Help me redesign my tack room!

[sweetsalute]

I have an approx 12 x 12 ft corner of the shed on my dad’s property where I keep the horses, that is my designated tack room (feed has its own separate shed). The current layout has served me well enough for the last 8 years but with two horses, it’s no longer sufficient for all my gear.

One “wall” is shelving racks that separate my area. I intend on replacing the shelving with one unit that is half drawers, and two shelves above, and one shelving unit. The wall to the right, I framed up and lined with plywood for saddle and bridle racks. I’m running out of room here, so I plan on making it entirely bridle hooks.

The next wall is an exterior wall with a window, so I’m a bit limited with what I can do there. The previous owners of the property lived in the shed for a while, so there is a convenient hookup point for a washer on this wall, so whilst I might move it along a little, the washer needs to stay.

Then in the corner, is the old shower cubicle…I’ve toyed with the idea of turning it into a cupboard for YEARS, have never got around to it and really it’s big, awkwardly sized and taking up alot of space, so I think we’ve decided we’ll get rid of it, and throw up a wall there instead. I’m thinking of possibly putting the saddle racks here, and adding more.

I also need some sort of system for hanging saddle pads so they can air out (preferably wall attached) and something for at least the cotton/fly mesh rugs as I interchange those frequently and storing in boxes is a nuisance.

I’ve attached a couple pics of the current bridle/saddle wall, and the one with the window, the current layout and proposed new one…and since I know most horse people just love to design dream tack rooms…fire away with ideas

[Bluey]

Does this type vertical blanket rack could work for you somewhere high on a wall?
We have one of those and it works wonderfully to keep blankets aired and handy and out of the way.
They come in five or ten arms, ours is ten:

https://www.statelinetack.com/item/equi-racks-wall-mount-blanket-and-pad-rack/BRE01/

Edited to add, you can also hang it horizontally, high up and it frees much room below for other.

[NancyM]

I don’t know if this would work for you, but in my tackroom I keep the saddles I use in the CENTER of the room, on moveable wooden saddle racks. This makes use of the center of the room, and allows access from all sides, makes for easy cleaning of saddles, and fitting of stirrup leathers etc. And it frees up wall space for things that must hang.

I made my own saddle racks for this purpose, out of 2 X 12 s for the end bits, cut to a point at the top, and several 1 X 4s on each side for the top where the saddles go. Then feet out the sides on the bottom, and a couple 2 X 4s also on the floor, connecting the end uprights. This makes a box on the floor, which also is handy for storing crap. Each saddle rack can be as long as you like, and of course, are able to be moved as you need to. I usually keep mine set at right angle to each other, but can clear them away to the side entirely if necessary (had someone who needed to sleep in there at one point overnight, needed space to put bedrolls). Just a thought for you to consider.

[Bluey]

You can also incorporate saddle blanket storage right under the saddle racks if you want to hang saddles on the wall.
We have four saddle portable saddle racks, easier to move around to clean or change things around.

Here is a design that holds two blankets under one saddle:

[lorilu]

I have an old 4-piect Media Center in my tack room. Two tall cabinets and two angled side pieces. THe low unit that held the TV is replaced by a desk (there is a window above it.). Looks really nice and provides closed storage.
THis year I redid my kitchen and had them mount a wall unit on one of the other walls which has show tack trunk and blanket trunks under it. Hanging blanket storage is in another area of the barn (keeps the stink out fo the tack room).

[sweetsalute]

Floor space is at bit of a premium, so saddles will definitely be going on the wall. Only got the two at the moment, but the baby will need a jump saddle eventually, and then the lunging gear needs somewhere to go! I’ve got one standing saddle rack that I use when I need to do the cleaning.

That rug rack looks great Bluey, I’ll have to see if they sell those here in Australia. Something like that would work well for rugs and saddle pads I think!

The shelving units will be ones from IKEA, the white will match the lining on the wall. I think I’ll probably line the wall with the window as well, as it stands I can’t attach anything directly to that wall, and that will look a lot better!

What do people use for horse boot storage? The ones that don’t get used much can go in drawers, but the every day work boots I think need somewhere to go to air out…maybe wire baskets attached to the wall somewhere? If people have pics of their tack rooms I’d love to see too.

[Bluey]

We added two horizontal 2" x 6" boards to screw bridle racks on rather than trying to nail each to the existing finished walls in our tack room, that is a storage room behind the garage.
You could do that, rather than trying to hang each one piece on the wall by itself:

[stb]

@NancyM, this is a good idea. Do your racks end up looking like saw horses?

[NancyM]

LOL, no, they look like saddle racks! Quite professional! And I’m not a GREAT carpenter. It’s easy! I looked again at them yesterday, and found that I used 2 X 6 for the two bottom ground level rails/supports. The 2 X 6 makes for a bit higher walls on the bottom box.

[Bluey]

Our wooden floor saddle racks are three legged, see one in the picture above, under the saddle blanket bar.
Those are handy to pull out to clean saddles on them.

Those were built a good 60 years ago, are still like new.
You can store stuff under them also.

Those square ones with room for supplies under them are neat, but they do use floor space.

[trubandloki]

I look at the shower as a positive. If you put a hand held shower head option you can use that shower for cleaning out buckets, rinsing off boots and all kinds of other things that would be handy to have inside. Heck, hanging wet things to dry where dripping is not an issue.

[sweetsalute]

I can see that, but honestly it’s just taking up a huge amount of space that could be better utilised in other ways. Neither the drain nor the shower head are actually hooked up to the plumbing either (and haven’t been for at least a decade). There’s a sink elsewhere in the shed, and a 20 x 20 carport attached to the front so anything that’s dripping can go out there (tbh…as long as it’s just a few drips that stuff can hang inside anyway, it’s a concrete floor). I’m in a very warm climate so don’t have problems with frost/snow outside, and the carport more than suffices in super wet weather.

[LCDR]

I have posted pictures of this storage system in my tack room recently, so I won’t repeat myself. But here is a link to a hanging rack system which I am using. For boots, there is a rack that hangs 4 pairs of riding boots upside down in a 24 inch wide space. Hanging keeps the boot tops from buckling, and boot shapers or trees are not needed. Without shapers, they air out better and dry more quickly. Keeps them somewhat out of reach of those spiders roaming the floors as well.

https://www.organizedbarn.com/

The system is also sold under the name Gridwall and is widely available since it is often used in stores for product displays, so there are many sources. The linked site does have some specialty things for tack rooms and trailers that you won’t see anywhere else, like their bridle hangers.

Here is the link to the earlier tack and feed room thread where you can find my pictures.

Designing Feed and Tack Room

Hi Next week we are pouring cement, and then I will be getting a heated tack room/feed room put up in my barn. The area is 12 x24. I really don’t want to store grain in my tack room. I think its just asking for trouble with mice. With those dimensions what is everyone’s suggestion for best use of space? I was thinking of taking 4-6 ft x 12 for an unheated feed room. My feed room is only going to have sealed containers of grain in it, and supplements, and some buckets, no hay. I currently have…