Tack Room construction commences--what can you not do without??

[Pony_Fixer]

I went years without being on these boards, and lately it seems I have a lot to ask/say. 😉

My tack/feed room will be built in the next few weeks. I have a pole barn type of barn, so we’re making a room within the barn, dimensions are roughly 15 feet wide, by 9 feet deep. I don’t have budget for fancy, but I want it to be very user friendly. Here’s for sure what I have covered:

• Raised floor (so any rain that does get into the barn does not get into the room). I have this on the hay side and it works great.
• Insulated walls and ceilings. There will be a ceiling at probably 8', also insulated. Due to the shape of my barn, this will give me some storage over the tack room.
• Combo heater/AC (like in hotel rooms). Mostly I just want to keep the mold down in the summer and have a non-freezing room in winter for the barn cat.
• Multiple electrical outlets, exact locations TBD. Overhead lighting.
• A refrigerator (thinking one of the smaller "full" size ones. Right now all I have down there is a dorm sized tiny cube fridge).
• Shelving above the feed bins for buckets, meds/supplements, etc.
• Obviously it will be appointed with saddle/bridle racks, storage for saddle pads, meds, etc. I think hooks for wet blankets and bars for dry but not clean blankets will be on the outside wall of the room, considering this time of year they will be in constant use/rotation.
• There will not be water in the tack room. The hydrant is very close to the room however. I thought hard about this, but it would require so much tearing up to plumb it, and I just don't think it's a "need". Feel free to try to change my mind. I have considered a cabinet/counter top that could be converted into a sink later if needed, because counter top space is always nice

I also would love to hear if you have ways that you set it up inside that work or don't work. Right now I think the door will be on the right side when facing it, with the feed bins/shelves along that right side wall. Saddle and bridle racks long the wall with the door. The rest I have no idea!!

And…go!

[MissAriel]

I agree, some counter space or even a desk is handy for all sorts of things.

An electric kettle or a crock pot to heat water or towels during winter.

Electric lighting is awesome, but I much prefer natural light during the day - will there be windows? Bonus if they can open to fresh air when there is nice weather.

A sturdy saddle stand and hanging tack hook for tack cleaning.

What will the flooring be? Is it durable and easy to clean/sweep?

[DinkyDonk]

Concrete floor with a cover–cheap vinyl flooring or stall mats. INSULATION if you live where it gets cold in the winter–I did all 4 walls plus the ceiling; I heat mine with a DeLonghi oil filled heater that never has to be set higher than the absolute lowest setting to keep my tackroom 45-50 degrees, yet heater is cool enough to handle with my bare hands when turned on. Saddle stands that hold 4 saddles each (have a “T” shaped base–tucked into corners, saves a lot of space. Old kitchen cabinets mounted on walls to hold “stuff” as well as an old dining room buffet with assorted drawers and more cabinets. Hanging 4 prong tack hooks. A high 15" deep shelf along one wall to hold things you don’t use much but when you need them you can find them. A lock on the door (doorknob)-may never need it, but nice to have one just in case. At least one electrical outlet per wall. A cheap milk crate or 2 screwed to a wall, open side facing out to hold polo wraps, bandage quilts, etc. I have a fancy ceiling light in the center of the ceiling–took the glass decorative cover off, and have LED bulbs (4) in it. I can almost get a tan in there it’s so bright!

[Pony_Fixer]

@MissAriel

I agree, some counter space or even a desk is handy for all sorts of things.

An electric kettle or a crock pot to heat water or towels during winter.

Electric lighting is awesome, but I much prefer natural light during the day - will there be windows? Bonus if they can open to fresh air when there is nice weather.

A sturdy saddle stand and hanging tack hook for tack cleaning.

What will the flooring be? Is it durable and easy to clean/sweep?

Electric kettle–check! Used it this morning.

Agreed re: window. However the back wall doesn’t get much light (in the trees) and the front wall is the front of the barn and I am not sure I want it there. Compromise is window in the door and indoor lighting.

I have 2 saddle racks that will be wall mounted, and one saddle rack that is portable for cleaning. I have a tack hook for bridle cleaning as well which will be mounted from the ceiling.

I think the flooring is likely to be wood (not fancy, just compressed wood panels.) That’s what I have on the hay side and it is remarkably durable and easy to sweep. I think it can be upgraded later if I want to put vinyl or something over top.

Thanks!

