Do you ever come to the barn thinking… WOW who threw a party in here last night? Is your schedule too tight to keep things organized or do you simply don’t feel like it?

We sat down with Mariel to take our organizational skills to the next level.

Mariel manages her own 5 horses and faithful companion Dela based at Augustsson-Zanotelli Stables. On top of showing, training and keeping everything very organized she also works out before and after riding. Needless to say that “I don’t have time for organizing” isn’t an excuse.

How do we start to get organized?

Baskets, categories and labelling!
The first step is always to take everything out and categorize
the items so that you have a much better idea of what you have.
Clean the space and get baskets and boxes to put your items in.
In a tack room, you have for example one basket for grooming products, one basket for tack accessories like extra martingale stoppers, or extra blinkers, or extra stirrups, one basket for daily wraps and bandages or boots, one basket for creams and products and so on.
Everything has its spot, whether in a basket, box, or shelf. You now know exactly where each item lives.
It’s very important to make it practical. The things you use the most should always be easy to access.

After putting everything back how we want it, I label everything.
This is particularly important for places where you work with other people, such as in an office space or at the stables. By labeling, everyone knows where things are and where things go.
If everyone knows where everything goes, and everything has its place, then things don’t get misplaced or lost.
So many times, people think they lost something and it just got put in the wrong place.

Short hacks for a neat room in no time:

1. Folding

This will make it look a lot tidier instantly. Pick one way of folding and be consistent about it. When organizing a closet, it’s also nice to sort by color.

2. Baskets and boxes

You can buy them anywhere and the trick is to not have anything loose, even if it’s only your car keys or wallet on the table. Even a tray will make it look nice!

3. Storage box

As riders we usually have extra items such as extra shampoo, vetrap… By placing it in a storage box with a label like “Extra grooming products” or “Extra tack” you will avoid clutter very easily. This box can be put way in the back or at a top shelf where you don’t see it.

4. Dust

Try to dust off things, this way it will immediately look a lot cleaner.

5. Rack

Get a rack for the wash stall so you can store your products for daily use and have easy access. Hubo for example sells these racks. Make sure to keep this area clean!

Want to know more about specific organizing hacks? Follow Mariel on Instagram marielagu.