Storage

Tack room and feed storage: how to organise a yard properly

How to plan feed bins, rug racks and shelving so a tack room stays dry, secure and quick to work in.

Organised tack and feed room with galvanised feed bins, rug racks and shelving — Illustrative equipment image for this buying guide. It does not represent a confirmed manufacturer product.

The short answer

Plan tack room storage around your daily movements: sealed feed bins off the floor, ventilated rug racks near where rugs come off, and open shelving for boots and bandages so they dry. Deal with damp and ventilation before adding more shelving, and treat the door, frame and lighting as part of the plan because tack rooms are a common theft target.

Practical preparation

Before you compare equipment

Gather these details first. They will rule out unsuitable options and make any quotation more useful.

Sketch the room and mark where feed arrives, is mixed and is stored.
Count feed types, rugs per horse and wet kit needing space in winter.
Note ventilation, damp patches, floor condition and lighting.
Check the door, frame and fixings, and your insurer's requirements.

Storage is a routine problem, not a tidiness problem

Most tack rooms are not untidy because people are careless; they are untidy because there is nowhere obvious for wet rugs, part-used feed sacks and everyday kit to go. Plan storage around the movements you actually make each day: where feed arrives, where it is mixed, where rugs come off wet, and where boots and bandages dry. If a job takes two extra steps, it will eventually stop being done properly.

Feed storage comes first

Feed needs to stay dry, sealed against vermin and off the floor, and the bin needs to be easy to scoop from without lifting a lid one-handed. Sealed bins for hard feed, a separate labelled bin for anything fed by weight, and clean scoops kept with the bins prevent most feeding mistakes on a yard where several people help. Store supplements and medication separately, where they cannot be confused with feed. See feed and rug storage for the fit-out we specify most often.

Rugs, and the wet kit problem

Wet rugs are the single biggest cause of a crowded tack room in winter. Racks that let air behind the rug, hung where there is ventilation, do more than more shelving does. If rugs regularly go back on damp, drying provision is the real fix rather than storage: see our guide on horse drying systems. Keep numnahs, boots and bandages on open shelving or racks rather than in closed boxes, so they dry rather than sour.

Feed store with bulk hopper and stacked feed bins — Generic supporting image showing the type of equipment discussed.

Damp, security and insurance

A tack room in a stable block is usually cold and damp, which is hard on leather and on anything electrical. Ventilation, a solid floor and racking that keeps items off the wall help. Tack rooms are also a common theft target, so treat the door, the frame, the fixings and lighting as part of the storage plan, and check what your insurer requires of locks and alarms rather than assuming. Our stable yard security guide covers the practical side.

Specifications and prices

Bin capacities, rack sizes, materials and prices are confirmed with the manufacturer before you order. Send a photograph and rough measurements of the room, with the number of horses, and we will suggest a layout before recommending anything.

A sensible order to buy in

Feed storage first, because it protects money already spent and prevents feeding mistakes. Rug and wet kit storage second, because that is what crowds a room in winter. General shelving and racking third, once you know what is actually left over. Small items last. Buying in that order avoids the common outcome of a smart racking system that still has feed sacks on the floor underneath it.

Damp, ventilation and leather

Cold, still air in a stable block holds moisture, and leather, rugs and electrical items all suffer for it. Air movement matters more than heating: a vent, a gap behind racking and space between hung rugs go a long way. Keep saddles and bridles away from external walls where condensation forms, and check regularly rather than at the end of the season. If the room is genuinely wet, that is a building job before it is a storage purchase.

Shared yards and several people

Where more than one person feeds or rugs up, labelling is a safety measure rather than a nicety. One named bin per horse for anything fed by weight, a written ration list where feeds are mixed, and supplements or medication stored separately prevent the mistakes that matter. On a livery yard, agree who is responsible for restocking and who has keys before adding lockable storage. See our stable equipment buying guide for the fittings that go with it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best way to store hard feed?

In sealed, vermin-proof bins kept off the floor, in a dry ventilated room, with clean scoops kept with the bins and anything fed by weight labelled clearly.

How should wet rugs be stored?

On racks that allow air behind the rug, in a ventilated space, with rugs spaced apart. If rugs regularly go back on damp, drying provision is the real answer.

How much storage does a small yard need?

Plan for one feed bin per feed type, one rug rack position per horse, plus open shelving for boots and bandages. Send measurements and horse numbers and we will suggest a layout.

Does storage affect insurance?

Insurers often set requirements for locks, alarms and how tack is secured. Check your own policy wording rather than assuming, before you fit out the room.

Can storage be fitted into an existing stable block?

Usually yes. What decides it is the wall construction, the floor and the ventilation, which is why we ask for photographs before recommending anything.

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