools/Stamps-Easy-To-Do-Stamp-Alphabet/4904-00.aspx?feature=Product_3

[Nojacketrequired]

Everything I own is purple. Even my side reins. Longe whips.

All my other stuff has bright purple hockey tape wrapped around it.

I make sure everyone knows thatmy stuff is MY stuff.

I’m also pretty scary.

NJR

[EqTrainer]

Luckily, the place you are considering moving to has no problems w/tacking walking away. Sooooo looking forward to you being a ‘neighbor’!

I will forward you the places website where I get all my little tags and nameplates made

[LittleblackMorgan]

I’m also pretty scary.

NJR

ROFLMAO!