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Saturday Morning Home Repair: inside the tack room [1]

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Date: 2023-03-11

Despite the limitations of their budget, no electricity at the ranch, as well as horses, rain, and mud …lots of mud… I was able to get the shed built for just a bit over their budget. And after getting a jump on the floor one night after getting off work early, we were able frame and side the walls, and complete the roof in one weekend. Another couple nights after work to cut and install trim and a ramp, phase one was done.

The original plan was to wait until summer to build a door and add interior items. But they were very excited to buildout the interior. As you can see from the picture, the shed is not that big. It was hard to imagine all the items they wanted would ever fit inside the 6’x8’ shed; desk, shelf, whiteboard, saddle racks, saddle pad racks, bridle hooks, helmet storage, and room to store tack boxes.

I estimated we could do the door and other items for another six to seven hundred. They had the money to do that and get the new horse they were looking to buy.

Not really a horse person myself, I looked to the barn manager’s tack room for spacing and layout ideas.

Keeping the sketches from building the shed allowed me to recreate the layout and use it for designing and cutting some of the interior parts. I was also determined to use as much of the scraps as possible. Save money and less garbage.

They wanted 6 saddle racks, being the biggest items, we considered their location first. Finding an idea involving ABS pipe on the internet I was able to save them buying saddle racks online at $60 a per rack.

Spending just $15 for metal angle brackets and the 20” pieces of 4” ABS pipe that any true plumber would have laying around, made this a cheap addition. I set the bottom racks high enough so they can store tack boxes under the saddles. And they can store crops and lead lines inside the pipes. The only problem was the pipes were too slick. Some 4” wide traction tape solved that problem.

The piece of siding cutout for the door opening was perfect backing for bridle and helmet hooks.

The helmet hooks are 1/4” lags ...just 60¢ each.

We squeezed a small angled countertop/desk in the corner. With a shelf running along the back wall. I used leftover siding scraps to make brackets for both.

They couldn’t decide where they wanted the whiteboard ...so I put one in each location. Using scrap 2”x6” I built little shelves recessed into the stud bays. After adding the old stool and cork board I had laying around, the tiny office was complete.

One item left for the interior is the saddle pad rack. I came up with an idea, they liked it, and yes, it will involve pipes.

Now the door, I was really just guessing on this item. The hardware was the most expensive item of this phase. And had no idea how to build the actual door itself.

I imagined a hollow core door, with 1/4” goods on each side. I used metal studs for the frame with wood backing for the barn door hardware and handle.

After the hardware came in I was in a bit of a rush to build and install the door. More rain was due and my week was booked with actual paying work. But I finished the door on a Saturday night and installed it the next morning.

The door worked great and looked nice ...but I made a couple errors. Apparently horseshoes should always be used with open side up. This is so they catch the good luck. And I needed that luck, the material I used for the face of the door is not holding up to moisture. Despite being primed, I was worried it might not withstand the rain ...it didn’t.

The good news is when I rebuild the door the horseshoe will be installed correctly. Still haven’t decided what material to use for the door. It will survive until spring.

What is important for now is their tack is dry and safe ...protected from the rain… and even snow.

Typically I include my little one in these projects. In fact, my very first SMHRB was about her and I assembling her play structure. But she has never fully regained the mobility and strength in her arm after breaking it.

The irony is, she broke her arm after being thrown off a horse. It has scuttled her ambition of following her favorite cousin into becoming a union airplane mechanic at a major airline. But animals ...especially horses… has always been her thing. Maybe reconnecting with her friend Sarah (aka, Jeany) who was starting her equestrian business was just meant to be.

Jeany, a pre-med student, has a lot on her plate. TLO being able to step in as an instructor, creating the trainee program, maintaining the horses, help with graphics, promotion, etc… was just what Jeany needed.

Really impressed by them both. If you are near Los Gatos and interested in horses, this could be the place for you. They give group and private lessons. Pony rides, summer camp, and opportunities for kids to learn about horses as trainees. And they also want to give back by giving families with special needs members of any age interactive sessions with the horses, all free of charge.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/3/11/2157221/-Saturday-Morning-Home-Repair-inside-the-tack-room

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