Two of Everything...
Do you find you end up with a minimum of two of EVERYTHING at the stables? Well you are not alone! And half the time we forget what we have at the yard. So many times I've been to stock up on something - get to the yard and turns out I already have one - in some cases two of the very same item. In some cases one still has its tags attached!!!
- What do you really need two of?
- Tips for organising better
- What do you do with items you no longer need?
Apart from the obvious answer – like Saddle Pads (duh!) What do you really need two of?
Bridle: I like to keep a spare bridle on hand. Bridles take a lot of strain every day, and it doesn’t take a lot for one to break (horse rubs a flash noseband off, or snaps a cheek piece by mistake). Remember leather bridles are designed to break under pressure – this is a safety aspect that in the unlikely event your horse gets caught they can pull themselves free. It’s always good to have a spare bridle that you can borrow parts off in the event something happens – especially since individual bridle parts aren’t always readily available in UAE.
First Aid Supplies: Always ALWAYS keep lots of first aid products on hand – especially bandages! A handy tip – if you use anything (or lend someone anything) from your first aid box…replace it that very same day. You just never know when your horse will need a bandage pad or get a cut that needs attention.
Horse Boots: A spare set of tendon boots, brushing boots and overreach boots is highly recommended. Unexplained things happen to boots – they go missing. Or you arrive one day and your boots haven’t tried from the night before. Overreach boots snap off or lose stickiness on the Velcro – it happens. Always keep a spare set of boots at the yard for all these unforeseen events.
Gloves: I like to have three pairs of gloves on the go at a time. This gives me one pair to ride with, another for when you need to wash a pair and a spare just in case. I can’t even count the amount of times I’ve forgotten my washed gloves at home! And there is nothing more frustrating. If you want some tips on cleaning your gloves – you can check out our Smelly-less Gloves blog post here.
Other tack spares:
Stirrup leathers: I like to keep a spare set of stirrup leathers on hand – you just never know when a stirrup leather snaps or when you feel off balance because your leathers have stretched on one side. And there is nothing more annoying than waiting for new ones to arrive.
Reins: You know what its like to have your favourite pair of reins? We all have our favourite and I’ve heard so many times of customers wanting the same as what they have. If you find a pair of reins you love – buy two sets…its handy to have a spare at the yard or in your show bag incase anything happens.
The problem with having extras is always storage! But there are ways to organize yourself better.
While tack trucks are great for storing your items…they can be awfully expensive. There are some very easy, over the counter options that you can buy at any supermarket or department store (like IKEA or Ace Hardware). Top Tip: Dragonmart do great metal cupboards that have a lock-away section inside for all your personal items, hanging space and shelves and don’t take up as much space as bigger tack trunks – that actually don’t have the space you need for all your supplies.
Shoe Racks – ever notice how most horse brushes are the same size as normal pair of shoes. You can find hanging shoe racks that make great storage for brushes and grooming items. They can hang over a stable door or in a cupboard. These shoe racks are also great for bandages and horse boots.
Tupperware – plastic Tupperware storage come in all shapes and sizes now, which is ideal for your different size stable equipment. Tupperware are also relatively inexpensive – you can label them to make things easier to find, and are great for reducing clutter and mess in your tack box, cupboard or tack room.
- Smaller Tupperware are great for braiding accessories (and will prevent those sneaky braiding bands from a) going missing or b) making a huge mess all over your grooming bag).
- Bigger Tupperware are great for all your first aid creams and medicines to keep them all in one place so they are easy to find in the case of an emergency.
- Storing your opened bag of treats – to prevent vermin and bugs from getting access and ruining your horses treats. I like to mix a couple different flavors of treats into one tub so my horse gets a mix and match surprise every day.
We also have a brilliant range Storage Bags & Wash Bags which are handy for storing everything from blankets and pads to boots and more.
I love this recommendation from The SavvyHorseWoman Equestrian Blog:
This Genius idea of a Velcro Boot Holder where you can create a practical and cute wall of boots. Use strong double sided tape to attach heavy duty Velcro straps on a wall, and use this to hang boots on! Genius! You can read more of Savvy Horse Woman’s tips in this article.
Another BRILLIANT idea from The Budget Equestrian Equestrian Blog – is a DIY home-made saddle rack – using items you can buy from easily from Dragonmart this rack simply uses skirt hangers which you can use on an existing rain inside a cupboard or you can buy a rail and attach to any solid wall, you can see a step-by-step guide in this article.
Continuously de-clutter and clear out your tack room and tack storage to make sure you’re staying on top of what you have and keeping track of stock.
What do you do with items you no longer need?
- Donate! There are always horses in need that need your leftovers. There are many people that have rescue horses, and even some that do collections to donate to horses in need in other countries.
- Sell! If you’ve got items you no longer need, that are still in good condition – then why not sell them?
You can post donation items and sale items on some of the Second Hand Tack Groups on Facebook and on the Equestrian Community UAE on Facebook.
