Words such as “sharp,” “sporty” and even “pretty” accurately describe Rich Cleland’s shoeing rig, but they don’t do justice to how functional and comfortable it is.

Cleland, of DeBary, Fla., stressed functionality when he started looking for a new rig that could serve as a workshop on wheels.

That’s why he ended up putting together a package that includes a 2004 Chevy 1-ton, cut-away van with a box custom-made by Supreme Corporation and a work space he built himself.

The Chevy contribution includes a 6-liter, V-8 Vortex engine that gets about 13 miles per gallon. The cab offers comfort, with customized captain’s chairs, power accessories and a large, custom-built storage space about 20 inches deep behind the seats where he carries personal belongings.

Supreme delivered what Cleland wanted, “an empty box with windows,” he says, so he could build the interior to suit his needs.

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS. A TV/VCR combination (third from top) lets Cleland thoroughly examine a horse’s gait, while music from the stereo is simply for pleasure.

The box measures 12 feet long and 6 1/2 feet high and wide. The white exterior is decorated with large, highly stylized, multi-color decals depicting a horse and Cleland’s RC Horseshoeing logo, which also appears on his business cards, shirts and bills. His license plate, SHOE- 4U, also distinguishes the vehicle.

But it’s the interior of the box that…