small tack room hacks

11 Tack Room Hacks for Small Spaces

ByLina

Every bargain saddle pad, spare bridle and “lot of tack for $50” needs somewhere to live. In a small tack room, the answer usually ends up being the floor, and then you spend ten minutes looking for one bit.

You don’t need more square meters. You need to use the walls, the back of the door and the space under whatever you already own. These twelve fixes use cheap materials, household items and a bit of DIY. Plan the layout before you drill anything, and give every item one fixed home.

1. Build Saddle Racks From Timber

A rack is the best fix for a tiny room, because it hangs flat when no saddle is on it. One DIY version costs about $7 per rack.

You need landscaping timber, a tarp hook, a screw eye, construction adhesive and, optionally, a bamboo bath mat for padding.

  1. Cut the timber to 22 inches (about 56 cm) and sand it smooth.
  2. Screw the tarp hook onto one end. A drop of adhesive under its flat part adds strength.
  3. Fix the hook to the wall.
  4. Screw a second eye into the wall at the spot where the rack will rest when it’s folded away.
  5. Cut the bath mat to wrap around the timber at least once, glue it on and let it dry completely.
  6. Hang the rack.
Folding saddle rack made from a padded timber log, mounted on a tack room wall with a leather saddle resting on it

2. Hang Bridles at Different Heights

Chrome bridle hangers and horseshoe hooks both work for a bridle rack, and neither is expensive. The trick is to mount them at different heights, so the bridles don’t hang in one flat row and you use every part of the wall.

Start with a short row at shoulder height and add a second row above or below. Keep each bridle on its own hook so you can grab one without untangling the rest.

3. Hang Bits From a Tension Rod

A tension rod, or a curtain rod, between two walls gives you a hanging bar that needs no drilling. Add metal S-hooks and hang a bit from each.

Fit it in a corner or under a shelf where the bits have room to hang. It suits light items best, so keep the heavier gear on proper hooks.

4. Use Over-Door Hangers for Bits and Bonnets

The back of the door is free space, and over-door hangers use it for items that are hard to store. Bits and bonnets are the obvious candidates, because they’re small, easy to lose and annoying to dig out of a drawer.

Make sure the door still closes with the hangers on it. Choose sturdy ones if you’re hanging several items.

Two wall-mounted blow dryer holders beside a tack room door, each holding an upright riding whip

5. Hang a Shoe Organizer for Small Gear

A hanging shoe organizer gives every small item its own pocket. Hoof picks, brushes, gloves and fly spray stay visible and off the shelf.

Sort by job, such as one row for hoof care and one for fly control. It’s one of the cheapest ways to turn a spare piece of wall or door into storage.

Clear hanging shoe organizer on a tack room door with a hoof pick, brush, glove and fly spray in separate pockets

6. Hang Saddle Pads on Skirt Hangers

A skirt hanger has clips, which makes it a good way to store several saddle pads in one spot. Each pad hangs by its edge, so the pads aren’t stacked in a pile.

Hang the hangers on a rail or hooks near your saddle racks, so each pad is close to the saddle it belongs with.

Skirt hangers with clips on a wooden rail, each holding a saddle pad by the edge

7. Use a Rolling Tool Box as Mobile Storage

A large rolling tool box doubles as mobile tack storage. It rolls out when you need it and back in when you’re finished, so it doesn’t take permanent floor space.

A tool box can also serve as a lockable grooming box. If you share the barn, the lock keeps your brushes and supplies from wandering off.

Red rolling tool box with the top drawer open, showing horse brushes and a hoof pick, standing beside a tack room door

8. Keep Blankets and Supplements in Clear Containers

Large clear plastic containers are a good-value way to store blankets, supplements and spare gear. You can see what’s inside and the contents stay clean.

Choose containers with secure lids, stack them in the same size and label each one clearly. Use smaller containers for loose small items.

Stacked clear plastic containers with lids on a tack room shelf, holding folded horse blankets and supplements

9. Turn Old Furniture Into Storage

Old bookshelves and storage racks work well in a tack room, and secondhand ones are often cheap or free. A filing cabinet is a good home for paperwork and smaller equipment.

Choose furniture that matches the space you have. A shelf that’s too deep wastes the room it was supposed to save.

Secondhand wooden bookshelf holding riding boots, a helmet and bins, next to a metal filing cabinet in a tack room

10. Mount Shelving With Saddle Racks Above Blankets

Adjustable shelving lets you rearrange the wall when your gear changes. Mounting saddle racks with blanket storage underneath uses the same wall twice.

Sturdy materials matter here, because you’re loading the wall with weight. Plan the layout on paper first, then install.

11. Cover Bare Floors With a Yoga Mat

A yoga mat works as a cheap rug, or as a cover for bare wood. It’s an easy way to make a work area more comfortable.

Cut it to the size of the space, and put it where you stand most, not under the racks.

yoga mat laid on a bare wooden tack room floor, with riding boots and a grooming box on top

Where to Start

Pick one project and finish it before starting the next. The saddle racks (hack 1) and the bridle hooks (hack 2) clear the most floor and wall space for the least money. After that, every item should have one home, which is what makes the room easy to use.

Related on Hoof & Honest: the five levels of tack room, for what to fix once the floor is clear · the five levels of saddle pad · the turnout blanket brands you can still trust

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