It may not be exactly the assembly line of a “Big-3” automaker, but in a short visit to the headquarters of Stone Well Bodies & Equipment in Genoa, N.Y., you can quickly see the basics of how the company’s popular shoeing bodies go together. If you’re lucky enough to visit the day a customer is on hand for a pick-up, you can even see one go from the assembly line to its place on a truck.

Started Small

Brent Chidsey, founder and president of Stone Well, built his first shoeing rig for his own shoeing practice back in 1994. That rig became a rolling advertisement for his work and by 1995, he was building shoeing rigs full time.

FRAME IN. Stone Well employees use adhesives and clamps as they fasten the body panels to the aluminum frame.

FRAME UP. The aluminum frame of a Stone Well shoeing body after it has been welded together.

Since that first rig, Stone Well has rolled out more than 800 units, including truck caps, shoeing bodies and tow-behind and goose-neck trailers. The company employs between 12 and 15 workers full-time, depending on the season. Chidsey says he’s hoping to add a few new employees soon. He says business has been good and he wants to be able to continue to deliver his bodies and other equipment in a timely fashion.

In addition to rigs for farriers, Chidsey has built and equipped a number of rigs for equine veterinarians. Stone Well also produces aluminum cabinets…