Trailer Trash

By Patty Wilber

Tacky tack room trash?

I went around taking pictures of a few Back Country Horsemen tack rooms (with permission of course!).  I never got around to doing the same at the last show, so now I have no data to show that show-ers are neater than back country folks or BCH’ers are more prepared than show people or the other way around.

All I can conclude is that of all the BCH’ers, my trailer tack room is the most, uh, “well stocked”.

Now for the evidence.  This tack room is definitely not mine. The floor is spotless!

Vanna (stage name) our Mule Guide for the tour of the this tack room, would like to point out that the photographer needs a better camera or a cleaner lens or better technique.  In addition, this tack room is both clean and neat.  Gold star.

Clean AND neat. (I personally find both of those impossible to maintain….)

Next. Not mine either–only two saddles!

The saddle is nicely on its edge there and the tire is a nice touch–except it has no wheel, so using it might be tough. But hey the rake is hung and the other saddle is covered! Plus there is a mattress.

This is looking pretty familiar, but there is still a lot of wall space.

This tack room gets used, and the important stuff is there! Saddle, rake, helmet and jiffy jack.

Uh–this could be mine…

Oh dear. English saddle, western show saddled, covered, pack saddle, lots of saddle pads (some are hung nicely complete with show numbers), English boots (in the blue boot bag), show clothes,  cold weather clothes, a set of loppers, brushes, buckets and my favorite, the  jiffy jack.  There would be a another saddle or two in there but they are still on the horses.  Who cares if the floor is clean?  You cannot even see it.

So, you can never really have enough bridles…or bags, or hay bags, or horse papers or…Geez. “Every available spot should be used”, is my trailer motto.

 I need a lot in there for BCH work and the show season, you know.  And it is a pain to keep ferrying things to the basement or barn or living room (where things do seem to accumulate anyway) and back out to the trailer…So they mainly stay in the tack room.

When I take my horses in other people’s trailers, and we need something, I can usually say, “Well, I have some duct tape in my trailer.  Well, I have a branding iron in my trailer.  Yes I have a spare…bridle, bit, pad, halter, cinch, latigo, English girth etc. in my trailer…”

Yeah, ok.  That’s nice.

(Please don’t submit my name for a new TV show: “Tack Room Hoarders”!)