Stable Tools: Forks, Brooms and Scrapers for the Stable

Stable Tools: The Hand Kit for Everyday Stable Work

Stable work is hand work, and the tools for it rarely last as long as you hope. Tines bend, handles break at the joint, rubber blades tear. What we stock here are versions that reach that point a good deal later: forged forks, galvanised scrapers and brooms with a wooden stock, where you can buy bristles and rubbers on their own instead of replacing the whole tool.

Forks, shovels and the question of material

For muck and straw, metal forks with a strapped socket are still the most durable answer, because they take the levering you need in a trodden down bed. For shavings, straw pellets and droppings, plastic is the better choice, as it is lighter and does not let fine material fall through. Check the temperature rating while you are at it, since good forks stay flexible down to minus 20 degrees and cheap ones splinter in frost. On shovels it is the wear edge that decides: a galvanised or hard anodised edge keeps the blade in shape for years, without one the aluminium frays away on the floor.

Sweeping, scraping and the wearing parts

Brooms and scrapers are pure wearing parts, so the system behind them is what matters. A wooden stock with a handle hole or a thread takes standard handles, so you only swap the head. On water squeegees and manure scrapers the rubber is the part that goes first, and that is exactly what the replacement rubbers are for, available half round, round and bolt on. The tool stays in service and you buy only the strip that is actually worn out.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which fork do I use for mucking out horse boxes?
A plastic muck fork with closely spaced tines. It lets the shavings through and holds the droppings back, and it is far lighter than metal.

How do I spot a handle that will last?
By a straight grain in the wood and by a clean socket or strapped fitting at the joint. That is where every tool gives way first.

Can I buy bristles and rubbers separately?
With most of the models here, yes. Replacement broom heads, replacement rubbers and matching handles are listed in this category and in the subcategories.