[Pony_Fixer]

@DinkyDonk

Concrete floor with a cover–cheap vinyl flooring or stall mats. INSULATION if you live where it gets cold in the winter–I did all 4 walls plus the ceiling; I heat mine with a DeLonghi oil filled heater that never has to be set higher than the absolute lowest setting to keep my tackroom 45-50 degrees, yet heater is cool enough to handle with my bare hands when turned on. Saddle stands that hold 4 saddles each–tucked into corners, saves a lot of space. Old kitchen cabinets mounted on walls to hold “stuff” as well as an old dining room buffet with assorted drawers and more cabinets. Hanging 4 prong tack hooks. A high 15" deep shelf along one wall to hold things you don’t use much but when you need them you can find them. A lock on the door (doorknob)-may never need it, but nice to have one just in case. At least one electrical outlet per wall. A cheap milk crate or 2 screwed to a wall, open side facing out to hold polo wraps, bandage quilts, etc.

Concrete floor is not possible based on both money and the subfloor, but that would have been great. It’s all going to be insulated, no worries there. Our winters are not bad but the summers are brutal so the tis more my concern. My unheated garage rarely gets below 50, so this should stay similar even without heat on all but the most brutal of cold snaps.

Kitchen cabinets and a counter are likely to happen, we have a Habitat Restore that is good for all that kind of stuff!

I also have a large cabinet that is a prefab storage locker that I have been using for a few years for all my tack–that will go in there for various storage as well. There will be room enough for lots of shelves like you describe as well!

Thanks!

[Rerider54]

Cat door/ cat flap

[Jarpur]

My tack/feed room is the size of a stall (12 x 12 ft.), with the entry door on the far left when facing the room from outside of it.

We are in and out most often when feeding, so feed is stored in the most accessible location, along the front wall to to the right of the entry door, with shelves overhead for feed pans, supplements, treats, buckets, etc. Above the feed cans, below the shelves, is a wall-mounted dry erase board for feeding instructions.

The door swings in to the left, against the left hand side wall, with a wall-mount blanket/saddle pad storage rack, with swinging bars, located right behind the open door, followed by wall-mount bridle hooks (curved to preserve the crowns) and whip storage, then a row of hooks for helmets, safety vests, lunge lines, etc. Underneath the bridles, we keep a large tack trunk, which makes for a convenient seat as well as storage.

The back wall, across from the door, has a ladder stored upright in the back left corner, then wall-mount saddle racks, followed by a Sterilite plastic pantry cabinet, used for first aid supplies, hardware bits and pieces, tack cleaning supplies, etc.

On the right hand side wall (across from the bridles), there is a large set of deep, heavy-duty plastic shelves for vacuum, clippers, scales, large buckets of supplements (we purchase the large, economical sizes, then off-load amounts into smaller containers for regular use, which are kept near the feed), etc., with two rows of hooks along the outer side of the deep shelves for extra halters, leads, etc.

That wall also has a good-sized window which can open for ventilation, under which are two sets of deep, wide Sterilite plastic drawers, which are used for storage of gloves, half chaps, bell and protective boots, fly masks, barn towels, polo wraps, whatever, etc.

Finally, in the remaining corner, to the right of the window, is the large utility sink with water. This sink is large enough that I bathed our 40+ pound dogs in it for years (one at a time), and this brings us back around to the feed storage. So, the sink is convenient to the feed, and only steps from the door, nice for hand-washing. Since the sink is right next to the large plastic drawer units – which are pushed together side-by-side - that gives me a decent countertop working area to clean tack (although I often take it to the house for cleaning), mix feed, etc.

The floor is concrete, the walls are the same construction as the rest of our modular barn, and the tack room ceiling is wood (which allows an attic storage area above that can be accessed from the barn aisle). Lighting is re-purposed ceiling fixtures (incandescent, as they aren’t left on except when using the room), and there are quad receptacles every four feet, located a few feet off the floor for convenience, all the way around the room. The light switch at the door also has a double receptacle. All wiring is in conduit, throughout the barn.

I considered having a floor covering over the concrete, but it’s so easy to simply sweep it out, that I’ve never bothered. The bridle hooks, whip storage, and tack hooks on the left hall are ornamental, plus I made horsey-patterned fleece throws to protect the saddles on their rack, and a throw pillow for the top of the tack trunk, so those are the decorative aspects of the room, along with a row of show ribbons high on the wall.

Have fun putting your room together!

[kookicat]

I have a set of drawers to store boots and bandages. Much easier than boxes. I can just open the right drawer and take out what I want.

