Hitching rails, stall fittings and paddock fencing in wood

I build tie rails and wooden fittings for stables, and every job starts at the post rather than at the plank. A hitching rail for grooming and tacking stands on posts set in concrete below the frost line, with the tie ring at withers height so the rope runs level and the horse holds its head the way it is used to. The beam is planed and sanded until you can run a bare palm along it, the edges are rounded, bolt heads are countersunk or capped, and nothing sticks out at shoulder, hip or knee level. Under the feet goes a rubber mat so the standing place does not turn into a pit, and above it a canopy, because a horse that has spent an hour in July sun remembers it the next time you lead it out.

A horse is stronger than any piece of wood, and I build on the assumption that one day it will pull. Every tie point gets a safety link, a breakaway insert that parts before the animal, the headcollar or the post does, and the lead is finished with a quick-release knot a person can free with one hand. Cross ties carry an elastic damper for the same reason. There are no protruding nails, no open loops and no gaps where a hoof or a jaw can be caught: a gap is either closed or widened until a leg passes through freely. At the height where a horse chews, the timber is left without toxic preservatives; protective treatment goes on the outer faces and the top only. Foundation depth and every working height are agreed with the stable owner before I mix concrete, and anything veterinary, from behaviour to injuries and feeding, belongs to your vet and not to me.

What I make:
— hitching rails for grooming and tacking: posts in concrete, splinter-free beam, rubber mat, canopy;
— cross ties with a shock-absorbing insert and a breakaway link at each wall;
— feeders and waterers at a comfortable height, on fixings that cannot be torn off;
— hay nets and racks hung so the net never drops to hoof level;
— stall dividers, kick boards and door furniture without sharp corners;
— paddock fencing of planed beams, rounded posts and a clearly visible top rail;
— gates that swing with one hand and do not sag after a season;
— exterior treatment and a spring inspection with retightening after the winter.

Timing is agreed after a site visit and measurement: a single rail takes a few days, a paddock line with gates takes longer.