Make the most use of wasted wall space in your barn, stable, or horse trailer dressing room. An orderly, clutter-free barn is aesthetically pleasing, saves time during daily chores and is a healthy place for the horses that live there. Luckily, there are loads of options for storing tack and equipment. If you’re looking for ideas to give your barn an organizational face lift, here are some suggestions which can be easily found and utilized to help you on your way.
Reduce Clutter
Obsolete equipment and extraneous items are the most significant impediment to barn organization. Sort through all your existing equipment to weed out items you no longer use. Be firm in ridding yourself of old tack, blankets and equipment that you may never need again. Donate your unwanted items to a therapeutic riding program or a horse rescue. Non-profit organizations will either put the items to good use or sell them to raise funds.
Create a Hazard-Free Space
Take a fresh look around your barn to identify and remove potential hazards.
Create a Tack Cleaning Station
Tack cleaning is more apt to be done on a regular basis if the process is easy and convenient.
Be Creative About Storage Solutions and Resolute About Using Them
If everything in your barn has its own storage place, you will save time in your daily routine. No more searching for that lost pair of splint boots or the missing girth!
Everyday Storage Helpers:
- Bathroom Organizers -It seems every horse requires at least three bottles of shampoo and conditioner. This can leave wash stalls looking disheveled. These organizers come in all sizes and with various features. One helpful wash stall organizer is a large wire wall-mounted unit with several shelves. Buckets can be clipped to it and spray bottles can hang from the wire frame to keep them off of the ground and out of the way. The wire racks are a great place for drying sponges, too.
- Horseshoe Hooks -What do you do with used horseshoes? You ask your farrier to bend them for you in his forge. Then you can nail them to the wall and hang halters, lead ropes, stray coats, and clipboards from them. (Don’t forget to thank your farrier.) Make sure you use these in out-of-the-way places like tack and storage rooms. Keep them out of barn aisle ways as they have no give in them if horses or equipment get caught in the horseshoe.
- Rubbermaid Boxes -This is not the most creative storage idea, but these boxes are useful. Rubbermaid or plastic boxes come in all sizes. There are even clear plastic boxes to help you remember what’s in them. For a barn with a small number of boarders, you can give everyone a box in a different color. These boxes are also easy to label with permanent markers.
- Over-the-Door Shoe Racks -Ever notice that a grooming brush is about the same shape as a shoe? That’s what makes an over-the-door shoe rack a great brush holder. The pockets also work for holding spray bottles, collections of hoof picks, braiding equipment and often-lost hair ties.
- Peg Boards -You’ve always known a peg board was handy for hanging hammers, saws and other tools. It can also work well as an easy-to-install area for hanging girths, bits and helmets. They are completely customizable with a variety of metal hooks to hang nearly anything that’s not too heavy.