Same for my first aid/medical stuff. All in drawers. Plus I get storage space on top. They’re only ikea ones but are holding up great.

”‹”‹”‹One wall is just saddle racks. Bridles are on the opposite wall. Training equipment is stored in chests or on the third wall. Cleaning supplies are kept in tubs in a cupboard.

I have a kettle and fridge (which has a freezer, great for ice and ice boots)

I’m in the UK so it gets quite cold and damp so I have an oil filled radiator which plugs in to warm it. I also have a dehumidifier that runs as needed.
”‹”‹

[Snow_Mass]

Restroom, hot water, sink, heat, washer, cat door, covering over flooring to stand on in socks (for when you’re changing from shoes to boots) college dorm refrigerator, a window and ceiling light
The restroom walled off in a corner is a luxury but appreciated by vets, farriers, feed delivery guys, etc.
Sink to wash hands.
Heat is a luxury but I keep it at 45 degrees - to keep the water from freezing and takes the edge off the really cold days and nights.
Washer is convenient to keep everything clean. I don’t have room for a dryer so I just hang blankets, pads, boots, rags, etc in the sun to dry. Or in the tack room if it’s winter.
Cat door so the barn cat can escape from the coyotes.
Small refrigerator - perfect for water and meds that need to be refrigerated.
Bridles hang on one wall; saddle racks on another.
A window gives natural light. Overhead light for when it’s night time or pre-dawn braiding.
I don’t store feed in my tack room to deter the mice. I have a grain bin where the grain is stored inside big containers with lids.

[piedmontfields]

OK, I know Hillsborough. It is true luxury and happiness to have plumbing in your tack room! I am now in E TN at a very nice barn where we have hot water in the wash racks and in the lounge–but not in the tack room (however, we have a washer and dryer in the tack room which is great). Imagine cleaning your tack in winter. Where is the hot water???

[js]

My previous tack room was 12x14. I had a 4’ deep closet at one end where I put the saddle racks, bifold doors that kept it tack away from the cat. Cat flap in the exterior door was a must. Mini split kept it cool in the summer and warm in the winter, they are wonderful but pricey. The opposite wall was kitchen cabinets, bottoms and uppers with a sink in the middle. Well worth it, bought at a discount building supply so saved a lot on them while they still looked nice. They were against the exterior wall so much less to plumb. Mini frig, coffee maker for hot water if needed. Vinyl flooring, T&G on the ceiling with a nice light fixture. The exterior door was a regular house door with a window and on the wall to the aisle was a small exterior light fixture. [ATTACH=JSON]{“data-align”:“none”,“data-size”:“small”,“data-attachmentid”:10515746}[/ATTACH][ATTACH=JSON]{“data-align”:“none”,“data-size”:“small”,“data-attachmentid”:10515747}[/ATTACH][ATTACH=JSON]{“data-align”:“none”,“data-size”:“small”,“data-attachmentid”:10515748}[/ATTACH]

[SonnysMom]

@Rerider54

Cat door/ cat flap

Not if it is the feed room also unless it is the cat flap that uses the magnet on the cat collar. Trust me a raccoon or possum will figure out a cat door. I had one possum coming in the cat door into my house to eat the cat food.

[2DogsFarm]

@Pony Fixer My barn has 2 windows on a wall that looks onto my sacrifice paddock.
Horses trashed the residential-quality screens the first year.
I had a handyman attach heavy wire grid to the outside of each window.
I can open the windows for ventilation & light from inside the barn. Grid is attached so I can remove it if needed.
I could replace the screens, but as my tack/feed area is not enclosed, I never bothered

I have a couple repurposed kitchen cabinets - wall & base - holding “stuff” and could use more.
I also have a resin tall 2-door cabinet that is useful.
A piece of countertop, mounted at waist height is useful for mixing feed & the galvanized cans that hold grain slide under that.
”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹

[PNWjumper]

I have a 10 x 20 ish tack room inside of my pole barn on a concrete floor. We put an outdoor rug on the ground, insulated the four walls and ceiling, and I keep an oil heater in there like Dinky Donk mentioned. Keeps it 50-60 degrees and I don’t have any issues with mildew or mold (like I would in the wet NW otherwise). I have a water pipe that comes up in the tack room, but I’ve never finished it out for a sink. I just don’t need water in my tack room when there’s a hose outside. And if I want hot water I use my electric kettle. Every time I go through spring cleaning I think that “this” will be the year I finally get everything plumbed/done, but it’s just such a low priority that I don’t think it will ever end up happening.

