Tack Trunk Secrets

[rennyben]

Ok, really, I am not all what you would call organized or “girly.” But I am fascinated now and need some serious help upping my game.

Back story: switched from eventing/foxhunting to A hunter barn to learn hunters (am loving it!). The other day I comment to one of the other women who rides there that she always looks great after she rides. Meanwhile my hair is a sweat plastered mess. She looks at me strangely and says, “I blow dry my hair after I ride. I keep a hair dryer in my tack trunk and after I ride I go in the bathroom and put myself together again.” Well, palm to forehead! I NEVER thought of that.

Couple days later I notice another woman getting ready to ride and she has all her hair nets/pony tail holders in cute cosmetics bags in her trunk. I’d been just throwing mine in my sweaty helmet in the trunk.

It has finally occurred to me that there are better ways and I should ask you guys for other ideas to organize myself and tack trunk. Especially bc I’m going to my first show soon and I don’t want to be the messy one – just bc I had no idea how to get organized. It does not come naturally to me people!!!

So what tricks do you have for staying neat and tidy at barn and shows? What other obvious solutions am I missing? TIA!!!

[AmmyByNature]

I don’t really blow dry my hair or wear makeup so I can’t help you with that! I do have a tupperware with hair ties and hair nets, though.

I achieve trunk organization using small tupperware containers inside a bigger container that lives in the bottom of my trunk. I also have some containers attached to the inside to of my trunk for small stuff.

One thing that may help is that I have separate trunks for home and shows. Now that you can get a big Stanley trunk for so cheap it makes a lot of sense…

[MtnDrmz]

I can’t even hardly get around to blow drying my hair at home :lol:

[enjoytheride]

People blowdry their hair at the barn?

I’ll admit to hosing my lower legs, arms, and face off in the washrack using my horse’s shampoo if I have to meet people during the summer after the barn. That’s it.

[beaujolais]

“I blow dry my hair after I ride. I keep a hair dryer in my tack trunk and after I ride I go in the bathroom and put myself together again.”

I guess someone else is putting her horse away?

[longtimelurker]

[QUOTE=sonomacounty;8621511]
“I blow dry my hair after I ride. I keep a hair dryer in my tack trunk and after I ride I go in the bathroom and put myself together again.”

I guess someone else is putting her horse away?[/QUOTE]

Oh please, let’s not turn this into one of THOSE threads.

[rennyben]

[QUOTE=longtimelurker;8621537]
Oh please, let’s not turn this into one of THOSE threads.[/QUOTE]

Agreed, please don’t turn into that!!! Because I do put my horse away and I think it’s a brilliant and obvious solution that I had NEVER thought of before. And, it’s not just for vanity, It’s cold here, and standing around in sweaty hair is just as bad for me as it is the horses.

The only other helpful things I could think of was keeping sunscreen in the trunk for summer. Right now everything is just shoved into my trunk like a dark pit of all things horsey. I know there’s an organization guru out there somewhere.

HELP!

[rennyben]

“I achieve trunk organization using small tupperware containers inside a bigger container that lives in the bottom of my trunk. I also have some containers attached to the inside to of my trunk for small stuff.”

Ok, I was thinking this is a solution. But I really am organizationally challenged. Ammy, How do you separate your stuff? What kind of containers? And how do you attach containers? I have one of those sport totes on wheels.

[Rocky092]

In terms of organization I too use tupperware bins/containers, well actually one is a plastic Chinese take-out container. I use the bins in my sliding tray for little odds and ends (extra hairnets, chap stick, hair ties etc) and i use the take out container for my bar of glycerine soap and a sponge. The bottom of my trunk has a bucket for liquids so if they spill they don’t ruin anything else, and a small crate for larger or spare things that I don’t use everyday (extra bridles, rags, lunge line etc).

I definitely haven’t heard the blow dryer in the tack trunk but I do keep a separate jacket in my trunk for grooming and riding so that I’m not covered in hair ands by the time I leave. A cute baseball cap works wonders too

[Dewey]

OP, I will not comment on the blow dryer. However, there are several threads on organizing. Here’s one:

www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?472276-Organizational-help-how-do-you-keep-up-with-everything

I also seem to remember a thread in which people posted pictures of their trunks, lockers, and organizational systems, but I don’t remember what it was called.

I don’t much to offer in the way of suggestions except that I did buy a box at K-Mart that is great for taller spray bottles. I think it was intended for files, but it has a handle and hinged lid, kind of like this:

https://www.google.com/search?q=carry+file+box+with+lid+plastic&espv=2&biw=1440&bih=775&tbm=isch&imgil=wrQBynS2E4-lRM%3A%3BIICQk4y6A1c-_M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.plasticboxshop.co.uk%252Fboxes-for-the-office-c2%252Fplastic-archiving-and-filing-boxes-c43%252Fsuspension-file-plastic-boxes-c46%252F21lt-smart-storemaster-plastic-file-box-pack-of-3-p132&source=iu&pf=m&fir=wrQBynS2E4-lRM%3A%2CIICQk4y6A1c-M%252C&usg=__HtK2HZc8DvieoGrGiz3Zg6SlLY4%3D&ved=0ahUKEwi_ouGlrpDMAhWRxiYKHajtDG8QyjcIbQ&ei=mLgQV7_2K5GNmwGo27P4Bg#imgrc=5Cs44iI4lclqOM%3A

I think mine is a little slimmer, though.

Oh, yes, I also bought a set of cheap plastic drawers to keep in my locker. Small things like bandaids, mints, extra bits, tubes of antiseptic cream, sun screen, sunglasses, etc. go in there. I also put my car keys in there during my ride.

