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We already talked about buying a commercial horse farm, but now let’s talk more detailed about the organization of the one special and important space of the farm- a tack room.
First of all, temperature
So, the main purpose of this room is to store ammunition, so the ammunition must be dry and warm enough (usually the temperature here is the same as in the stable, about 10-15 °). When arranging this room, it is important not to overdo it - the principle of the "golden mean" should apply here. The main enemy of both horses and equipment is air humidity. In combination with high temperature, in conditions of high humidity, an excellent environment is created for the development of various microorganisms, the appearance of mold, which is dangerous for people, animals, and things.
If the microclimate in the ammunition is disturbed, the situation often develops according to the following scenario: first, for example, in the fall, moisture accumulates in the room, then the temperature drops below zero - the skin first hardens, with the arrival of heat it begins to "ooze", then it becomes hard again from moisture evaporation, and then starts to crack.
Let’s agree, this is not a very enviable fate for an expensive saddle, and constantly wet saddles will not bring health to your horse. Too hot ammunition room is also not an option: the skin does not like overheating and deteriorates from high temperatures.
The scale of imagination
What size should be the ideal tack room? It all depends on the livestock and your capabilities. The minimum size of the room is 1.8 x 3.7 m, of course, if there is space, it can (and should) be increased. It is important that all the necessary equipment fits in the room, and the person also has where to turn around, for example, with a saddle in his hands.
The tack room, like the stall, must be equipped in accordance with all safety requirements like for example nails or raw edges of the boards must not stick out of the walls. Otherwise, you run the risk of scratching or tearing ammunition, maneuvering in this often cramped space.
Storage space question
All the expensive "dowry" of your pet must be stored somewhere, so the tack room should ideally be equipped with cabinets, shelves, special hangers for bridles, drawers for brushes and scrapers, dryers for blankets and saddles, saddle brackets, etc.
Cabinets can be purchased ready-made or can be made by yourself. The most common are metal and wood, but wood is much preferred. It has the ability to "breathe", and such a chest turns out to be leaky, which allows air in small quantities to penetrate inside and prevent ammunition from going through.
A large cabinet should be designed for two saddles, hooks for bridles/halters/cords are located on the door, and two shelves on top. You don't have to make special holes in the cabinets - if you need to dry the saddle cloth, it is better to do it on a special hanger outside, everything else "breathes" quite normally. Plus, the extra holes, especially at the bottom, are a joy for the mice. Do not store biscuits, sugar, or other delicacies in packs or sachets in cupboards - it is better to keep them all in airtight iron cans. The lockers can be decorated in a variety of ways, for example, hang pictures of horses on the door, a beautiful plaque with the owner's name, interesting statements about horses - in a word, everything that you have enough imagination for. Or you can buy a ready-one cupboard in the Liberty furniture catalog.
With your own hands
If it is impossible to place large cabinets in which the saddles are placed in the ammunition, special holders or brackets should be provided for the saddles. They can also be purchased in stores or made by hand. For this, a log with a diameter of 20-25 cm and not shorter than half a meter is sanded and sawn in half. We rest the butt against the wall and fix it at a convenient height with the help of bars: we put one vertically along the wall, the other, supporting the protruding part, we fix at an acute angle on the first one. The saddles are arranged in rows one above the other. Do not forget to keep a small ladder or stand in the ammunition rack if the equipment is too high. By the same principle, holders for bridles can be made, it is not recommended to hang them on nails - the skin is stretched and deformed. On the common bridle holder above each hook, you can also attach a nameplate with the name of the horse so that no one accidentally confuses the ammunition.
Don't play with fire
Shelves and boxes are indispensable for inventory, a first aid kit (a first aid kit is needed), various horse care products (brushes, comb, hooks, gels, hoof ointments, etc.) and for ammunition, as well as quilted jackets, boots or bandages. In the tack room, you should definitely provide a place for drying saddlecloths, blankets, and other textile items of ammunition. It is good to hang them along the walls on dryers, which can also be made from a bar - this is convenient and saves space.
Additionally, you can put a heater in the ammunition box - this way things will dry faster. But remember that drying things directly on the heater itself is strictly prohibited! This can lead to a fire, and, by the way, it is in the ammunition and stern that most often fires occur in the stables.
Wait, who's coming?
A separate issue is the safety of ammunition: how is this room locked and who has access to it. If things are located in individual lockers that are locked with a key, the problem is solved. In stables with a stable, friendly team, as a rule, theft is also not welcome. However, sometimes in the equestrian world, there are greedy for the stranger, and if you do not want to end up as a victim, equip the ammunition with a video surveillance camera and an appropriate sign that will make potential thieves think.
Everything has its place
In small clubs, the tack room is sometimes combined with other premises - a dressing room, a restroom, or located directly in the stable itself. This is definitely best avoided. If you change in the ammunition and leave your clothes there (including the outer one), soon it will smell like a horse, and this smell will accompany you all the time, and it is simply impossible to wash, for example, a down jacket weekly.
The restroom is also not an option: where there is rest, there is food, and where is food, there are mice. In the ammunition, there will always be crumbs, wrappers, garbage thrown out at the wrong time, which will lead to the appearance of rodents and flies in the summer. Keeping ammunition right in the stable is also not a good idea: stalls hung with saddle cloths, boots and bridles look untidy, a horse can easily catch on or taste all these things, and large boxes in the aisles interfere with the stable staff, as well as horses.
With an eye to the future
In short, the ammunition room plays a very important role. A properly equipped, comfortable room, where things are stored neatly and securely, is another "face" of the stable. Do not be stingy to equip a comfortable ammunition room, and guests, clients, and staff of your club will surely appreciate it.
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