EC Question of the Week – Staying Organized at Shows

We recently asked our readers to tell us how they stay organized to avoid chaos in the tack stall at shows!  There are so many good ideas in this article!  Thank you for all the excellent input. Please read on for inspiration for your horse show tack stall:

 

Shania Poney – My dad made this for me! (See on the left.) We use this cart to haul in our bedding and hay when we get to the show. Then a bar is placed to hang my show clothes, bridle/halter bags, and saddle pad bags. There is a cart underneath to hold whatever you would like. Then my saddles sit next to this on its own rack.

 

Carly Ray – I have embroidered bags with the horses name, then it can carry their western bridle, hunter bridle, and their show halter. That works best for multiple horses in the barn. Everyone knows whose is whose and where to find something.

 

Kory Kumar – I take the extra seconds to put things back in designated locations so it’s an easy find later on. I also group products together in labeled containers or bags. My trainer jokes about my LOVE of Ziploc bags.

 

Adele Onomatopia – It all starts with amazing quality of Royal Wire Equine in the tack stall and trailer.

 

Paula Irvin – Each one of my daughters outfits was in a different colored clothing bag. English black, western pleasure blue, speed pink. All hat boxes matched the clothing bag. The included everything from gloves to extra hair nets in each bag.  Each horse also had their own color. Show halter/ bridle bags down to tail bags. No questions I knew where everything was and what went with it.  Because we traveled and stalled with a bunch of other women we all went so far as to color coat our metal saddle rakes, bucket, hat and blanket holders.

 

Caitlyn Uehling – I bought garment bags from Amazon and then made my own bias tape to go on the edge for mine and my mom’s clothes.  (See on the right.)

 

Lori Cluckey – This is my daughter’s first year showing in multiple events, we did a test run at a small show a couple weeks ago to work out the kinks! Of course we set the numbers down in between the first clothing change and tore our organized tack area apart looking for them! We have a garment bag for each set of clothes and numbers on our saddle pads already since she will have the same number for all 4H shows. Oh, and she’s tossed a barrel horse in the mix ( we have never done anything contest related before) so we will be at the shows from class #3 til class #60. Please send Dunkin.

 

Breanna Howell – Labels, lots of labels. My show clothes are separated in garment bags and labeled for each class/day, I have a three drawer organizer in the trailer that is separated by type, and everything for my horses is color coded. I also try to make sure that everything has its own rack/place because I can’t find anything otherwise.

 

Gail Triden – Labels and garment bags, bags for halters, blanket bags The big one is find a routine and stick to it, put things back in same spot.

 

Victoria Bannon – Organize by class/event/discipline, like halter and showmanship has its own bag, English has its own, western has its own, hang everything and put it away completely in the trailer when finished with them. Less clean up, organized, and ensures everything stays together.

Megan Pendleton – As a previous youth who did everything herself (parents supported!) and now an amateur who does it all herself organization has always been huge. Throw in the mix of a lead liner starting this year and it’s even more imperative.

I invested in wall grid. I have a 6’ and 10’ long piece. They hang perfectly in the tack stalls! I zip tie them even with the tops of stalls and then I use apparel arms for hanging shoe clothes. Then I use bag arms for hanging halter and bridle bags. The hooks are perfectly spaced so nothing sits right on top of each other.

I have other baskets and attachments I use to store other things like our numbers, hang tails or other tack not in bags.

I do have other shelving and a table for makeup and other extras. My next best investment was my makeup light/mirror.  (See all photos above.)

 

Brandy Barniak – If you’re done with it put it in its bag (not hanging on the same hook as the bag!). This applies to show clothes and tack! If you have trainers, it saves them time to pack up after the show (especially if you don’t stick around and help).

And yes, separate (and definitely label each if with a trainer) bags for English, western, halter, etc. for tack and clothing helps huge! If that group of classes is done for the weekend… my mom and I (when we travel without our trainers) take that tack back to the trailer at the end of the day! Saves time for pick up on Sunday when you have to drive long hours and work in the morning.