I did make a big change this year, though. My parents were moving out of their house and getting rid of a bunch of ikea-type shelving units (some with shelves, some with cabinets and drawers and shelves). I replaced a table I had sitting in my tack room with two side by side cabinets and it has given me a ton more storage!

I guess I’m saying that I would take storage over water any day of the week! :lol:

I do have a cat door in my tack room door. I keep my cat food in the tack room and have never had an issue with a raccoon or opossum coming in. I do close my big front barn slider every night, but the back one is open 24/7 for horse access, so they could come in if they wanted to. So I think that decision is best left to what you know about your property and barn.

[Lucassb]

I have an inverter (heat & AC) in my tack room as well as a small dehumidifier which has completely eliminated any mold issues. I converted the former utility/feed room into finished space by insulating and finishing the walls & ceiling and love it. You can see the pics of what we did at https://hedgerow-farm.com/

[Pony_Fixer]

So many great ideas. Thank you all.

A cat door is a must and already on the list (just didn’t put it in my original post). The cat is a champion hunter, and that was/is his purpose. We have had no large or small vermin since I got him this spring. Prior to that we had mice, possum, and skunk on the regular. He’s meal fed BID, so there won’t be food sitting out to attract anyone (I hope!).

A restroom and sink with hot running water is indeed a luxury. But it’s just me (I’m my own vet, so it’s just the farrier every 6 weeks) and the house is not far. (Also I have no problem using a stall to pee in a pinch.) I hope to get an on-demand water heater for the wash stall at some point and then I’ll also have hot water a few steps away. For now, the hot pot will need to be sufficient.

@Lucassb, what is an inverter? I do already own a small dehumidifier. I love the chandelier in your tack room and the beadboard really classes it up too. I don’t think that would be too expensive of an upgrade so I’m going to look into that! My ceiling may not be high enough for a chandelier, but I’m gonna see what I can cook up.

[RedHorses]

I will suggest putting in a sink with functional drain even if you bucket and kettle your water.

[Pony_Fixer]

@RedHorses

I will suggest putting in a sink with functional drain even if you bucket and kettle your water.

For ease of possible later plumbing? Or another reason? I find this suggestion intriguing!

[Melissa.Van_Doren]

I like open shelves (extra points for the neatness of built-ins) instead of cabinets. Easier to see everything and not end up with a bunch of “stuff” in the dark recesses. Quick to check expiration dates and wipe off bottles, etc. every once in a while.

I don’t like boots/leg wraps etc. in the tack room unless you need heated drying in the winter. For those things, I like a shelf in the grooming area for easy access. Ditto grooming boxes. Anything that helps keep dust and dirt away from your tack will help you cut down on mold and mildew when it’s humid out. (I have blanket bars on one wall in my wash stall so I can hang wet saddle pads and girths in front of a floor-stand fan for quick drying).

I’m a big fan of floor model saddle racks. Screwing saddle racks into the wall almost always makes you wish you had placed them another way in short order.

I also like enough bridle racks that martingales/breastplates, longing stuff, extra bits, etc. gets their own hooks so everything is tangle-free and easy to grab. Ditto hooks for hanging half chaps and helmet bags.

A mud sink is a must, with counter space on either side preferably. And a couple drawers under the counter for the little things that tend to end up lost in the bottom of a trunk… D savers, double-end snaps, extra blanket straps, pens and notepaper, hairnets, scissors, thing-a-ma-bobs, etc.

If you can, add a high, vent window. It’ll help pull fresh air through the door and won’t take up wall space. Ditto a ceiling fan.

Leave space on the wall for a clock, a mirror and a calendar. They’re not very techie, but they’re quick and efficient.

[RedHorses]

@Pony Fixer

For ease of possible later plumbing? Or another reason? I find this suggestion intriguing!

Because:

you can contain the water dribble around the tack watter bucket

you can clean things in the winter without getting dirty water everywhere

having a working drain saves dumping wash water outside and making ice patches in winter

you can put something dripping wet in the sink while it dries

you can put a leaking bottle of whatever in the sink instead of scrambling for a catch container

a functional drain means the catch bucket under the sink drain won’t over flow and then splash all over when you belatedly go to empty it

the catch bucket under the sink drain won’t get nasty, moldy, stinky

Do I need to keep going?