Screw Eye Or Cleat (photo 8)
Many new shoeing stocks have screw eyes attached to the stocks through which the end of the cuff rope is passed to secure the hoof in position. Many stock users don't realize that the setup with the screw eye is designed to work with the cuff rope to make a rope pulley. The rope from the cuff should go through the eye, then back through the ring in cuff before lifting on the free end. This arrangement doubles the power of the human and helps secure the leg tightly up against the stock. If you don't double back to the ring on the cuff, you'll likely find that the leg can't get close enough to the stock to stabilize the hoof, especially on the rear feet. On the front feet, there is no need to draw the cuff up close to the upright when trimming the bottom like there is with the rear feet. If you attach too close with a front foot, it twist the horse's joints unnecessarily, making him uncomfortable.

I have also seen shoeing stocks where the manufacturer provides steel rope grabbing cleats at the location where others have the screw eye. The choice is simply a matter of personal preference. The rope cleats are easy to make from the same bar stock used to make some draft horse shoes (3/8 x 1" bar stock, cut in 10" lengths, drilled for lag screw attachment and bent as shown in photo 9).

I've learned that the dee rings on the cuff that many shoeing stock manufacturers provide are too light-duty to stand up to the pressure that an experienced stock destroying horse is going to exert. So, when searching for a more hefty ring, I discovered neck yoke rings. They are heavy duty rings made of welded steel, and are almost twice as sturdy as what is typically provided.

When I first used the combination of rope cleats and big rings on the cuff, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was very easy to hook the ring over the top wing of the rope cleat. Hooked like that, as soon as you get the ring over the top wing of the cleat, the leg is captured and secured tightly, leaving no wiggle room. After a quick wrap of the rope around the bottom wing of the cleat, the rope is then kept tight as it is wrapped around the top rope cleat.

Power Lifting (photo 10)
For horses that seem to be rooted to the deck, you can try the power rope technique. Get a ten foot longs smooth rope with a small loop tied into one end. Hang the little loop over an upper rope cleat near the hoof being picked up and pass the end of the rope through the ring on the cuff and up to your helper's hands. Now when the shoer pulls on the leg, he or she will have twice their normal strength. Most shoers are strong enough that once the horse picks its foot up with this power rope, it is not capable of putting its foot back down until the human is ready for that to happen.

If the power rope technique isn't enough to unglue a hoof from the deck, I always have a cable come-a-long ready to use. I simply hook the winch and handle end over an upper rope cleat (these need to be made of steel to do this trick), and clip the hook on the end of the cable into the ring on the cuff. It's pretty easy then to begin to work the handle until the horse picks up its foot. Once the horse settles a little, you can cup the toe of the suspended hoof and gently ease the hoof over to where you want it.

When a horse is being difficult about having his feet picked up, or is struggling once the foot is picked up, I instruct my helpers to act as if everything is going fine. I'm convinced that some horses enjoy hearing humans grunt and gasp as they try to lift a hoof, and they also seem to get great satisfaction from watching the shoer duck and run if the horse jerks around while in the stock. I try to act as if nothing is wrong, no matter what is happening. Winning the psychological battle is half the job, making it more likely the horse will remember his good manners.

Getting The Horse Out Of The Shoeing Stock
When it is time to take the horse out of the stock, be sure to take off any cuffs before undoing the upper and lower chains that hold him in. I always unwrap the cuff ropes out of the cleats before approaching the cuff with my hands. If a horse swings a leg while you have ahold of the cuff, this makes it less likely to injure your hand. Also, be sure that the horse is no longer tied with a lead rope to the stock. Before undoing the last butt chain, I always take a moment to be sure everything else is off of the horse as planned. If a horse was allowed to come out of the stocks while a foot was still tied to the stocks, it wouldn't be a happy ending.

Troubleshooting
From the stories I've heard from those who have had trouble with shoeing stocks, it seems their problems occur because of mistakes made in the use of stocks. These problems arise mostly from lack of knowledge about the proper use of stocks, but they also arise from deficiencies in how stocks are manufactured and from deficiencies in the fastening equipment that is provided by some manufacturers. These deficiencies are usually very easy and inexpensive to remedy. Some examples of these deficiencies follow.

If The Horse Doesn't Fit The Stocks
If the horse is too long of body to fit in the stock, there will be problems. Many of the shoeing stocks being sold for draft horse use fit only small to medium-sized horses. Really big draft horses can't get their hind feet up onto the platform of the stock, which greatly compromises the stability. My favorite way to make stocks longer is to start at the foundation and replace the two "sleeper" beams that the four uprights are fastened into. Usually they need to be about a foot longer in order to fit most draft horses. An alternative that would probably work just fine would be to use steel strapping to scab on some extra length to the sleepers at the rear of the stocks and then nail on more deck planking.

If the horse is too small, this will also cause problems. Rattling around because of too much space front to rear and side to side will cause all kinds of problems. Some manufacturers offer a stock that is sized to handle light horses.

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