[yellowbritches]

I think the hair dryer is brilliant if you frequently have someplace to be after a ride. Why not? I see no harm in having things around to allow you to look like a normal member of society. This isn’t something I need since my horse is quite literally boarded next door, but I could totally see it if he was elsewhere. There were many times when he was boarded elsewhere that I brought things to clean up and change after a ride.

Anyway, I’m following with interest. My bigger issue is more WHAT to put in my trunk then how to organize it. I know that sounds dumb, but I spent years being s BM…I didn’t have to stow stuff.

[Dubarry]

I’m a bucket person…8 quart buckets are cheap and portable. I have one for first aid, hoof stuff (magic cushion, duct tape, gloves, etc), tack cleaning, and bathing. Depending what I need and when I need it, I can grab and go. It may not work for everyone but works for me. I have a large enough tack box that all 4 buckets fit in the bottom.

[trubandloki]

I have (had is a better word, do not show or board anymore) a combination of small containers with lids and pouches with zippers for things. What goes where is kind of person choice thing.

A pouch type pencil holder that you can get cheap any time at Walmart works great to stash a comb and hair care products.

I have a smallish container, with a latching lid, that I keep things like lip balm, advil, etc.

[Mukluk]

I don’t really like the idea of tack trunks. It’s a big low box that you have to bend over and dig into to get at things. I much prefer a taller cabinet with lots of shelves. Much much easier for keeping things organized and everything is readily accessible. Lucky for me, I have my horse at home and have a whole tack room to myself, I have two tack trunks (mostly for horse clothing) and lots of shelves. I realize that at some barns all you might have is a tack trunk.

[AmmyByNature]

[QUOTE=Mukluk;8621829]
I don’t really like the idea of tack trunks. It’s a big low box that you have to bend over and dig into to get at things. I much prefer a taller cabinet with lots of shelves. Much much easier for keeping things organized and everything is readily accessible. Lucky for me, I have my horse at home and have a whole tack room to myself, I have two tack trunks (mostly for horse clothing) and lots of shelves. I realize that at some barns all you might have is a tack trunk.[/QUOTE]

I’ve had tack lockers at two places, trunks everywhere else. I also prefer lockers, but that’s a lot of infrastructure that most barns don’t have.

I’ve accumulated three trunks over the years, so I have junk stashed all over the place!

[ybiaw]

I keep several small plastic Tupperware-ish containers (with lids) in the tray of my wood trunk for things like hairnets and ponytail holders and bobby pins. And bandaids and tampons and sunscreen and hand sanitizer…my tack trunk looks like a weird combination between pharmacy, tack shop, and home improvement store sometimes, I swear.

In my plastic “show trunk” I don’t have a tray, so everything stays in their small containers inside a larger container under the little tote thing that I use for grooming supplies.

I don’t keep a hairdryer in my trunk, never have, but I’m also blessed with very thick, straight hair so usually I just take my helmet off, give my hair a good shake, and I’m good to go. It dries out on its own, and sometimes just letting it do its own thing creates an illusion of wavy hair, so that’s a cool bonus. I do have a can of dry shampoo in my trunk, though, just in case. And some baseball caps (or a beanie when I lived in Chicago and would have sweaty helmet hair in the winter). Ha!

[AmmyByNature]

[QUOTE=ybiaw;8622020]
…tampons…[/QUOTE]

Not to be weird, but if you have tampons in your trunk you will make someone VERY happy some day!

Oh - I also keep a couple of those snap chemical light rod things in my trunk. Used to board somewhere that had breakers pop all the time and they were a lifesaver at night!

[ybiaw]

@AmmyByNature;8622034

Not to be weird, but if you have tampons in your trunk you will make someone VERY happy some day!

Yep. They definitely came in handy on more than one occasion.

[ParadoxFarm]

I actually just have a GIANT collection of ball caps. As soon as I take my helmet off, I spritz it with a little shot of Lysol that I keep in the barn, then hang it on a hook to dry till I’m ready to leave. Then it goes in my helmet bag, into my carry bag, and into the house. My barn is at home. The ballcap goes on immediately.

At shows, I always start out neat and organized, but by time I leave, stuff is EVERYWHERE. I’m not sure how it happens. My trailer is still loaded with stuff strewn from my show this past weekend. (Went out of town, so didn’t unload it right away.) Sigh.

[50ShadesOfHay]

Ok, I’m a hunter rider and I have an origination problem. I need to get a pic of my trunk, but I went to The Container Store http://www.containerstore.com and got some of the smaller storage container (I believe they are for jewelry or office desk drawers) and I have hair nets, extra pony tails, hair brush, face wipes, gum, sun block, sun glasses, chapt stick, gum, dental floss, spurs, and gloves stored in there, on the top shelf in my trunk.
I have other larger containers in my trunk for tack cleaning (sponges, saddle soap, conditioner) bits, braiding supplies, other horse grooming supplies (show sheen, shampoo/conditioners/etc.) and clippers. Basically grouping like things together.

So its not just my tack trunk that is that organized either… my closet at home is organized by color, with lots of containers as well. Call it OCD if you want, but I can find things quickly and efficiently.

However I do not have a blow-dryer in my trunk. I have naturally wavy/curly hair and it just looks ‘beachie’ when I take my helmet off.

This is the XL version of what I have. http://www.containerstore.com/s/storage/smart-store/x-large-smart-store-system-tote/12d?productId=10030815