A tack trunk is essential to keeping your tack clean, organized, and free from dust and critters. Once you have one, you’ll have no idea how you managed it: carrying all your tack in a heap in the trunk of your car or piled up and shoved in your tack room. Tack trunks are functional storage that can show off your personality with colors and personalization.
But what happens when your tack trunk resembles that mess of bridles, saddles, pads, and supplies you were so excited for the trunk to solve? In this blog, we will show you how to get back on track and stay organized for the long haul.
How to Organize Your Tack Trunk
First, embrace the fact that you must pull everything out of the trunk and start from scratch. Deep breaths, everyone: it’s the worst part! Wipe your tank trunk down while empty, creating a clean starting space. Then, follow these four organizational tips to get all your items back in your trunk and organized.
Group similar items together. While all of your tack is out of the trunk, put all your similar equipment together in piles. Bridles, saddles, grooming items, medication, and more should each have their own pile. They should remain grouped when you put them back in the tack trunk.
Decide on essential vs. non-essential items. While categorizing your items, remember what is essential to stay in the trunk. Grooming items? Always essential. Flyers for a clinic? Best to add to your calendar and throw away the paper.
Use Organizing Tools. Shopping is the best part of organizing! Grab bins and containers for small items and hooks and hangers for larger ones. Ziploc bags are also handy for extra hair ties (yours and your horse’s!)
Think outside the box. It’s also handy to use most of your space outside your tack trunk, ensuring that the items inside the tack trunk stay organized and your tack trunk from being slammed with stuff.
Labels for easy identification. Pull out that label maker! Label items so you can easily see what is in bags and cases, and it makes it so you don’t have to rifle through boxes to find the one thing you need.
6 Items to Help Your Keep Your Tack Trunk Organized
Keeping your tack trunk organized is also easy when you have plenty of storage options. Whether you use these items in or out of your tack trunk, you have plenty of options!
- Schneiders® Dura-Tech® EZ-Store Hanging Grooming Organizer with Removable Bags
- Dura-Tech® Stall Front Leg Wrap Holder
- Dura-Tech® Accessory/Clipper Roll-Up Bag
- Schneiders® Collapsible Horse Laundry Bag
- Easy-Up® Pro 36" Collapsible Basket and Tack Rack
- Dura-Tech® Multi Saddle Pad Carrier Bag
It’s easy to shove all your grooming tools in a tote, which means rifle through everything to find the hoof pick at the bottom of the bag. Or, you lend someone your brush, forget, and walk off, meaning the person who borrowed it will probably just put it somewhere random in the tack room. That’s why having a handy organizer is a game changer! Hang this near the grooming area, in tack rooms, and at horse shows to keep an assortment of your grooming equipment and first-aid well-organized and always easy to find. Plus, having it hang near your stall means that borrowed brush has an easy-to-find place to be returned!
Wraps have a way of “walking off”, getting wadded up, in a tack trunk, or somehow coming home with you. That’s why this handy stall front leg wrap holder that is easy to use will store multiple standing wraps, quilts, boots and more. It’s easy to hang, and its low profile against the stall makes for a clean look.
Effortlessly organize your clipper supplies, banding and braiding tools, first aid essentials, or personal accessories in this roll-up bag. It is perfect for all your clipping needs, made of tough 600 denier polyester with a secure hook & loop closure to keep things in place. It’s also easy to hang wherever you clip, whether that’s the washing stall or the aisle. Roll it neatly up to protect the items inside while also being a great space saver.
If there is one thing you need, it’s this! Collapsable laundry bags are a must-have in every barn, even in your house! Stop carrying huge loads of laundry around, and save yourself the aggravation of accidentally dropping clean things out of the pile (meaning a rewash, argh!). Easy to use and store, simply toss your dirty horse laundry such as saddle pads, polo wraps, horse boots, towels, and coolers in and collapse when not in use or heading to horse shows. You can’t just buy one!
Racks are a game changer for storage, especially ones you can put anywhere and move as needed. The basket is perfect for grooming supplies, a few wraps, and bulkier items; you can even put a small container in the rack to hold your keys and some hair bands close to the stall. The eight hooks on the bottom are great for your tack items, like bridles, halters, and lead lines. Plus, the hooks swivel over for safety if anything grazes past them, so there is no snagging.
This saddle pad carrier bag is great for storing and carrying around saddle pads. Your saddle pads will stay clean and organized, zipped up securely in this heavy-duty bag. Two sections in this bag hold two to three saddle pads each, keeping them organized, while the heavy-duty handles make carrying a breeze. This bag isn’t just for carrying; you can use it for storage as well. Four grommets allow air to circulate so damp saddle pads can dry while reducing odors. You’ll never have to worry about musty-smelling saddle pads with this bag.
Staying organized can be a chore, but with our tips and tricks to organize your tack trunk, and the right organizational items, you’ll spend more time in the saddle and less time trying to find everything you need. Plus, being organized helps relax you, making your horse relaxed too. Everyone wins!
