The Importance of the Shoeing Bay

by David Farmilo
Accredited Master Farrier, Oakbank SA
PH 0418 835 186
www.horsefarrier.com.au

For those of you who are not aware of it, this is Be Kind To Farriers Week.

There are many ways in which this may be observed of course, but may I suggest something that will not only help make his job of shoeing much easier, but will also help you as the horse owner, along with the veterinarian, the horse dentist, and anyone else who may have to attend to your horse – a Shoeing Bay!

Very simple to construct, and it can make life around horses so easy and safe. Also, I don’t mean a hitching rail. Horses can turn 180 degrees and pull away.

Basically all you need is a slab of concrete, two lengths of 2” pipe each six metres long, four base plates and four dynabolts. Construct this in an area suitable for shoeing, washing and grooming.

The resulting effect will amaze you. Your horses will be much easier to control. You will always keep a good farrier, and his standard of work will improve. You won’t have to hold every horse and they can be cross tied and have a breeching rope behind, allowing you to see more of what is going on.

My clients can see what I am doing on every hoof instead of holding the horse. Or they can just sit down and relax. I do not believe in trimming a horse that is not standing on a level surface. And I often insist on a shoeing bay being built before I will return for the next shoeing, or they can bring the horse to me so I can shoe in controlled conditions. For clients wanting a perfect result, they need to supply ideal conditions.

I have used canvas conveyor belting on the floor of my own shoeing bays, so when it gets wet it doesn’t get slippery – rough concrete is OK, but if the horse becomes restless, he can wear out those nicely trimmed hooves. Click here to see the photo gallery.

So, be kind to your farrier, please.

Directions to make your own shoeing bay

Basically all you need is a slab of concrete, and the materials listed below. Construct this in an area suitable for shoeing, washing and grooming. The resulting effect will amaze you. Your horses will be much easier to control. You will always keep a good farrier, and his standard of work will improve. You won’t have to hold every horse and they can be cross tied and have a breeching rope behind, allowing you to see more of what is going on.

I have used canvas conveyor belting on the floor, so when it gets wet it doesn’t get slippery – rough concrete is OK, but if the horse becomes restless, he can wear out those nicely trimmed hooves.

The horse in the photo is 19.2 hands. The same stall also fits all other horses and ponies, safely.

The total cost of this shoeing bay was $120 on an existing concrete floor.

The height of the rails, four feet from the ground, not only contains the horse but also allows the farrier an escape route on either side. To be boxed in by a horse that erupts for whatever reason is sheer folly. This height allows the farrier to move or throw himself sideways and under the rails if there is any trouble. All the farrier has to do is remember to duck his head the first time. It’s guaranteed that he will remember to duck his head if it happens a second time.

The length of the shoeing bay, ten feet long, is comfortably long enough to contain the horse, and to allow him a little leeway to move on his restraint. I always cross tie using two lead ropes. The shoeing bay is long enough that a light breeching rope across the back of the shoeing bay does not cause him to feel overly contained. The breeching rope can be moved forwards or backwards to allow for the length of each horse. The breeching rope is an added safety measure in case he moves back, and again gives the farrier an easy exit path.

The diameter of the pipe used for the construction of the bay, 2.5” galvanised pipe, offers strength and stability and is not going to buckle or give way under any circumstances. Using galvanised elbows or a pipe bender to achieve the bends eliminates any bolts or seams that can snag either the horse or the farrier. I have bolted flanges to the floor, rather than setting the poles into concrete, which gives me the flexibility of removing either or both of the shoeing bays to increase space for demonstrations, discussion groups or for the occasional outdoors party.

The conveyor belt rubber attached to the floor with dynabolts serves a three-fold purpose - I use canvas conveyor belt so an agitated horse will not slip on it, even if urinated on, and the matting actually helps the acoustics, deadening the sound of the hoofs, and consequently calming the horse. Also, a restless horse will not wear out his feet like he would on a concrete surface.

A purpose built bay for your own horses can certainly be situated in a smaller area than I would use. I have a lot of horses brought to me for reconstructive hoof work, horses that are unbroken and have never been inside a shed. My blacksmith’s shop to cater for this is forty foot square, with fifteen foot ceilings, and is a very open space, containing only two shoeing bays both with canvas conveyor belt flooring. Anvil stands, plus forge and tool trolley are the only other goods in the shop, and I have yet to find a horse, unbroken or otherwise, that has objected to entering the shed or the shoeing bay. The largest horse I have shod in the bay was a 19.2 hands Shire horse, who had never been inside a shed and who stood quite happily for two hours while I hot shod him with size eleven shoes.

The addition of some relaxing music in the background results in an environment as good as it gets for both farrier and horse, and while I have the occasional objection from clients who don’t want to listen to classical music, I’ve yet to find a horse who objects.

