Welcome to EN’s Product Review series! Who doesn’t love shopping, especially when the object of your search is new gear for yourself or your horse? As an enthusiast of all products equine, I LOVE trying out new gear. Please join me as I narrate my personal journey of trying out all of the products featured. While I will make no recommendations, I hope you have fun reading about my many adventures of trying new products, and that hearing about my personal experiences helps you on your own quest for new gear. Go Shopping.
When I first saw the Forever Fork, I was taken aback to see the demonstration of the fork laying face down on the ground...with someone standing on the upside down basket. Photo by Lorraine Peachey.
I’m someone who is extremely comfortable with what I find familiar. I have a routine and I like to stick to it. You could say that I’m one of those people who like going to the same restaurants, and usually ordering the same dishes.
As a general rule, I know what I like, and I like what I know. It’s not that I’m closed off from wanting to try things that are new or different. Quite the opposite, in fact! In my mind, I want a product to prove itself to be better in some way, shape or form than one I’m using now.
The great thing is, there are so many choices for practically any type of product that you can think of in the marketplace today — especially when we’re talking about products for the equine or the equestrian.
Changing gears a little, let’s talk about stall mucking. Yep, you heard me … it’s barn work 101. And it all starts with choosing the right manure fork for you. Now I’ll be the first to admit that not all manure forks are created equal.
I’ve used my fair share of different manure forks to clean stalls. What I’ve found over the years, is that different forks each have their own strengths. This means that depending on the “cleaning conditions” that I’m facing, I may assess the task at hand before selecting a fork.
For example, are my stalls pretty tidy, with neat piles of manure to pick up? Or is the manure all scattered around after being walked through? Maybe there is a bunch of hay scattered all around the stall. Or, perhaps I’m trying to clean the paddock, rather than a stall.
The Forever Fork is actually constructed out of a polycarbonate, with an added UV stabilizer to prolong the life of the basket. The body of the fork is an aluminum pole, and it finishes out with a polycarbonate handle. Photo by Lorraine Peachey.
In any of these cases, I need a manure fork. But I might pick a different one for each of these jobs. Today, I’m sharing my experience using the Forever Fork. This particular manure fork caught my eye at the last AETA trade show.
When I first saw the Forever Fork, I was taken aback to see the demonstration of the fork laying face down on the ground…with someone standing on the upside down basket. Then there were the pictures of the fork being stepped on by horses, without breaking!
So of course, I had to learn more. Before I knew it, I was standing in the Forever Fork booth on one of their manure forks. Was I cringing? Yes. Absolutely, in fact. But did the fork break? Nope. Nada. Not at all. (Good thing too, because my face would have been sooo red).
What exactly makes the Forever Fork so durable? The manure fork is actually constructed out of a polycarbonate, with an added UV stabilizer to prolong the life of the basket. The body of the fork is an aluminum pole, and it finishes out with a polycarbonate handle.
Something that I noticed right away when picking up a Forever Fork for the first time was the weight — Or should I say that lack of weight — because the Forever Fork is very lightweight. I really noticed (and appreciated!) this particular quality with the daily use of the fork.
So what exactly do I like about the Forever Fork? I just touched upon the (lack of) weight, which is a much appreciated feature from my perspective. Mucking is hard work, and depending on the number of stalls (and their state of messiness), my back gets tired.
The curved shape of the Forever Fork…it helps to act as a “bucket” shape to keep pieces of manure from falling off of the sides of the basket. Photo by Lorraine Peachey
The Forever Fork is one of the lightest (if not the lightest) manure fork that I’ve used. So when I’m tired, it’s a good fork to reach for. I also would like to draw attention to the shape of the basket. Instead of being perfectly flat, the basket of the Forever Fork is a curved shape.
And the curved shape…it helps to act as a “bucket” shape to keep pieces of manure from falling off of the sides of the basket. This is especially handy when I shake the fork to release extra bits of pine pelleted bedding prior to dumping the manure in the muck cart.
I didn’t notice it right at first, but within the first days of use, I had an “oh, WOW” moment once I realized what the design was doing. And while it might be something small, I also like the shape of the handle. It allows me to hold and use the fork efficiently to clean stalls.
I do find the Forever Fork to feel sturdy while I’m clearing full piles of manure. It is also efficient when I’m chasing scattered nuggets around the stall. And even when I’m digging out that always present giant wet spot, the Forever Fork always handles the work load.
After months of daily use, I’ve not had a problem with tines bending or breaking. Plus, the basket remains firmly attached, without any wobbles. In fact, it the fork feels as though it is still in new condition — crinse off the old bedding, and it will be grand!
The Forever Fork comes with a two year guarantee, and it can also be personalized with your farm name at no extra charge. The Forkever Fork retails for $49.95, and you can find it here.