 

Carri Hansen – I hate chaos in the tack room. We have different hooks for bridles/work halters/show halters/leads/longe lines etc. I like all my tack along the back and right side wall of the tack stall. We have halter bags with the name on them or a tag with their picture my friend had made for us. Sheets and such usually are on the 3 prong hooks outside of stalls. We don’t use stall bags because it’s a big black hole! Polos and quilts etc. stay in a tote wrapped and organized under the table usually for easy access.

 

Caleigh Anderson – Organized bags are the key to happiness. Having a bridle or garment bag dedicated to every event that is color coded or embroidered make life so much easier!

 

Nicola Young – Garment bags labeled by class so it’s easy to change.

 

Jordan Melegari – At the end of each day, or if you get a break between classes, organize the tack stall. No matter the time you finish! It helps get everything more organized for the next day!

 

Taylor Deppen

I have bridle bags labeled with Easy Tags on them. Makes it easy to keep the correct stuff in the correct bag and trainers can easily see which bags belong to which client.

 

Kathy Wells Bast – Labeling is a must, one thing I found that helps is plastic name tags from Walmart (in the office section) and zip ties. Business cards fit in perfectly and can identify equipment, horse, owner.

I have a giant armoire for show clothes and pads and one for bridle bags and bits. Easy to pull from and put away between shows and keeps things clean. Clear clothing bags from Amazon for show shirts are easiest to avoid opening and closing bags trying to find the perfect outfit. Whole outfits that are bulky can go in sturdier bags with labels.

I saw an outstanding idea from a friend that I plan to use- tack trunks for show pads that he stored them folded and upright so you can see every pad and pull the one you want without moving any other pad- it slides right back in the slot when done(Marie Kondo style). So smart!

 

Lisa Meneely – I bring this tool box to every show. (See on the left.)  Everyone in our group knows about it and can access it any time. Safety pins, bobby pins, hairspray, Tylenol, bandaids, scissors, rain cover for hat and anything else useful that will fit.

 

 

Kathy Drake Hill- You come back to the stalls, after showmanship or 2 or 3 halter classes and you are putting your horse in the stall your best barn mate is struggling with their horse, you are trying to quickly get your horse in his stall and help her.  I keep my own bridle rack in the front of my stall just for quick stuff, all people and horses safely put away then hang everything up where it is supposed to go! My trainer also usually gets two tack stalls, basically one for tack and one for people and clothes and stuff.

 

Samantha Humphreys – I am my trainer, and when I have future show students…. take the 2 extra seconds to put things away properly. We use 3 hook bridle bags and it literally takes 2 seconds to put it away where its protected from dirt and hung properly. Garment bags for the show clothes. Though I do want to find one of those dance bags with the expandable clothes rack, they seem pretty handy!

 

Amy Engelskirger

I try to show with the same number and have multiple sets. I keep my number on my showmanship jacket with additional sets on pads. For shows where numbers are assigned I make copies on card stock and reinforce to make them last.

 

Kate Van Ness

For me it starts with lists when I’m packing. I have a halter/showmanship list, English, western, ring prep, trailer needs, stall needs, etc., and I have one for me and the horse(s). And there’s overlap. Socks are going to be on every. single. list. Have the things that I’ll need soonest in the day packed at the front of the trailer/tack stall/whatever.

 

Katie Greenawald

I go over the show bill when packing and organize my outfits based on the order of classes and all my tack stays in their designated spots in the trailer we don’t use a tack stall and have a cricket that we use to haul tack based on the current discipline/class! And out away everything as soon as it comes off the person or horse. The only way to ride English, western, and ranch in the same show!

 

Michelle Levi Rodgers

We have a garment bags with the person’s name and what it is. When you are done it goes back in the bag. We do the same with each outfit (each outfit gets its own garment bag). And since my kids and I all show, we each have our own color bags so everyone knows who’s is missing and whose is whose easily.

 

And perhaps the most amusing advice:

Delaney Tibbetts

Everything is totally organized when I get to the show. Then I turn into a hurricane. I have no pro tips, only chaos.