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DIY Cheap Saddle Racks

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With its rounded form, a saddle will become useless quick if you store it on the floor. It must retain its shape to fit properly on the back of your horse. A saddle rack is necessary, but an expensive saddle rack is not. You can make your own with just a few dollars and a few pieces of equipment. A collapsible one will fold away to save space when not in use.

Collapsible Saddle Rack Materials

Building a collapsible saddle rack requires a measuring tape, a length of 2-by-4 and a saw, a J-hook, an eye hook and some wood screws. Measuring your saddle is an essential first step; the wood rack must be slightly longer than your saddle. Cut a two-by-four into two 20-inch lengths -- or longer if your saddle requires -- with a handsaw or circular saw, then gather some nails and a hammer. You'll also need a J-hook and an eye hook with some wood screws.

Putting It Together

After measuring your saddle, add at least 2 inches to the length. For most saddles, a rack that's 20 inches long is sufficient. Turn one 2-by-4 on its side and lay the second piece flat along the end of the lumber, making a "T" shape with the boards. Use wood nails to secure the two pieces of wood together. Screwing the eye hook into the wall provides your hanging mechanism; attaching the J-hook to one end of the lumber rack gives you the other piece of the mechanism. It's best to attach it to the wood piece that's sitting on its side, which makes the "T" look upside down. This allows the top of the rack to be narrow to fit into the center of the saddle base. The wider bottom of the upside-down "T" helps steady the saddle, which flares out from the center. When you slide the J-hook into the eye hook, you have a stable but easily removable saddle rack.

Options

If you have a large saddle, such as one for a draft horse, this rack might work better if you leave the "T"-shaped rack right side up. Draft saddles tend to be a bit flatter at the top to accommodate a wider horse's girth. You can also use a single post instead of two pieces of wood, such as a 4-by-4-inch post. Chiseling off the top corner allows you to attach your J-hook on a flat surface. To help prevent slippage, staple carpet or artificial turf on the top of your saddle racks.

Other Rack Choices

Using old items you have sitting around your house or in your garage can save you time and money. Old sawhorses, for example, are sturdy enough to hold the weight of the saddle. For extra stability, nail a two-by-four to the bottom of the horizontal support. The two-by-four should be flat instead of on its side to offer a wider base. Old chairs also can work well, especially if the chair backs are rounded on top. Place the chairs back to back, then scoot them about a foot apart. The saddle should fit on top of the chair backs. One cheap traditional saddle rack is a barrel, mounted to the wall through the bottom, so the saddle sits on the horizontal rounded cylinder.