Most riders, whether they are equine owners or not, end up having a large collection of equipment over the years. Some unique pieces, but also many duplicates in other respects ... If you are lucky enough to have your horses at home, it should be easy enough to organize the storage area for your equipment. On the other hand, many riders have try to arrange their equipment in lockers, or areas assigned in the tack room of their equestrian centre. A little common sense and some small tips to simplify your life ...
What do you need daily?
Make an assessment objectively: what is the essential material? What is superfluous? Grooming equipment, leather care products, saddle, one or two numnahs, shock absorber, bridle, transport boots / tail bandage, lunging rope / reins, treats, medical kit, stable rug and exercise rugs for the winter, helmet, chaps / boots, whip / spurs, bits depending on what you’re doing. The idea is to select only objects that are necessary, keep them clean and have easy access to them.
What storage systems?
Many riders have set their sights on trolleys. They do not take up much space, and are easily transported to their horse’s stables, this alternative can be very practical. Provided however that you properly organize the trolley... If you can’t / do not want to choose the trolley, be aware that it is perfectly possible to have a basic saddle rack, and a small shelf. From your saddle rack you can easily hang a grooming kit and a helmet. Your bridle rack can hold two bridles and one or two reins, as well as a lunge. If you do not have a bridle rack, invest in a hook! Suspended in a strategic location, it will have the same usefulness and probably more room for storage than a bridle rack. For small items, such as spurs, mouthpieces, leather care products, etc., a medium sized box will do just fine. You can even have a medical kit in it. Note that if you properly maintain and store your grooming equipment, it will be very easy to wedge gaiters and bandages in your bag. The latter has the advantage of being washable ... If you are offered a relatively large space, do not hesitate to invest in a small trunk. Today, it is very simple to store clean textiles in a vacuum bag (a special bag in the supermarket for a few euros, a vacuum cleaner, and voila) ... In that regard, the rest of your material is probably stored at your house. A couple of gaiters, your ponies’ old blankets from before you switched to a horse, competition bridle, transport boots, and the list goes on!
How do you get organised at home?
Same principle as at the equestrian center: storage and tidiness. Mice can live anywhere, and unpleasant surprises can happen. Sort by categories of equipment, when possible, a vacuum storage that will save you from buying five trunks instead of two ... And always have common sense, but be adamant on the cleanliness of the items you will store. Mold and damage will be avoided. Finally, you will have a real idea of what you own. Are there things you will never use again? Did you find a nice competition fly veil? Remember where you store it for the next occasion ... Organize a small tack room sale with your loved ones and sell your old equipment, or trade them! You can consider putting your equipment on sale on Equirodi.co.uk.
In short
- You will have gained clarity
- You will have tidied your belongings, but you will also have the feeling of making a fresh start
- Finally, we need quite a few things at the stables :-)
- Think about vacuum storage for textiles
- Regularly clean the grooming kit to get rid of hair, dust, and clean your brushes
We are waiting for your tips, clever ideas and feedback, let us know in the comments what you think is wise on the theme of storage!
