Saddle Storage
If your tack room is basically an empty room in the barn (like mine is), consider asking your barn owner if you can install saddle racks that hang on the wall. These are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased from most tack supply stores. They screw into the wall and your saddles hang, saving floor space. If this is not possible or you move your horses often, you can buy a folding saddle stand. These are also relatively inexpensive and can be moved anywhere. They are lightweight and can also be easily cleaned. Saddle covers are also very nice and will help keep your saddles clean while they are not in use.
During the summer, I will store my saddle with the saddle pads on top of it. It is really dusty in West Texas and even in the barn you will find a layer of dust on everything, even inside the tack room. Not to mention the barn cats like to snoop around as well and they make their own messes and I don't want my saddle to become a tom cat's territory. I try to keep everything off the ground so my blankets don't turn into beds or hidy holes for mice. I have limited space in my tack room and use a folding rack. I have my western saddle on the rack with my western saddle pad over it and then my English saddle on top of it with the English pad on top. If it is really dusty, I will keep my horse blanket over all of it. Blankets can be easily dusted and shook off and keep you from having to clean your saddles everytime your ride.
As winter approaches, most saddles are getting put up for awhile, especially if it snows or rains a lot in your area. Here the wind can be so bitter cold that you don't even want to be outside, while when I lived in Oklahoma I could ride most of the winter because the wind was not as bad. I recommend a good cleaning on your saddle before storing it over the winter months. Lather it up really good with saddle soap and oil so that your leather will stay supple while it is not in use. You may also want to invest in saddle covers or place your saddle in a plastic bag to hold in the moisture and protect your saddle from leaky roofs in your tack room.
