About 15 years ago, Ed Reardon bought a retired  ton pick-up truck to add as a shoeing rig to his farrier practice. The idea for the truck goes back much earlier, though. Well-established as a farrier at the time, Reardon wanted to find and restore a 1947 truck — the same year he was born.  

“I wanted to do it simply because it is the same age I am,” says Reardon. 

Although this restoration is flashy and is secondary to his everyday truck and body, the end product is a functional shoeing rig.

A Retirement Rig

About 5 years ago, the Lee’s Summit, Mo., farrier dissolved his multi-
farrier practice, thinking he would retire. Realizing he didn’t need the money, but would miss the work, he unretired. Reardon now works alone on a limited number of horses. This change encouraged him to continue restoration of the antique Ford as a shoeing rig.

Reardon replaced the engine and frame with that from a 1996 Ford Bronco. Then about 2 years ago, he turned over the truck to Brent Chidsey of Bay Horse Innovations, who restored the truck’s body and shoeing area. Reardon credits Chidsey with much of the vision and commitment to the build, pointing to details like matching the corners of the interior to…