When it comes to anvils, John Halko of Georgia Farrier Supply says he’s actually calculated the cost of lifting one in and out of a rig all day long vs. having it mounted on a swing-out mechanism.
“The time and energy to lift the anvil in and out all day is about the same amount of time to do one reset, and that’s about $100,” he estimates. “You can put that into your pocket and do more horses, or you can give it to the chiropractor.”
Halko adds that while a swing-out anvil won’t alleviate all problems, it can basically give you an extra horse each day.
“Farriers are like pro athletes — you only have so many horses in you,” he says. “And since farriers are selling their bodies, they need to consider the wear and tear on them from the way their rig is set up.
“The thing about anvils is that you’re never picking it straight up, carrying it to your stand and setting it straight down, you’re actually bending at about a 20-degree angle. If you’re shoeing eight horses in a day, that’s a back killer that’s shortening your career and costing you money. To me, a swing-out anvil just makes much more sense.”
You can read more about efficiency int he Sept./Oct. 2012 issue of AFJ.
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