Horse riding is a means of transportation from times immemorial, that has grown into a popular hobby for horse enthusiasts. But for most Aussies like you, it is a lifestyle – bonding with a beloved animal and feeling the sense of freedom as you are galloping on open ground. However, owning a horse is a great responsibility, and you need to take care of not only your horse, but the riding equipment you use.
Many people keep everything you need in a tack box, but have you looked at it recently?
If it looks in need of organising, then read on for our tack box organising tips to get things right.
1. Take Everything Out and Clean the Tack Box
Good tack box organising is thorough which means that everything, down to the smallest items, must come out. Next, give the tack box a good scrub down and sanitise and repeat for the items you will put back in it. But first…
2. Throw Out the Things You Don’t Need
Here’s one of the best tack box organising tips: put aside all the items you haven’t used during the last 6 months. These are items you will likely not use in the next 6 months, as well, so it’s a good idea to store them somewhere else and make room in the horse tack box for the things that you really need.
Now that you know what you will keep, you can proceed with cleaning these items. When they are ready to go back into the box, move to the next step.
3. Use Small Containers to Organise Items
Do you know how carefully you pack for the holidays? You put the toiletries in a special container, the first aid kit and basic medicine in another container and so on? This is the philosophy you should apply to organise your tack box.
For example, the various ointments and brushes you use to care for the horse should stay together in a separate container. Harnesses should have their special place, neatly arranged so that they don’t get tangled up. Once you use smart tack box organising tips a few times, it will become second nature in the future, and you’ll be thankful when you can quickly and easily find things that you need.
4. Do Not Play Tetris Inside the Tack Box
When you go on holiday, it makes sense to pack things as snugly as possible to reduce the volume of your luggage (and the extra cost you have to pay for it at the airport). But there is no need to fit things as tightly together as possible in your tack box.
Consider the fact that you may need to give your horse a quick brush before you start on a ride. The horse knows that he’s about to have some fun and is impatient. Meanwhile, you keep taking things out of the tack box to reach the brush…That can really spoil the mood of your horse! Make sure items are easily accessible and ready to be used.
5. Prioritise Things You Use Most Frequently
What goes at the top of the horse tack box? Obviously, the things you use every time you take your horse out for a ride.
Do yourself a favour and prioritise utility and function over once-in-a-while items.
Above all, make sure that you are using a tack box that will keep all the items in good condition – protected from humidity, with a good, reliable locking system and the ability to resist accidents, such as dropping, without getting damaged.
You keep valuable items in that box, so don’t go for the cheapest model on the market! Make sure you have a tack box that can withstand the elements and life as a horse owner.