So be kind to your Farrier please…..

MATERIALS:

2 LENGTHS GALV PIPE 2.5” DIAMETER X 18 FOOT
4 X 2.5” GALV FLANGES
8 X 0.5” DYNABOLTS
4 X 2.5” GALV ELBOWS (IF NO PIPE BENDER AVAILABLE)

CONSTRUCTION:

AS PER DIAGRAM: Go here for the design plans

FOR ELBOWS EITHER BEND IN PIPE BENDER
OR USE READY MADE ELBOWS
ATTACH TO FLOOR EITHER WITH 2.5” GALV FLANGES DYNABOLTED TO CONCRETE OR SET DIRECT INTO CONCRETE
RUBBER OR CONVEYOR BELT MATTING ON FLOOR HELPS SETTLE THE HORSE AND PREVENTS SLIPPING (AVAILABLE FROM SOME DISPOSAL STORES) (ATTACH WITH DYNABOLTS)
HORSE IS CROSS TIED USING 2 LEAD ROPES (ATTACHED TO THE RAILS WITH BINDING TWINE FOR SAFETY) AND ALSO A LIGHT BREECHING ROPE SHOULD BE PUT BEHIND THE HORSE’S RUMP

MORE TO THE SHOEING BAY

From ‘Across The Anvil’ ASHJ March-April 2000

In the previous article I praised the advantages of a shoeing bay, and offered plans for the construction of the same. The overwhelming requests for plans that I have received has been amazing - it gladdens the cockles of this old farrier’s heart to think of shoeing bays springing up all around Australia, making the workload of the farrier so much easier and safer.

It was when one such request also included the question “what if I just make a rail on one side, and use the wall on the other” that I decided to clarify just why the dimensions of the shoeing bay and its construction are so important.

It is so easy to accept the method of carrying out any simple task without questioning exactly why the task is carried out in that manner, and I thank him for asking that simple question.

I am reminded of the story of the young bride who always cooked a leg of lamb after cutting off the knuckle and discarding it. Her young husband queried why she did this, after all it was his favorite piece, and she said in some surprise that she didn’t know - her Mum had always done it, so she assumed it was the right thing to do. On asking Mum why she cut the knuckle off, the reply was that her roasting dish was not long enough to fit the knuckle. Moral of the story - always ask the question why.

Back to the shoeing bay - the height of the rails, four feet from the ground, not only contains the horse but also allows the farrier an escape route on either side. To be boxed in by a horse that erupts for whatever reason is sheer folly. This height allows the farrier to move or throw himself sideways and under the rails if there is any trouble. All the farrier has to do is remember to duck his head the first time. It’s guaranteed that he will remember to duck his head if it happens a second time.

The length of the shoeing bay, ten feet long, is comfortably long enough to contain the horse, and to allow him a little leeway to move on his restraint. I always cross tie using two lead ropes. The shoeing bay is long enough that a light breeching rope across the back of the shoeing bay does not cause him to feel overly contained. The breeching rope can be moved forwards or backwards to allow for the length of each horse. The breeching rope is an added safety measure in case he moves back, and again gives the farrier an easy exit path.

The diameter of the pipe used for the construction of the bay, 2.5” galvanised pipe, offers strength and stability and is not going to buckle or give way under any circumstances. Using galvanised elbows or a pipe bender to achieve the bends eliminates any bolts or seams that can snag either the horse or the farrier. I have bolted flanges to the floor, rather than setting the poles into concrete, which gives me the flexibility of removing either or both of the shoeing bays to increase space for demonstrations, discussion groups or for the occasional outdoors party.

The conveyor belt rubber attached to the floor with dynabolts serves a three-fold purpose - I use canvas conveyor belt so an agitated horse will not slip on it, even if urinated on, and the matting actually helps the acoustics, deadening the sound of the hoofs, and consequently calming the horse. Also, a restless horse will not wear out his feet like he would on a concrete surface.

A purpose built bay for your own horses can certainly be situated in a smaller area than I would use. I have a lot of horses brought to me for reconstructive hoof work, horses that are unbroken and have never been inside a shed. My blacksmith’s shop to cater for this is forty foot square, with fifteen foot ceilings, and is a very open space, containing only two shoeing bays both with canvas conveyor belt flooring. Anvil stands, plus forge and tool trolley are the only other goods in the shop, and I have yet to find a horse, unbroken or otherwise, that has objected to entering the shed or the shoeing bay. The largest horse I have shod in the bay was a 19.2 hands Shire horse, who had never been inside a shed and who stood quite happily for two hours while I hot shod him with size eleven shoes.

The addition of some relaxing music in the background results in an environment as good as it gets for both farrier and horse, and while I have the occasional objection from clients who don’t want to listen to classical music, I’ve yet to find a horse who objects.